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June 19, 2013

NBC News roasted for practicing checkbook journalism in Goldman case

by Danny Gallagher, posted Dec 30th 2009 10:02AM

NBC NewsWhen I heard the news that NBC's news division had hired a private jet to entice David Goldman to grant them his one and only interview as he flew to Brazil to pick up his long lost son, I was shocked. A news organization has enough money to pay for its own private plane?!? I didn't think ANY news outfit would have enough money to pay for its own private bathrooms.

The Society of Professional Journalists has issued a public statement criticizing the news division for using an "extensive gesture" to score an exclusive with Goldman and thus "jeopardized its journalistic independence and credibility in its initial and subsequent reports."

Did NBC cross a line or should the reporter with the biggest bank account score the scoop?

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Uncla Al

Once again, it comes down to Rule #1.
Money talks, BS walks. Period.

January 01 2010 at 3:15 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
binbingbunny05

I don't care what any Professional Journalist's Society thinks, and I don't care if the society is 100 years old. Can't be much of a society since people do not know who they are.

December 31 2009 at 11:16 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
gregg

Years ago the reporters would report the news. Today, each reporter or its media outlet adds their own slant. They are not "journalists" they are mind players.

December 31 2009 at 10:52 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
anne

The question nobody asked Mr. Goldman is why didn't he go to get his son when the child's mother was alive? What was he afraid of? He says she just left, well did anybody has ever asked him what kind of husband he was? I hope he gives this child a good life to make up for his lack of caring during the time his ex wife was still alive.

December 31 2009 at 10:09 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to anne's comment
Lisa

I would think the most likely explanation would be that he wouldn't want to end up in jail in Brazil for kidnapping, it really wouldn't have helped his fight to regain custody. Bruna broke the law here in the US, not in Brazil. They would have seen any attempt by the father to forcefully take his son home as a crime. He had to go through their legal system and Bruna's new husband had plenty of resources with which to fight him.
You can not gain justice for a crime by committing another crime.

December 31 2009 at 11:18 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ginny Sinclair

I think more of NBC for giving David Goldman and his son Sean a ride to FL from Rio. Goldman must be close to broke by now and the ride was especially nice of NBC.

December 31 2009 at 9:48 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
lita

On the other hand, NBC had been telling this story, right from the get-go. And given the history if Mr. Goldman's ex-wife's sleazy family (the fruit does not fall far from the tree), it was in the best interest of the child to be removed from Brazil as soon as possible before the authorities, who had kow-towed to a man who was of no relation to the boy, reneged on their promise (yet again). If a reporter and camera man see a woman being raped, are they wrong to step in to render whatever kind of assitance to stop it, even if doing so impacts the story or the telling of it?

December 31 2009 at 9:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Roger Kavan

Trust no one with more than a hundred bucks in their pocket

December 31 2009 at 7:47 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Mike

Yes, this angers me. Especially when WABC-NY was the first one to covers Mr. Goldman's plight. NBC has swooped in and taken over the story like they were there from the beginning.

December 31 2009 at 6:49 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Brian Workman

Welcome to the real world! Todays News Media has no Real Credidibility anymore, period!!

December 31 2009 at 6:13 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
WorldObserver

WHY IS THIS A NEWS STORY? THIS TYPE OF SITUATION HAPPENS EVERY DAY! NBC GOT THE JUMP THIS TIME. PEOPLE MAGAZINE DOES THIS ON A WEEKLY BASIS. THE COMPLAINERS ARE THOSE WHO WERE SLOW ON THE DRAW - JUST SUKK IT UP GUYS, SUKK IT UP.

December 31 2009 at 5:47 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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