Fake News: Pro-Press Documentary ‘Nobody Speak’ Deceptively Edits Kimmel

Mark Judge | July 5, 2017
DONATE
Font Size

The new Netflix documentary “Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press” sets out to defend the media. However, its editing of a particular clip calls into question the truthfulness of the entire film.

Directed by Brian Knappenberger, the thesis ofDon’t Speak  is that the First Amendment is being threatened by litigious and power-hungry billionaires. It’s main focus is the the 2016 bankrupting of the website Gawker by former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan.

Gawker published a private video showing Hogan, whose real name is Terry G. Bollea, having sex. Hogan sued for invasion of privacy and won a $140 million judgment, bankrupting Gawker, which could not afford to appeal. Hogan was  financially backed in the lawsuit by libertarian billionaire Peter Thiel.

“Nobody Speak” is sympathetic to Gawker. It uses a clip from a 2007 video featuring Emily Gould, who was then the editor of the website, which was founded by Nick Denton. Gould appeared on CNN, where she was interviewed by comedian Jimmy Kimmel. Joining Kimmel and Gould on CNN for the interview were PR expert Howard Bragman and celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos.

Kimmel directly confronted Gould about publishing a fake story - about Kimmel himself. The story accused Kimmel of being drunk at a party. Kimmel denied the story and noted that none of it was ever fact checked.

This part of the clip does not appear in “Nobody Speak.” Instead, this is the clip used from the interview: 

Jimmy Kimmel: I noticed there was something [on Gawker] about Kevin Costner. I went on to see what was there today. And it just said how fat Kevin Costner was and it had a picture of Jabba the Hutt next to him. 

CUT

Kimmel: I’d just want you to think about your life and you know, weigh your options. 

Emily Gold: Wow!

Kimmel: And I mean because I would hate to see you arriving in hell and somebody sending a text message saying, guess who is here? You know what I’m saying?

This clip was heavily edited to favor Gawker, which is depicted as the spunky “mean girl” on the playground who irreverently and harmlessly pokes fun at the famous and powerful.

 

 

 

Here is a fuller excerpt from the same interview:

Jimmy Kimmel: My problem is you post things that simply aren’t true on the site and you do no checking on your stories whatsoever. I’ll give you an example. There was a story about me that popped up on my Google search. It said “Daily Gawker Stalker, when isn’t Jimmy Kimmel visibly intoxicated?” And there’s a story about me being visibly intoxicated.

Emily Gould: [laughs]

Kimmel: I know it may be funny to you, but I didn’t find it that amusing.

Gould: Okay.

Kimmel: And a matter of fact, the story that talks about me being drunk, I was coming home with my cousin’s – my one-year-old cousin’s birthday party with my elderly aunt and uncle and my kids and my cousins and I was – I may have been loud - but I was far from intoxicated and you put these things on there. I mean I know you’re an editor. What exactly are you editing from the website?

Gould: There’s a whole other aspect of our website that doesn’t have anything to do with the Stalker Map. But what the Stalker Map is -is citizen journalism. People don’t read with the expectation that every word of it will be gospel. Everyone who reads it knows that it isn’t checked at all. What they read it for is immediacy.

Kimmel: I don’t think that’s necessarily true.

Gould: You don’t un-filter sort of the way people perceive celebrities in real time that you don’t get from any other media and that’s what I think is great about it.

Kimmel: Well, I mean you also get what is essentially slanderous statements or libelous statements put on your website. I mean, for instance, today there was – I noticed there was something about Kevin Costner. I went on to see what was there today. And it just said how fat Kevin Costner was and it had a picture of Jabba the Hutt next to him. Now, I know you sell advertising. I don’t know why anybody would buy advertising on a website, but I don’t know what the point of something like that is.

Howard Bragman: There’s also a big contradiction. She said citizen journalism. She used the word journalism and then said, everybody knows not everything is true. Most journalists at least try for the truth. It’s a goal.

Gould: I mean do you read Us Weekly and expect that everything in it is true or the Star?

Howard Bragman: I expect that they try. I get calls from them fact checking and I don’t from your website.

Mark Geragos: That’s absolutely true. Us Weekly at least has a legal department that vets things.

Kimmel: And our photographers at least are taking photographs of things that are happening, as opposed to – I mean I’d just want you to think about your life and you know, weigh your options. 

Gould: Wow!

Kimmel: And I mean because I would hate to see you arriving in hell and somebody sending a text message saying, guess who is here? You know what I’m saying?

Thank you for supporting MRCTV! As a tax-deductible, charitable organization, we rely on the support of our readers to keep us running! Keep MRCTV going with your gift here!

donate