An interesting example of distorting story...

[Berkut]

So in the Sheriff Arpaio thread, someone asked for an example of his assholeness. I was reading the wiki article on the guy, looking for a particularly tasty example, and found this:

Alleged harassment of New Times reporter  On June 11, 2008, Ray Stern, a reporter for the Phoenix New Times, was surrounded and intimidated by several deputies while trying to examine public records at the City of Phoenix public records counter.^[73] Stern called City Attorney Gary Verburg, who came down and instructed the deputies that Stern had the right to view the records. The deputies then threatened to simply arrest Stern on the spot. Later, a city "conflict resolution manager" walked up and laid down an Arizona law book. She pointed to the section of public records law that essentially says anyone can look at any public record during business hours. City Attorney Verburg told the deputies again that Stern had the right to look at any public record. Upon hearing that, the deputies warned Stern again that if he tried to look at the documents he would be arrested.^[74]
The events reported by the New Times are substantively verified in a memo drafted by Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Commander James Miller. In this memo, Miller states that the deputies did threaten to arrest Stern if he touched any of the records, and that he (Miller) held one of the records out in front of Stern, saying "take it", to create a pretense to arrest Stern. Miller also reported that the situation escalated into a standoff with the Phoenix Police, when they warned him not to attempt to arrest Stern.^[75]

OK, that sounds pretty damn egregious, and frankly not really surprising giving the dickheads tactics. So I was suitably outraged, and posted it in the the thread as a great example.

Then I thought "Well shit, it is wiki. And it is wiki citing a media reporter from a two-bit Phoenix paper. Maybe I should check the wiki references..." and found this, a memo from the Maricopa County Sheriffs officer who was there:

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/Mcso%20V%20NT%20memo.pdf

I think the pdf is actually an image, so I cannot cut and paste it.

But the gist of this is that the actual story is that some sheriffs officers went to the clerk, obtained some records, and were copying them when the reporter showed up and began demanding that he be given the documents so he could see what they were doing. The deputies pretty much told him that if he wanted the documents, he would need to obtain them from the city clerk, not from them, and if he attempted to take them from them, he would be arrested. Entire thing turns into a huge mess, of course.

But look how it was reported, at least in wiki. The wiki article makes it seems like the opposite occurred - that the reporter wanted to get documents from the clerk, and the deputies threatened to arrest him if he did - which is clearly (even giving some skepticism towards the police officials story being incomplete as well) complete bullshit. In fact, the deputies, as they finished their work, handed the documents to the clerk who then turned around and handed them to the reporter - which of course he wasn't actually interested in.

The article is not technically an outright lie. They did in fact threaten to arrest him if he touched the documents that he technically had a right to see - just didn't have a right to take them from the people who were looking at them at that particular moment.

[garbon]

Actually it sounds like Stern is just a dick...

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/105198

[Berkut]

Actually it sounds like Stern is just a dick...

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/105198

Well, I think it is a fine example of the mess that can be created when two sets of assholes start trying to out-asshole one another.

When you toss in the fact that one of the sets is a reporter, and willing to use his bully pulpit in the furtherance of his assholishness, and the other is a elected law enforcement officer willing to use his office in the furtherance of his assholishness....well, you get what we had here last week. Which is the way they wants it. Well, they gets it.

I don't like it any more than you do...

[Darth Wagtaros]

Actually, it sounds similar to some Languish threads.  Or most political debates I've heard in the last few years generally. 

[Josquius]

Wiki is full of word bending pricks.

[KRonn]

That's interesting, and a good bit of research. One thing I'm often skeptical of is reporting of a crime and the different points of evidence that get reported on. Hearsay or even supposed police evidence gets into a story, but sometimes, we find out that much of it isn't true or accurate. Seems that sometimes the wrong stuff gets reported as accurate in the rush to get the story out.

[Slargos]

That's interesting, and a good bit of research. One thing I'm often skeptical of is reporting of a crime and the different points of evidence that get reported on. Hearsay or even supposed police evidence gets into a story, but sometimes, we find out that much of it isn't true or accurate. Seems that sometimes the wrong stuff gets reported as accurate in the rush to get the story out.

You don't suppose they did it intentionally to spin the story?

No, no. that would be preposterous.

They're reporters. They don't do that sort of thing.

[garbon]

I like that Slargos supports a cop that would have Slargos in jail.

[Slargos]

I like that Slargos supports a cop that would have Slargos in jail.

why exactly do you figure that?

[garbon]

why exactly do you figure that?

You like to speed.

[Siege]

why exactly do you figure that?

You like to speed.

You are speed!

[Slargos]

why exactly do you figure that?

You like to speed.

I would certainly not speed in his jurisdiction.

I've never really understood this fascination with blind support of people only because they suit your particular comfort zone. I can appreciate his tactics even if he takes a hard stance against something that I personally enjoy.

That's one of the things I like about you, btw. You don't let your rampant faggotry influence what you perceive to be right, unlike for instance Martinus.

[garbon]

I don't think there is anything laudable in his actions.

[Slargos]

I don't think there is anything laudable in his actions.

I don't need to be intimately aware of his actions to consider the spin on the reporting of the events described in this thread an abomination.

Whether he's an asshole or not, deliberate lies in newsreporting is on my short-list of crimes deserving of capital punishment.

[garbon]

I don't need to be intimately aware of his actions to consider the spin on the reporting of the events described in this thread an abomination.

Whether he's an asshole or not, deliberate lies in newsreporting is on my short-list of crimes deserving of capital punishment.

I already stated that I think the reporter is a jackass.  I don't think being maligned by journalists makes you a better person.