cover of episode 26: James O’Keefe - What is (and isn't) Journalism in the 21st century

26: James O’Keefe - What is (and isn't) Journalism in the 21st century

2020/3/19
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Eric Weinstein：James O’Keefe及其Project Veritas的调查性报道方法，特别是使用隐蔽摄像机，引发了关于新闻伦理和方法的广泛争议。虽然他揭露了一些重要事实，但其方法也带来了负面影响，例如对个人的伤害和损害其自身的可信度。Weinstein认为O’Keefe的方法效率低下，没有充分考虑道德问题，应该在减少对个人的伤害的同时，提高效率。他认为O’Keefe应该专注于提高效率，而不是纠结于道德权衡，并且应该在尽可能减少欺骗行为的同时，最大限度地揭露真相。 James O’Keefe：他为Project Veritas的调查性报道方法进行了辩护，认为记者经常使用欺骗手段获取新闻，而摄像机记录比二手传闻更准确。他认为，为了向公众讲述真相，使用欺骗手段是必要的，因为媒体已经非常腐败。他认为，在当前媒体环境下，隐蔽摄像机等手段是必要的，因为公众有权知道真相。他强调Project Veritas的宗旨是揭露机构问题，而不是针对个人。他认为，主流媒体未能充分报道某些重要事件，而Project Veritas填补了这一空白。他承认他的方法可能会对个人造成伤害，但他认为这是为了更大的利益，即公众的知情权。他认为，对Project Veritas的批评和攻击并没有阻止他们，因为他们揭露的事实太重要了。 James O’Keefe：他认为，主流媒体的腐败和对真相的压制，使得使用隐蔽摄像机等手段成为揭露真相的必要手段。他认为，公众有权知道真相，即使这意味着要使用一些不被传统媒体接受的方法。他认为，Project Veritas 的工作是恢复了一种更积极、更具对抗性的新闻报道方式，这种方式在过去曾被广泛使用，但在近几十年来由于经济和法律因素而逐渐消失。他认为，Project Veritas 的成功在于其坚持原则，不与诉讼和解，从而赢得了内部人士的信任，并获得了更多重要的信息。他认为，Project Veritas 的工作虽然可能会对个人造成伤害，但这与揭露真相的重大意义相比是微不足道的。他认为，Project Veritas 的目标是揭露机构的腐败和不公正，而不是针对个人。

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Eric and James discuss the evolution of journalism and the ethical dilemmas faced by investigative reporters like James O'Keefe.

Shownotes Transcript

James O'Keefe is a dangerous man. He records people without their knowledge and publishes the results using the full power of our technological toolkit. He is well versed in the details of the law as to what can and cannot be legally recorded and/or published without the consent or even awareness of his targets. He is willing to risk prison to capture his stories and he has developed a policy of not settling out of court, even when it would be financially advantageous to do so. Clearly, he is willing to risk ruin and hatred for what he is doing, and is therefore not a man to be lightly trifled with. 

In this episode, Eric sits down with James to try to understand the mutant future of journalism as it reckons with the power of new technology, while continuing to move away from traditional newspapers and reporting. Eric tries to discover what is truly motivating O'keefe and why he would want to come on a show that has been so openly critical of his organization. 

James has many who see him as a crusading hero. He has also been accused of unethical deception, trespassing, entrapment, selective editing, and an entire litany of ethics complaints from traditional media. Oddly, however, more standard reporters working for traditional news desks openly discuss among themselves the professional need to deceive their targets in order to get the truth, or at least the story. Such strategies include using disingenuous flattery, pretending to be the source's friend, threats, the lure of fame, and a host of other edgy techniques to get people to say things that the reporter knows will likely be personally disastrous for the person being quoted. 

This raises the question of just what it is that makes James O'Keefe different from a more mainstream reporter. Is it his method, more than his chosen targets? Is it that he really doctors his footage or instead that he has revived older journalistic techniques to hunt new journalists? This interview may not answer all of these questions, but we hope it may prove to be a conversation unlike any you have previously heard on this topic.

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