Astoundingly Bad Reporting On Ed Snowden: Claims He Said The Exact Opposite Of What He Said

from the now-that's-impressive-journalism dept

Thu, Jun 5th 2014 7:51am — Mike Masnick

Update: The original article I had seen, on the ABC Australia site has now been "updated" with a correction. It turns out that it was actually just carelessly running a piece from the AFP wire. The AFP piece (sometimes edited, sometimes not) can be seen on MSN.com, Yahoo and the AFP directly. However, I think that first sentence below was a bad summary by the ABC site of the bad reporting by AFP, since none of the others include that initial, totally incorrect, sentence.

A few days ago, someone pointed me to this article from the Australian ABC news, which presumes to make statements concerning an interview that Ed Snowden gave to the Brazilian Globo TV:

Former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, wanted by US authorities and currently living in Russia, has told a Brazilian TV network he has applied for asylum in Brazil and is in possession of more sensitive documents.

"I would love to live in Brazil," Snowden told Globo TV on Sunday (local time).

[....] He said he had more documents to release, relating to US spying on countries that include Britain and Brazil.

That struck me as strange, given earlier statements, including from Snowden himself, that he no longer has any access to any of the documents. As for the application for asylum, last year, Snowden had sent an open letter to Brazil, in which he doesn't actually ask for asylum, but hints that he'd be interested if there were a way to work out the details.

Thankfully, the full Globo TV episode is available online and was conducted in English. And what you quickly discover is whoever wrote that ABC story, is plainly misrepresenting what was said (thanks to Blair Chintella for pointing out exactly where). Early in the interview, Snowden clearly says that he destroyed all the documents. Later in the interview (around minute 40) he's even more direct in contradicting the ABC report:

Sonia Bridi (Globo TV): Every now and then, the American press says that you would offer Brazil documents in exchange for asylum. Is that an offer that's on the table?

Snowden: Absolutely not! I could not be more clear. First off, I don't have any documents to offer. Secondly, even if I did, I would never trade secret information or cooperate with some government in exchange for asylum. Asylum has to be granted on humanitarian grounds. It has to be granted to protect political rights or the right to safety. This whole topic about negotiating for asylum, I think, is improper. If Brazil wants to offer asylum, if they want to stand for human rights, if they want to protect the rights of whistleblowers, I think that's a good thing, and I would certainly encourage and support it -- whether it's in my case, or the case of anyone. But I would never engage in any sort of "deal" or quid pro quo exchange.

And somehow, that gets turned into: "Snowden... has told a Brazilian TV network he has applied for asylum in Brazil and is in possession of more sensitive documents." Incredible. As the reporter from the TV interview herself tweeted later, the report is simply factually incorrect. It was Greenwald who still said he had more documents. While the difference may seem minor, it's very, very big, since Snowden is the one who could use asylum, and his critics would jump on either bogus claim: that he had lied about earlier destruction of documents or that he'd "trade" documents for asylum, as suggested in the report. But neither of those things are true.

And you wonder why people don't trust the press so much these days.

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Filed Under: asylum, brazil, ed snowden, glenn greenwald, globo tv, journalism, sonia bridi

42 Comments

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Applesauce, 5 Jun 2014 @ 8:09am

Trust or Competence
The problem with modern "journalism" is that you can't tell if it totally untrustworthy or totally incompetent.

The solution is to realize that it doesn't matter.
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- Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 8:19am
  
  Re: Trust or Competence
  How about not being trustworthy or competent?
  
  These are not mutually exclusive.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 8:16am

1. Blatantly twist the truth and lie to millions
2. Later argue that was "factually incorrect" to a few thousands
3. ???
4. Profit!
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- sorrykb (profile), 5 Jun 2014 @ 8:43am
  
  Re:
  3. Get a new job as NSA spokesperson/cable company lobbyist/member of the House of Representatives ...
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 8:17am

you ought to know what these Aussi reporters are like! look what the nurse did a while ago. she killed herself all because of some ridiculous prank pulled by a couple of reporters. they were sack, if i remember correctly but to my mind, that wasn't anywhere near severe enough punishment considering a life was lost over it!
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- beech, 5 Jun 2014 @ 8:20am
  
