Danville’s Confederate Flag’s controversy is over. WSET’s Tola Adamson should be ashamed for trying to create more.
Let’s get started with the “story”.
Pittsylvania County Man Defends “Go Back to Africa…” Statement
I know Ed Clark. I’m not defending him nor am I defending his statement. He said it and he’s got to defend himself on it.
I’ve got a serious problem with Tola Adamson (or her editor or news director) ripping the “Go back to Africa” part out of Clark’s complete statement. Clark was putting forward his view that slavery is still going on in Africa, and that the person he was talking to needed to recognize that.
“Go back to Africa” as referenced in Clark’s quote was not a demand for the other person to travel there and to stay. Adamson’s misuse of that part of the quote was unfair and simply wrong.
I’m blaming Tola Adamson for this example of RottenReporting because she’s listed as the reporter on this article, but I’m sure that her bosses told her to dig into this created “controversy” more. Adamson’s use and editing of Clark’s quote sinks herself to the Charles Roark level of “Find someone who is a ‘character’ and exploit them for viewers”. That’s simply shameful and Adamson needs to be called out for her RottenReporting.
And you really expected more of her?
WSET’s Danville group has always seemed to be a group of “fluff” reporters.Sarah Bloom, Heather Rosenbaum and now Tola Adamson. They’re great on feel-good stories, but lousy on real investigative work. I blasted Sarah Bloom on her hit piece of Jessica Griffith & Star News. I blasted Heather Rosenbaum for his badly-done hit piece on Mike Freshour. Rosenbaum was doing good on the Danville Utilities story but bailed out of town for a better job before she completed her work. Here goes another.
Thank you for that…we are surprised at WSET, truly. Media should help ”the conversation”, not impede it, for ratings. imho.
You must not have seen this yet,,,,,,,
http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/11/04/go-back-africa-confederate-flag-supporters-arent-budging/
Talking about stirring the pot
I believe WSET was very clear that they were doing the follow up because the statement made in the previous night’s story had caused a lot of complaints from viewers. When I saw the story Monday night the “Go back to Africa” statement shocked me although I didn’t call the station. I wondered how people would handle that and apparently it wasn’t very well. Tola Adamson is a wonderful reporter and certainly doesn’t do anything to “stir the pot.” A reporter does stories on what people want to know more about… this qualifies. Try not to be so one sided… it’s showing.
A good reporter wouldn’t have allowed the editing and selective quotation that Adamson did.
And of course I’m one sided. This is my opinion and it’s clearly marked that way. That being said, I strongly encourage any dissent about what I’m saying.
To say I’m disappointed with your lack of understanding and basic common sense would be an understatement.
First of all you claim to ‘know’ Ed Clark and then go on to provide no insight that into his statement that your supposed knowledge should bring.
Secondly I can’t see why you would have a problem with Tola for simply doing her job. Unless your advocating for censorship in the media your implication that they should have cut out Mr Clark’s statement is ridiculous. Tola didn’t force him to say what he did so you can’t criticise her for reporting it.
Ironically you’re explanation for why Mr Clark said what he said came from Tola allowing him to explain his comment and not to make him a villain as you suggest.
The fact that Mr Clark’s comments could be offensive is clearly beyond your limited mental capacity, so I will not bother trying to explain to you why people may have been upset by Mr Clark’s comments.
Tola’s completely unbiased and neutral reporting has allowed viewers to make their own judgement. The only ‘rotten reporting’ here is from you for an unprovoked and ill conceived attack on a good reporter.
If they were going to use Clark’s statement, they should used the complete one. Cutting “go back to Africa” and letting it stand alone is wrong.
The reason I mentioned that I know Ed was for full disclosure.
As I said before, a good reporter wouldn’t have allowed the editing and selective quotation that Adamson did. I stand behind my criticism.
What exactly did Mr. Ed Clark say that was taken out if context and reported incorrectly?
Did you even read what I wrote? I said that “go back to Africa” was not an order for permanent travel.
So just what is it he said and how is it you’re aware of what the complete quotation is? Did you follow up with the white declarant personally, and have you attempted as a journalist to do so with the black people you have branded race pimps?
I have spoken to Ed Clark. I also watched the full version of his quote. I stand behind my criticism on WSET & Tola Adamson.
Her story fooled others as well.
Oh, also, the most offensive part isn’t really the idea whether or not it was a suggestion for permanent travel. It’s the “back” part of things, as though this idiot doesn’t have ancestors from Europe himself but the black people in question were all immigrants. It’s the arrogance of WE THE WHITE PEOPLE are entitled to our history and YOU THE BLACK PEOPLE need to go somewhere else, whether it is temporary or not. It’s race pimping, and the failure to call it for what it is seriously casts doubt on the editorial soundness of this venture.
Except that’s not what he was trying to say at all. He was trying to say that the history of slavery was that Africans sold their own people into slavery.
That’s an absurd interpretation of what was said based on the expanded account of what was said.
Media takes quotes all of the time and twists the facts. This is no different than what journalists all over the country do. Write articles that persuade the reader to accept their interpretation. People may not like it, but it is fair game.
Distorting the truth is never ”fair game”. It is lying, and manipulating the facts. I doubt that we should defend the practice. In my humble opinion…….to be fair is to be quoted correctly, wouldn’t you agree?
Such things will not be corrected until we get people like Southside to expose it.
Blueridge
Blueridge then go to some of the issues and meetings then read your local newspaper on what they report and what they do not report. Its fair game
Nobody reads the newspaper. They read SouthsideCentral. 😀