# ABC hiding Epstein's story **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 7, 2019, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137 "2019-11-07T18:50:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137/1 "2019-11-07T18:50:52Z")
Project Veritas published a hot-mic speech given by Amy Robach complaining that they new about it three years ago and that ABC canned the story, apparently, because (on top of other things) prince Andrew was part of the ring and the the Royal Family won’t give them any interviews if they aired it. The fact that it was in the middle of the election and that Bill Clinton was implicated in it was certainly a factor. It’s astonishing that a story about a pedophile ring by a rich person was canned. How many more minor were raped because of this? [Video](https://www.projectveritas.com/2019/11/05/video-leaked-insider-recording-from-abc-news-reveals-network-executives-killed-bombshell-story-implicating-jeffrey-epstein/) ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137/2 "2019-11-07T18:56:56Z")
It’s awful, but it’s not new. The wealthy and powerful (speaking generally) aren’t interested in fighting sexual assault, rape, and abuse of women and girls (and boys, in some cases), and in fact are often directly opposed to this fight, because so many of the wealthy and powerful enjoy their relative freedom to sexually assault, rape, and abuse women and girls. This is true across the spectrum of society and in all industries and segments, as far as I can tell. Only recently have a few chunks of society started to publicly recognize this and do something about it. But the progress has been very small compared to what actually needs to be done. We still have abusers in the highest offices and positions in the country (including, quite clearly, the White House and SCOTUS). ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137/3 "2019-11-07T19:26:58Z")
Not to say Epstein or even Prince Andrew were innocent, but… [Robach says the story wasn’t buried, it just couldn’t be verified.](https://people.com/tv/amy-robach-walks-back-jeffrey-epstein-video/) > [@](#): > > “I was upset that an important interview I had conducted with Virginia Roberts [Giuffre] didn’t air because we could not obtain sufficient corroborating evidence to meet ABC’s editorial standards about her allegations…I was referencing her allegations — not what ABC News had verified through our reporting. The interview itself, while I was disappointed it didn’t air, didn’t meet our standards. In the years since no one ever told me or the team to stop reporting on Jeffrey Epstein, and we have continued to aggressively pursue this important story.” IOW, ABC News felt they couldn’t release the story because they didn’t want another “Dan Rather/GW Bush AWOL” debacle. Now, you might not believe this explanation. I can’t say I blame you. But I don’t trust Project VeriTrash farther than I can drop-kick a bowling ball. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137/4 "2019-11-07T19:27:35Z")
If she had that much information, there must be at least 20 different social media outlets she could have published the story on. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137/5 "2019-11-07T19:28:54Z")
Project Veritas is an organization with a record of dishonesty and dishonor, but I don’t trust any wealthy and powerful organization (like ABC News, or Disney) any more than them, when it comes to stories that could harm the wealthy and powerful like Epstein and his pals. Even if Robach’s explanation is accurate, it’s a tragedy and a travesty that big news mostly ignored stories like Epstein (and Cosby, Weinstein, and Trump, for that matter) for years and years. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137/6 "2019-11-07T20:03:59Z")
Besides what \*\*iiandyiiii \*\*points out, IMHO a lot of the media, even from the right, knew about bigger dirty deeds of trump, but as usual, the ton of bad deeds could not be confirmed by two sources as the standard goes and it is even more so when the powerful are confronted. **We should remember the almost complete ‘no endorsement’ for Trump from large newspapers in the last election**. They could not tell us directly about those deeds; they could only describe the reasons why, and in particular to right wing readers, in roundabout opinion articles, that Trump was going to be bad news for anyone that supported or decided to join his administration. > **[Newspaper endorsements in the 2016 United States presidential election](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newspaper_endorsements_in_the_2016_United_States_presidential_election)** > > Various newspapers endorsed candidates in the 2016 United States presidential election, as follows. Tables below also show which candidate each publication endorsed in the 2012 United States presidential election (where known) and include only endorsements for the general election. Primary endorsements are separately listed - see Newspaper endorsements in the United States presidential primaries, 2016. > Among the United States' 100 largest newspapers by paid circulation, 57 endorsed Democrati... > [@](#): > > Trump received endorsements from only 20 daily newspapers and six weekly newspapers nationwide, of which only two, the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the (Jacksonville) Florida Times-Union, had circulations of above 100,000.[2] The small number of endorsements received by Trump was unprecedented in American history for a candidate from a major party.[3][4][5] ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137/7 "2019-11-07T20:07:27Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > Not to say Epstein or even Prince Andrew were innocent, but… > > [Robach says the story wasn’t buried, it just couldn’t be verified.](https://people.com/tv/amy-robach-walks-back-jeffrey-epstein-video/) > > IOW, ABC News felt they couldn’t release the story because they didn’t want another “Dan Rather/GW Bush AWOL” debacle. Now, you might not believe this explanation. I can’t say I blame you. But I don’t trust Project VeriTrash farther than I can drop-kick a bowling ball. Sorry, it’s just covering their asses. It was a pedophile ring, and Epstein’s activities were not that secret. THey chose to can it because of fear or money, not journalisim. They had lots more verification than with many stories. They ran the Covington kid a million times from a simple 20-second clip or Kavannaugh from unproven (or disproven) testimony. If instead of Clinton it’d been Trump or Pence in the plane/apartment/island, they would’ve run it, 100000% sure. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137/8 "2019-11-07T20:09:33Z")
