# The Newsroom is coming back (for more punishment?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 10, 2013, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171 "2013-07-10T20:13:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171/121 "2013-08-14T18:08:29Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > My understanding is that he jokingly made a potentially slanderous comment about someone, and it got picked up by a news source and run as factual. He kept calling the guy the comment was about, and apologizing profusely, but Sloan pointed out that the person he _should_ be calling is the editor of the news source (in an effort to get the item taken down). > > Which, really, I don’t see how Don wouldn’t have realized all on his own, but I’m ok with suspending that particular disbelief. I thought he was calling the person who submitted the article to the web page (who was the guy he made the joke to), not the person the article was about. He was hoping the journalist would retract or fix his article. He then called the editor (jumped over the journalists head, in effect), who refused to take the article down, citing multiple sources (which of course could be tracked down to the article in question). Sloan then said they should report on their morning shows what happened- that Don made a joke which was picked up as fact and the conversation Don just had in which editor refused to retract. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171/122 "2013-08-14T18:23:46Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > I thought he was calling the person who submitted the article to the web page (who was the guy he made the joke to), not the person the article was about. He was hoping the journalist would retract or fix his article. He then called the editor (jumped over the journalists head, in effect), who refused to take the article down, citing multiple sources (which of course could be tracked down to the article in question). Well, he was calling _someone_ who wasn’t the editor, and Sloan pointed out that he should have been calling the editor. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171/123 "2013-08-14T20:00:25Z")
The first couple of calls was to the guy he made the comment about. Then Sloan said to get in touch with the editor. That didn’t end well and then Sloan made some other suggestion - about getting in front of it and running it as their own story. I just don’t understand how the joke got picked up as legitimate in the first place or what Sloan’s final proposal about running the story was. To expose whatever newsblog that was running it as a hack organization? It seems almost as frivolous as the twitter incident. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171/124 "2013-08-14T21:42:40Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > I agree this one was much better. I liked the stuff about Will’s father, and Sloan’s scandal. > > I didn’t like how the show borrowed the story about NBC editing the Zimmerman 911 audio and then sort of excused the bad edit (in the show) by having it done under a time-crunch by a drunk/hungover/PTSD Maggie. At the same time, they implicitly criticized NBC by immediately apologizing and running the full unedited call as soon as they realized what they did, which real life NBC did not do (I believe). ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171/125 "2013-08-14T23:54:55Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > I agree this one was much better. I liked the stuff about Will’s father, and Sloan’s scandal. While I agree this one was one of the better episodes and that Sloan kicking ass was pretty cool, the father stuff annoyed me to no end because it too was very reminiscent of The West Wing. I might be a bigger fan of this show if I hadn’t seen so much Sorkin stuff before. The recycling stories in similar ways is distracting to me. ---
**Author:** ![Nuveena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a587f6/32.png) [@Nuveena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nuveena)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171/126 "2013-08-15T21:58:40Z")
Don was previously talking to a senator/congressman/staffer (can’t remember which) and asked if there were going to be any problems getting Nominee confirmed after he spoke to the Righteous Daughters of Jihadi Excellence (clearly a joke). He then reads in the World Net Daily that Nominee has accepted a speaking fee from the RDJE. He first tries to call the senator he originally told the joke to, and when he can’t get ahold of him, he goes directly to World Net Daily guy who decides it’s true enough for him. This is based on a real-life incident regarding Chuck Hagel’s confirmation to be Secretary of Defense. Senators were demanding that he disclose what foreign entities he has worked for. A reporter, trying to figure out what was up, asked some of his GOP sources if they had information that he had spoke to say, Friends of Hamas or the Junior League of Hezbollah (clearly joke names). Sure enough, the next day he reads on [Breitbart.com](http://Breitbart.com) that Hegel had received funds from Friends of Hamas. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171/127 "2013-08-16T03:19:57Z")
Will’s pause was almost Calculonish in its … …dramaticness! ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171/128 "2013-08-19T04:08:44Z")
What did Will mean by, “I guess it’s just us now?” ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171/129 "2013-08-19T04:52:33Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > What did Will mean by, “I guess it’s just us now?” Can you give me the context to jog my memory? Did he say it to Mac or Nina? Sloan? ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171/130 "2013-08-19T04:57:32Z")
