Excerpted! WLOS-TV news editing reversed my opinion

I was approached in downtown Asheville on Nov. 3 by a film crew from Asheville's WLOS TV and was asked "Would you like to give your opinion about how you feel about the big Republican win yesterday?" I said, "Yes, I think it's tragic. I support this president 100 percent. Our country has a huge mess to recover from, and it's going to take time. I can certainly understand the frustration; a lot of people have lost their jobs. But, like raising a child, it's going to take time and patience to heal."

Thank goodness I had a friend with me to witness this "opinion taking" (the operative word is "taking") on the street by WLOS.

Later that evening, my husband and I tuned in to WLOS to see if the piece aired — and there I was, totally excerpted!

Commentator: "Folks were asked about the big Republican win yesterday."

Me: "I can certainly understand the frustration, a lot of people have lost their jobs."

We sat there stunned, mouths agape. My real opinion was left on the cutting room floor as the editor chopped my opinion to a sound byte to fit the story. Net effect? WLOS reversed my opinion, belief and even my political affiliation in three seconds.

This is freedom of speech?! No, this is political subterfuge, and I was used.

Next time you are asked for, or hear a sound byte from an "opinion poll," be skeptical — at least with Asheville's WLOS/ABC.

My free speech was not an offering to be used by right-wing conservatives with an agenda to ruin this country. You cannot steal my vote or my voice!

— Cindy Hady
Fairview

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Webmaster
Mountain Xpress Webmaster Follow me @MXWebTeam

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “Excerpted! WLOS-TV news editing reversed my opinion

  1. Cindy Hady

    s there no conscience?

    Dear friends and fellow citizens of a democracy quickly disintegrating,

    Remember the “opinion taking” on the street? Well, WLOS-TV has done it again. This time they used the print media (The Mountain Xpress) to mislead citizens.

    When I saw my letter to the Editor: “Excerpted! WLOS-TV news editing reversed my opinion” and read the response from WLOS-TV, I was sickened.

    WLOS states that my “comments were in no way manipulated, just shortened”. They then go on to say I misquoted myself! Is this crazy making or what folks?!!

    Now to add a dash of salt to the wound, they direct readers to a link on their WLOS site, so folks can “judge for themselves”.

    What gall! This link is simply the edited and manipulated “news” segment that aired! They purposely mislead the reader, and once again, I am used to promote this “news” segment.

    Only if you air my ENTIRE comments, prior to cutting/editing and manipulating, can people “judge for themselves” as you say.

    I was an unsuspecting “opinion giver” used to spin a “news” story on WLOS-TV, then used again to direct more unsuspecting viewers to this “tale-spin”.

    Shame on you WLOS-TV.

    It appears, accountablity is quickly diminishing in our society.

    Cindy Hady

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.