> [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > Project Veritas published… Stop right there. > **[James O'Keefe](https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/James_O%27Keefe)** > > James Edward O'Keefe III (1984–) describes himself as an investigative journalist and filmmaker, having founded Project Veritas.\[2\]\[note 1\] He specializes in "sting" operations, where he or his associates secretly videotape the subjects of his... ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137/9 "2019-11-07T20:10:27Z")
As for the item at hand, Dude! Project Veritas is more likely to have found what was discussed earlier in newsrooms across the USA and misleads others by omitting context or are even fabricating news by editing that context, as they have done so before. > **[Project Veritas: how fake news prize went to rightwing group beloved by Trump](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/29/project-veritas-how-fake-news-prize-went-to-rightwing-group-beloved-by-trump)** > > James O’Keefe’s organisation specialising in media stings received donations from Trump’s foundation but was caught red-handed peddling a false story ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137/10 "2019-11-07T20:18:15Z")
> [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > Sorry, it’s just covering their asses. It was a pedophile ring, and Epstein’s activities were not that secret. THey chose to can it because of fear or money, not journalisim. > > They had lots more verification than with many stories. They ran the Covington kid a million times from a simple 20-second clip or Kavannaugh from unproven (or disproven) testimony. If instead of Clinton it’d been Trump or Pence in the plane/apartment/island, they would’ve run it, 100000% sure. So I take it your interest is in bashing the libs (your political opponents), not actually fighting abuse of women, then? That’s the only reason I can think of to dismiss one set of credible allegations while latching into another. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137/11 "2019-11-07T20:24:01Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > If she had that much information, there must be at least 20 different social media outlets she could have published the story on. i imagine she had her job in consideration. CBS just fired the guy who was the whistleblower of the story. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137/12 "2019-11-07T20:25:30Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Stop right there. > > [James O'Keefe - RationalWiki](https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/James_O%27Keefe) So, does that mean ABC didn’t kill the story? I mean, O’Keefe make set puppies on fire and it doens’t change the story, does it? ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137/13 "2019-11-07T20:25:38Z")
> [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > i imagine she had her job in consideration. Exactly. It’s okay for her to have her job in consideration, but somehow not okay for the executives to have their job in consideration? ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137/14 "2019-11-07T20:26:54Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > So I take it your interest is in bashing the libs (your political opponents), not actually fighting abuse of women, then? That’s the only reason I can think of to dismiss one set of credible allegations while latching into another. So I take it your interest is in bashing the conservatives (your political opponents), not actually fighting abuse of children, then? That’s the only reason I can think of to dismiss one set of credible allegations while latching into another. You went for Trump and Kavannaugh on the first reply, so glass houses and all of that. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137/15 "2019-11-07T20:29:02Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Exactly. It’s okay for her to have her job in consideration, but somehow not okay for the executives to have their job in consideration? If you’re a journalist who stops the airing of a story of powerful men running a pedophile ring because of the money, you should either stop being a journalist or accept that money is you main motivation. I didn’t say it was an accetable reason, just her posible excuse. * * * Did I say it was a pedophile ring with tens of victims? Because the ammount of deflecting is astonishing. This wasn’t an ilegal póker game, it’s a heious crime, and they covered it. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137/16 "2019-11-07T20:35:20Z")
> [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > If you’re a journalist who stops the airing of a story of powerful men running a pedophile ring because of the money, you should either stop being a journalist or accept that money is you main motivation. I agree. I think her complaint is stupid because she could have ran the story, but apparently cared more about her job. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137/17 "2019-11-07T20:36:16Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > I agree. I think her complaint is stupid because she could have ran the story, but apparently cared more about her job. Definitely. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137/18 "2019-11-07T20:40:32Z")
> [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > So, does that mean ABC didn’t kill the story? … It means that source is unreliable and we would need to see another cite from a more reliable source. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137/19 "2019-11-07T20:41:53Z")
> [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > So I take it your interest is in bashing the conservatives (your political opponents), not actually fighting abuse of children, then? That’s the only reason I can think of to dismiss one set of credible allegations while latching into another. You went for Trump and Kavannaugh on the first reply, so glass houses and all of that. I didn’t dismiss any allegations, unlike you. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137/20 "2019-11-07T20:44:19Z")
Do you have any evidence whatsoever that this “hot-mic speech” even exists? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-hiding-epsteins-story/843137.md?page=2)