  Response to: Anonymous Coward on Jun 5th, 2014 @ 8:17am
  What chu talkin bout?
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  - Baron von Robber, 5 Jun 2014 @ 8:42am
    
    Re: Response to: Anonymous Coward on Jun 5th, 2014 @ 8:17am
    They weren't reporters but morning disc-jockeys in Australia. They pretended to be the Queen in a phone call to a hospital in England, checking up on somebody. I think one of the pregnant Princesses. The nurse fell for it, then offed herself over it when it all came out.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 8:43am
    
    Re: Response to: Anonymous Coward on Jun 5th, 2014 @ 8:17am
    This : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Jacintha_Saldanha
    
    However, there's little, if any link to this story, as it's about reporters, not radio presenters/humorists doing a prank (and obtained accurate and sensitive informations).
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- Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 9:38am
  
  Re:
  And to be fair. The Aussie site is just running the story from a feed from the French news organization AFP. Aussie journalists didn't write it either.
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nasch (profile), 5 Jun 2014 @ 8:40am

Which reporter
As the reporter herself tweeted later, the report is simply factually incorrect.

Just to clarify, that's the Brazilian reporter that conducted the interview. It would seem ABC hasn't corrected the story.
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- Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 9:34am
  
  Re: Which reporter
  Actually ABC just ran the feed from AFP. However it does seem rather convenient that no one from AFP seems to want to take credit for the story either. I have a theory about that. I think it was written by the Slenderman.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 10:11am
    
    Re: Re: Which reporter
    https://twitter.com/LitThom/status/473575736855760896
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- Mike Masnick (profile), 5 Jun 2014 @ 9:38am
  
  Re: Which reporter
  Bah. Thought I'd made it clear, but something may have been lost in editing. Fixed... It's the Globo reporter, not the AFP/ABC one (who isn't named anywhere)
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nasch (profile), 5 Jun 2014 @ 8:42am

Asylum
While the difference may seem minor, it's very, very big, since Snowden is the one who could use asylum, and his critics would jump on either bogus claim: that he had lied about earlier destruction of documents or that he'd "trade" documents for asylum, as suggested in the report. But neither of those things are true.

And ABC only said one of them: "In the interview, Snowden said he would not offer documents to any country in exchange for a safe haven, because asylum should be granted for humanitarian reasons."
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- Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 8:52am
  
  Re: Asylum
  Nice catch. She appears to be the Brazilian reporter.
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Vidiot (profile), 5 Jun 2014 @ 8:44am

That crack staff at ABC
Memories of old Monty Python routines come flooding in... except instead of philosophers at the University of Wallamaloo, it's an editorial staff meeting at ABC. "G'day, Bruce..."
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 8:56am

...Am I wrong in thinking that this is the Murdoch-owned broadcasting company?

Because if it is, then that is to the surprise of absolutely no-one.
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- Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 9:38am
  
  Re:
  It is the completely unbiased and Australian Government Owned Broadcasting service. ABC as in Australian Broadcasting Corporation. As quoted from the Wikipedia article
  The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia's national public broadcaster. With a total annual budget of A$1.22 billion, the corporation provides television, radio, online and mobile services throughout metropolitan and regional Australia, as well as overseas through the Australia Network and Radio Australia.
  
  Founded in 1929 as the Australian Broadcasting Company, it was subsequently made a state-owned corporation on 1 July 1932, as the Australian Broadcasting Commission. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983[2] changed the name of the organisation to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, effective 1 July 1983. Although funded and owned by the government, the ABC remains editorially independent as ensured through the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983.
  Though after the latest Australian Government budget there has been talk that it is too "fat" and that they may need to cut some programming like "Peppa Pig".
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 9:00am

"Factually Incorrect"
What's factually incorrect is ABC's contention that this bimbo is a journalist.
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- Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 10:54am
  
  Re: "Factually Incorrect"
  Butthurt much?
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This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it

Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 9:02am

Mr Masnick, have you tried some of your own techdirt "journos"?
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 9:14am

Greenwald said he had more documents, not Snowden.

This is the same tar and feather brush Alexander has been working with trying to convince the public that Snowden is a traitor and spy. His version of the truth had no legs any more than this one does. Fell flat on it's face right out of the door.
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Vic, 5 Jun 2014 @ 9:37am

The link to ABC shows as unavailable...
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- Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 9:40am
  
  Re:
  They yanked it.
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  - Mike Masnick (profile), 5 Jun 2014 @ 3:27pm
    
    Re: Re:
    They yanked it.
    
