News May 13, 2010 at 4:00 am

Why Did Q13 Sit on a Violent Cop Video and Then Try to Keep KIRO from Airing It, Too?

Comments

1
This is the best! I love to watch people rant and rave especially when NOTHING will come of it. All of you I have a pointers crack me up because opinions will be forgotten with in a month, if not less. You all would have more luck if you got together and formed your own little boy band and began from there. But, what makes it even better (and I love this part) is that some of you "intelectuals" (idiots) are really not that smart.
Let say it another way, the photographer...not being to honest. It makes perfect sense for him to "just want the truth to be told". Just doing his job right? He wants to do the right thing! Hmmm, I wonder if he gave the money back to Q13 when he was paid for doing his job, especially since he sold it to another station while under a contract? I mean I am just asking since this ass clown is being put on such a high pedastal for being so ethical.
But still what makes it even better is watching all of you bitch and complain as if you really do know what happened. I know what some of you are saying right now! I will respond by saying this, if you think it is in a news stations policy and best interest to "not" report the news, please go out now build and sand box and bury your head in the sand, please.
What a couple to a few police officers did was absolutely wrong! If you do not see the logic in that then...you are just lost. But to blame a news station for what sounds to be more like a individual screw up (for what ever reason), is pretty ignorant. I think that it would be safe to say that Q13 is going to handle this appropriately; and not just because some of you demand a sacrifice.
I am so sure that you all are emotionally damaged by something that has no direct impact on your lives. And of course some of you are going to cry racism because you have to. Try this, get over it! It is a part of life and always has been, it is never going to go away. People will find something to be ignorant about, count on it!
2
@1 Your writing style is extremely difficult to read.
3
@1: I tend to agree. There's always more to every story you see on TV and in print and when the public takes sides it just encourages silly drama and undermines the integrity of all media.
As a longtime videographer myself, I know there is more to ethics than shrieking "I MUST TELL THE PUBLIC!" More likely, the photographer here knew he had the foundation for scandal and saw his chance for fame. Depending on their contracts, it isn't rare for stringers to take their material to a different station every time, and that just shows Mr. Morris is able to play the market but it does not make him a hero. And it is unusual for a stringer to publicly slander a competitor station, especially a previous employer, unless they are only out to make the big scandal bucks. Mr. Morris's statements reveal a lot about his character and so-called integrity.
Banking on public emotion to make news isn't journalism, it's manipulation. Q-13 did not uphold their duty to report news in a timely and objective manner, but KIRO was willing to sacrifice objectivity and accuracy as well. Further I believe KIRO and Mr. Morris will come to deeply regret their impulsive commentaries once their moment in the sun has ended.
4
"I love to watch people rant and rave especially when NOTHING will come of it."

The way we're watching you rant and rave now?

"But, what makes it even better (and I love this part) is that some of you "intelectuals" (idiots) are really not that smart."

The word is spelled "intellectuals".

Nice try...
5
@1 come back and try again when the Meth wears off.
6
1) yes
2) I can see how by not checking for the 2nd "l" the point would not get across, damn!

As for the DJ, your the typical dumbass that helps to prove the point. So I guess...thank you!
7
Oh I am sorry, I meant "Yes";<)
8
Who are you theklrpug? Your comments are right on and very sexy.
9
I work at Q13 and I can confirm (anonymously of course) that the decision to suppress the police brutality footage was made at the highest levels of station management in cooperation with their friends/co-workers in the Seattle Police Department. The footage was obviously hushed and not delayed interminably as Q13 management lied on the website. Nobody in our newsroom was working on a police brutality story last month, and SPD took no action at all on the incident until after KIRO aired the suppressed footage 19 days later. If we were doing a story on it, SPD would have officially known about the incident and they would have immediately suspended the officers involved, which they did as soon as the footage was leaked. Who suppressed it? KCPQ Station management: Pam Pearson, General Manager. Steve Kraycik, News Director. Tiffani Lupenski, Executive Producer. Erica Hill, Newsroom Manager. David Rose, Anchor and host of Washington's Most Wanted. The police officers who work closely with the Q13 staff specifically asked their contacts in Q13 management not to air or share the footage in any way. Management complied and refused to do anything with the footage, which is why Jud Morris posted it on YouTube. There are certainly text messages and phone calls, possibly also emails, following the incident which could prove this in court. In deciding not to air, or even publicly acknowledge, exclusive footage that was also evidence of police brutality, Q13 management complied with the spoken requests of their friends at SPD in order to preserve the exclusive nature of their working relationship with local law enforcement. Firing Jud Morris and Steve Kraycik is just another way for station management to cover their stupid unethical blunders. The entire management staff at Q13 and their cowardly friends at SPD should all be fired and also prosecuted for hiding evidence of a crime. I regret the disgraceful conduct of my bosses, and I encourage people to write to the FCC in order to foster a regime change at KCPQ, Inc. Democracy depends on a free press, so we need to send the corporate decision makers a message that this kind of conflict of interest will not be tolerated.

Get the cops out of the newsroom! Police already have too much power without the media lying for them. The people we trust to protect us must be held accountable.
10
Theklrpug

I was not under a contract with Q13. and Q13 did not pay me for the video. So why would I give them any money? You need to work on your reading comprehention skills.
11
Dis_gruntled

I sure would like to hear from you. Off the record of course.

Jud
12
This story and the comments make me happy.
13
This entire comment section is one big learning circle on trolls and how you can destroy them. Thanks commentors :)

Station 13 has sucked since I was a kid, all they do is hire pretty anchors.
14
@theklrpug

I am sure that a Fox News affiliate would not have wanted to damage their reputation for "Unfair and Unbalanced" reporting by airing the footage of the police beating incident. God forbid that the people should get all the facts necessary for an informed opinion.
15
Is anyone really surprised by this? As WolverineDeus pointed out, Fox does have a reputation to maintain; apparently that applies to their affiliates as well.

On the plus side, maybe this incident will help a few others realize that getting their information from anything with "fox" in the title isn't such a hot idea.
16
Anytime FOX NEWS or anything associated with it winds up with its a@@ in a sling, that is a good thing. They sure do bounce back quickly, though...
17
For the Q13 fox "diss_gruntled" employee who has so many opinions: Why didn't you go to those you listed (managers, etc.) with your issues instead of doing the passive-aggressive thing and posting your rants on a blog. If you don't say something, you are also part of the problem.
18
zgirl, I rather doubt that you would have have gone to your employers with your concerns in the same circumstances yourself. Have you a mortgage to pay? Kids to feed? Probably not, but this anonymous writer does, and he or she already knows what happens to those who buck the trend. Who are you to chastise him or her? Really. Who are you?
19
This is all pretty stupid. They let go of their new director and an assignment editor. Sounds like they fessed up to making a mistake. Leave it to the police to do their investigations. Sounds like Q13 already did theirs. Move on with your lives.
20
No, dude. The point is that nobody would have done anything had the tape never been made public. We already know what happens when internal investigations are allowed to conclude guilt. Nothing happens, unless embarrassment is involved. Especially, when the police is involved.
21
What is wrong with all of you? you make giant assumptions to the point where the facts are hidden. If one says something the other person attacks them and their grammar, as if it is a test of intelligence. This is obviously a serious issues, but seriously get a life. especially you thekirpug
22
test
23
Q13 EP Lupenski was immediately hired by the ABC affiliate in Portland as Assistant News Director.

In July, 2012 she was promoted to News Director.

Her honeymoon lasted about 6 months.

Now there are all sorts of ethics and journalistic integrity violations at KATU not only condoned by Lupenski but fully endorsed and rewarded

Please wait...

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