TMZ Posts a video interview with Al Sharpton taken at La Guardia airport, along with this article. However, what I want to bring to your attention is the TMZ use of quotes that do not exist.
According to the article (screen grab above) this is what TMZ quote Al Sharpton as having said:
“No one should be allowed to own a team if they have in fact engaged in this kind of racial language.”
“We are prepared at National Action Network to rally in front of the NBA headquarters if this matter is not immediately dealt with.”
However, I no longer take quotes or even transcribes as accurate – because I’ve noted a trend of manipulation, especially with the Bundy story. So I watched the interview, and have transcribed every word from Sharpton. TMZ’s Al Sharpton interview is transcribed below so you can look for those exact quotations, and you’ll note they do not exist.
Here’s the complete transcript of Sharpton’s words as taken from the entire video interview:
“There’s no doubt in my mind his [Sterling’s] statements are racist”.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that anyone who has this kind of sentiment ought to be sanctioned or certified by the NBA, and if they do not move immediately we are planning to rally on Tuesday in front of the National Basketball Association in New York”.
“And I’ve talked to my people in LA about rallying in front of the game”.
“He should be removed if indeed the fact, these statements, are proven to be authentic on tape – and there’s no doubt that they are“.
“We cannot have a man being certified as an owner, in a sports team that is all American, making such racist and bias statements and we do not intend to let this go unanswered by the African-American community”.
“I’ve talked to Magic Johnson and others and I think the players ought to protest, but more important the fans ought to protest, and, and, um, we should not, in the middle of the playoffs, reward someone’s racism with our dollars”.
“If they [NBA Commission] do not move by Tuesday we’re coming to see them in their headquarters in New York and at the game in LA”.
“We.Will.Be. at the NBA Headquarters on Tuesday if they have not moved forward”.
“When he [Donald Sterling] says don’t bring any blacks to the game when the players are black, when he’s saying in 2014, there’s no, there’s no *SPACE* in American sports ownership for that. He has the right to say what he wants, but he does not have the right to say it and be certified by the National Basketball Association”.
“This is beyond him now, the National Basketball Association, and basketball as a sport, is on trial now”.
“The families certainly should be outraged, as I said Magic [Johnson] is outraged, the fans are outraged, the players are playing to fans and the fans have been insulted and offended and we cannot financially support someone that sees us as untouchable and undesirable”.
Sharpton is thanked and walks away.
Here’s a screenshot of the TMZ presentation. I have underlined (in red) the aspects they are quoting [pay close attention]:
Why is this important ?
While it’s true the gist of what Sharpton was saying was essentially captured by TMZ – the quotes they used, the actual words in the quotations, were never stated by Sharpton.
TMZ is summarizing or paraphrasing what Sharpton said – but yet directly using quotation marks *as if* Al Sharpton specifically said those words.
He didn’t.
It might seem like a small detail until you realize TMZ is the outlet which has created an entire controversy by presenting a story about very specific words used by a man they accuse of racism.
TMZ is the origin for the story specifically about how Donald Sterling chose his words.
If TMZ is this sloppy with quoting Al Sharpton correctly, and completely ok with reporting quotes and attributions that never factually exist, how much validity can you put behind the fact the story revolves around them selling a story about Donald Sterling’s quotations ?
Given the sensitive nature of this story, and how it is specifically surrounding the use of words, wouldn’t you think the primary media delivering the story would be very careful to insure the integrity of their story with such accusatory allegations surrounding their presentation of the spoken word ?
Think about it.
Ms. Stiviano specifically sought out TMZ to give her story and the recording.
The recorded conversation between Donald Sterling and Ms. Stiviano supposedly lasted over an hour, yet how much of that conversation have you actually heard ?
Why didn’t TMZ release the entire recording?
I’m not defending Sterling -he’s just another dirty cheating slimeball democrat- I’m merely pointing out things are not what they seem, or are MADE TO SEEM by the media.