    Looks like they've not "updated" the piece by almost totally rewriting it. At least they've also admitted to the error up top.
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    - nasch (profile), 5 Jun 2014 @ 4:18pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      Looks like they've not "updated" the piece by almost totally rewriting it.
      
      I think you mean "now" rather than "not". I don't always point out typos but since that one completely inverts the meaning of the sentence... ;-)
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- Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 9:42am
  
  Re:
  MSN still has it though.
  
  http://news.msn.com/world/snowden-seeks-asylum-in-sunny-brazil
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zip, 5 Jun 2014 @ 10:23am

who do you trust?
"And you wonder why people don't trust the press so much these days."

I trust Mike Masnick, and that's what counts!

I lost all trust for the US press 11 years ago, after their disgraceful Iraq war cheerleading. But that's when I also discovered The Guardian, which is perhaps (both then and now) the most un-propagandized of all English-language commercial news media.
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- Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 10:36am
  
  Re: who do you trust?
  This is a French News Service story based on butchered retelling of details from an interview done by a credible Brazilian reporter. What part of that has to do with the US press (other than the fact that MSN regurgitated it too without checking the claims on it first)?
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tomczerniawski, 5 Jun 2014 @ 10:30am

This isn't bad reporting, it's propaganda.
Not only that, it comes straight from the White House and/or NSA.
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tomczerniawski, 5 Jun 2014 @ 10:31am

I wager this article will now rapidly re-appear verbatim in a dozen other media sources. I invite you all to track its spread.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 10:32am

Snowden the Assassin
http://www.duffelblog.com/2014/06/edward-snowden-cia-spy/#!U2SIH
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- tomczerniawski, 5 Jun 2014 @ 10:35am
  
  Re: Snowden the Assassin
  Oh god, thanks for showing me this website. They're not exactly pro-Snowden, but at least they're hilarious:
  
  http://www.duffelblog.com/2013/12/nsa-watching-masturbate-right-now/#!U2VXO
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  - Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 10:43am
    
    Re: Re: Snowden the Assassin
    ROFLOL! At least they are as credible as the AFP.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 11:17am
    
    Re: Re: Snowden the Assassin
    You are welcome, and yes, they can be hilarious.
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PopeRatzo (profile), 5 Jun 2014 @ 11:03am

mouthpieces
Twenty-first century mainstream journalism is all about protecting the powerful. It's probably why they're having their lunch eaten by independent media outlets online.
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Mike, 5 Jun 2014 @ 12:07pm

To Australian ABC's credit, looks like they've simply deleted their copy of the AFP article. (No correction, of course.)

The copy now on AFP's site http://www.afp.com/en/node/2458355 and elsewhere http://news.yahoo.com/snowden-seeks-asylum-sunny-brazil-044217236.html omits the earlier phrase "and is in possession of more sensitive documents," but keeps the other incorrect phrase: "However he said that he had more documents to release relating to US spying on countries that include Britain and Brazil."
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- John Fenderson (profile), 5 Jun 2014 @ 1:15pm
  
  Re:
  How is that to ABC's credit? Providing a correction (and putting the correction on the wire services) would be to their credit. Just deleting it without doing that makes ABC look even worse.
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alan turing, 5 Jun 2014 @ 1:40pm

Standard issue move to discredit Snowden, courtesy your government through the idiocracy of the "news."
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 2:40pm

Australia is a poodle to the US. They're a member of the Five Eyes coalition and their island is close to China. You can't expect a poodle to defend itself against China.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 6:39pm

The ABC news story was updated as late as 22:31 on 05 June 2014 UTC (6 June 2014 in Australia):

Editor's note (6 June 2014): An earlier version of this story reported that Edward Snowden had told Globo TV he was in possession of more sensitive documents. In fact, he told Globo he has no more documents to offer. Instead, journalist Glenn Greenwald, who was part of the interview, told Globo there are more revelations about the activities of intelligence agencies to come.
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GEMont (profile), 6 Jun 2014 @ 2:08pm

"And you wonder why people don't trust the press so much these days."

At least people have finally stopped calling it the Free Press.
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