CBS News edits testing story after Project Veritas exposes clinic's line-stuffing ploy

[alp227]

By Erik Wemple
Media critic
May 6, 2020 at 4:08 p.m. PDT

CBS News has deleted footage from a Grand Rapids, Mich., health clinic for a report on coronavirus testing after Project Veritas revealed that the clinic packed a line of patients waiting for tests. The story aired last Friday on the franchise program “CBS This Morning” and was reported by Adriana Diaz.

“We found a 25 percent increase in testing at Cherry Health,” says Diaz in the package, referring to a health center with more than 20 sites in Michigan.

One of the shots in the presentation shows cars queuing up:



As it turns out, that queue may not represent the actual demand for coronavirus tests in Grand Rapids. Project Veritas, the sting-video operation headed by James O’Keefe, secured evidence that Cherry Health had padded the line for the sake of appearances while the operation was being showcased in a national news story.

Full: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/05/06/cbs-news-edits-testing-story-after-project-veritas-exposes-clinics-line-stuffing-ploy/

CBS did what they had to do, but James O'Keefe of all people accusing others of "staging" appearances is like the Houston Astros accusing other teams of cheating or Andrew Wakefield accusing other doctors of pseudoscience.

[still_one]

1. Gosh it would be a real tradgedy if O'Keefe got covid

[Alex4Martinez]

2. This was really comical, O'Keefe and his detective work. Pathetic little fuck that he is.

If news shows up to do a feature and it happens to be at a time when there isn't a line, because a busy hospital doesn't necessarily have lines 24/7, then it's entirely forgivable if staff who may be on a break are asked to work to the camera.

Catching them at this does not a news-story make, except for those audience members who are looking for conspiracies.