He said it to the camera. I’m now thinking he was maybe speaking to his sister, who he said answered his Dad’s cell phone at the hospital. Although it doesn’t follow that his sister would be watching “News Night” at that moment, it still makes the most sense to me. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171/131 "2013-08-19T05:26:34Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > He said it to the camera. I’m now thinking he was maybe speaking to his sister, who he said answered his Dad’s cell phone at the hospital. Although it doesn’t follow that his sister would be watching “News Night” at that moment, it still makes the most sense to me. Hmm, guess I missed it. I really like this show, but I only give it about 90% of my attention. If it was during that montage of sound bites then I really wasn’t paying attention. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171/132 "2013-08-19T06:51:42Z")
It was at or near the end of last week’s show, not tonight’s new episode. If that helps. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171/133 "2013-08-19T07:20:28Z")
So, Genoa comes to light, and what’s-his-name is using edits to help the story along. Of course, the basketball game on the left side of the screen will give it away sooner or later. Of course, why the general caught a sudden attack of coyness on camera… that’s another issue. ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171/134 "2013-08-19T16:33:09Z")
And the General wanted to be able to watch the game. Sitting him with his back to the TV wouldn’t make much sense. So I hope the game score or video isn’t a critical piece of evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171/135 "2013-08-19T16:36:19Z")
A few weeks ago, I thought that it was going to be Jerry Dantana who was responsible for the screw-up with the Operation Genoa story, since whoever it was would have to be fired, and therefore no longer appear on the show. So it couldn’t be a member of the main cast. But I thought it would be an honest mistake, although in last night’s episode he went beyond a mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171/136 "2013-08-19T16:38:31Z")
> [@MikeF](#): > > And the General wanted to be able to watch the game. Sitting him with his back to the TV wouldn’t make much sense. So I hope the game score or video isn’t a critical piece of evidence. Actually, it probably will be critical, in that someone will use the game footage to show that the interview was edited. (Someone mentioned that the TV screen will appear on camera.) ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171/137 "2013-08-19T21:08:45Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > What did Will mean by, “I guess it’s just us now?” One poster over at TWOP thinks, as I concluded, that this was a message to his sister. Another one says, “Actually, Will is talking to his audience then. As explained by Sorkin, Will has/had two strong relationships: one with his father, a very complicated and hurtful one, and one with his audience. Since his father dies, he cannot ‘fix’ that relationship anymore. So he turns to his remaining one and says what he said.” Gosh, how did we understand television before we had access to a broad group of other viewers to try and sort out what the writers intended? Oh, that’s right, they wrote better in the old days. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171/138 "2013-08-19T21:44:23Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > A few weeks ago, I thought that it was going to be Jerry Dantana who was responsible for the screw-up with the Operation Genoa story, since whoever it was would have to be fired, and therefore no longer appear on the show. So it couldn’t be a member of the main cast. I’m calling him Redshirt from now on. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171/139 "2013-08-20T02:54:17Z")
It’s fascinating to me since I work with the media often, and have many close friends in the media how close this show has gotten a few things - including that many of the professionals are not fact-checking the way they used to. They just are not following the same journalistic standards that used to be SOP in the industry, I don’t know if it’s the burden of trying to maintain a 24/7 news cycle, or younger, inexperienced journalists, but it’s there, and the people that work in in recognize it. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171/140 "2013-08-20T17:25:33Z")
> [@MikeF](#): > > And the General wanted to be able to watch the game. Sitting him with his back to the TV wouldn’t make much sense. So I hope the game score or video isn’t a critical piece of evidence. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Actually, it probably will be critical, in that someone will use the game footage to show that the interview was edited. (Someone mentioned that the TV screen will appear on camera.) I was wondering why: 1. The general insisted that no one else be in the room. It’s not as though he’s going to reveal deep, dark secrets that only Dantana can hear. He’s talking on camera to a TV network, fer chrissakes! 2. The game had to be on. I get that he’s a fan, but no TV producer would allow an interview subject to be distracted by a basketball game while conducting such a critical interview. Doesn’t the general have a DVR? Anyway, he couldn’t see the TV from where he was sitting. So what’s the point? 3. The TV had to be in the shot. There are a couple of lines of dialog between Maggie and Jerry supposedly explaining this, but she could easily have moved the camera or tightened the shot to cut the TV out. Ultimately, I realized that all this contrived BS makes sense (from a story point of view) if, as **Dewey Finn** guesses, breaks in the continuity of the game will serve to prove that Jerry edited the footage. So then why, when they were showing him edit the footage, did they show him outlining the general in the foreground, as if he was going to drop the edited foreground into an unedited background plate that included the TV? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-newsroom-is-coming-back-for-more-punishment/663171.md?page=8)