Katie Couric admits editing 2016 RBG interview to remove comments critical of anthem kneeling

[Crumpets]

https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1448361653981036544

Veteran journalist Katie Couric reveals in her new book she omitted portions of a quote from former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in an attempt to "protect" the late justice from criticism of controversial remarks.

In her book, titled "Going There," Couric reportedly writes she was "conflicted" after Ginsburg, during a 2016 interview, had criticized Colin Kaepernick and other athletes who protested racial injustice that year, because, Couric wrote, she was a "big RBG fan."

In the version of the interview that was eventually published, Ginsburg referred to the protests during anthems before football games as “dumb and disrespectful.”

In her book, Couric wrote that Ginsburg also said the protests showed "contempt for a government that has made it possible for their parents and grandparents to live a decent life," according to DailyMail.com.

"Which they probably could not have lived in the places they came from ... as they became older they realize that this was youthful folly," Couric quoted Ginsburg as saying. "And that's why education is important."

[GregTheGreat657]

The MSM is back at it again. Why most people don't take the MSM with a grain of salt is beyond me. The media should report the full truth and nothing but the truth.

[Pericles]

Honestly kneeling during the national anthem isn't the best form of protest especially because they should be trying to persuade people, but it's not so bad that people shouldn't have a right to do it. Certainly, the issues raised by these kinds of protests need to be addressed.

[Figueira]

The right is acting like Ginsburg is a victim of political correctness here, but I think this is more an example of the media sanitizing things to protect a supposed liberal saint who made illiberal remarks.

[DrScholl]

Ginsburg's biggest mistake wasn't this, but not resigning from the court while Obama was President. I think she honestly bought into the hype that people created around her and wanted to leave the court on her own terms rather than what was good for the country.

[compucomp]

The right is acting like Ginsburg is a victim of political correctness here, but I think this is more an example of the media sanitizing things to protect a supposed liberal saint who made illiberal remarks.

That doesn't make it any better. Ginsburg is entitled to her view on the anthem protests and is entitled to express it, especially since it's one held by a substantial proportion of the population, according to this a majority at the time, even if liberals don't like it.

[Mr. Illini]

Deceptive work from an otherwise highly respectable journalist. Couric should’ve left it in the tape, even though I disagree with Ginsburg. If for nothing else, it would’ve demonstrated that people are complicated and not everyone is committed to the orthodoxy of one side or another AND that is okay.

A lot of people in this country could use a reminder of that.

[Figueira]

The right is acting like Ginsburg is a victim of political correctness here, but I think this is more an example of the media sanitizing things to protect a supposed liberal saint who made illiberal remarks.

That doesn't make it any better. Ginsburg is entitled to her view on the anthem protests and is entitled to express it, especially since it's one held by a substantial proportion of the population, according to this a majority at the time, even if liberals don't like it.

I didn't say it makes it any better. I said that I think it's bad for a different reason than the right does.

Ginsburg is entitled to her opinion, but we're also entitled to know her opinion and form our own opinions on her based on it.

[Santander]

Deceptive work from an otherwise highly respectable journalist. Couric should’ve left it in the tape, even though I disagree with Ginsburg. If for nothing else, it would’ve demonstrated that people are complicated and not everyone is committed to the orthodoxy of one side or another AND that is okay.

A lot of people in this country could use a reminder of that.

Katie Couric is not a "highly respectable journalist".

[compucomp]

The right is acting like Ginsburg is a victim of political correctness here, but I think this is more an example of the media sanitizing things to protect a supposed liberal saint who made illiberal remarks.

That doesn't make it any better. Ginsburg is entitled to her view on the anthem protests and is entitled to express it, especially since it's one held by a substantial proportion of the population, according to this a majority at the time, even if liberals don't like it.

I didn't say it makes it any better. I said that I think it's bad for a different reason than the right does.

Ginsburg is entitled to her opinion, but we're also entitled to know her opinion and form our own opinions on her based on it.

Fair enough, that's reasonable. However, I think there may have been a truly ulterior motive for Couric, she may have feared that having Ginsburg's view in the public domain could have swayed people against the anthem protests, so she covered it up to try to manipulate public opinion.

[Calthrina950]

Deceptive work from an otherwise highly respectable journalist. Couric should’ve left it in the tape, even though I disagree with Ginsburg. If for nothing else, it would’ve demonstrated that people are complicated and not everyone is committed to the orthodoxy of one side or another AND that is okay.

A lot of people in this country could use a reminder of that.

Katie Couric is not a "highly respectable journalist".

Since she left the anchor desk at NBC's Today back in 2006, and moved over to the CBS Evening News, Couric hasn't had that much success. Her tenure at the Evening News wasn't notable, she had a short-lived talk show, and she even did a stint with Yahoo News.

[All Along The Watchtower]

From the Yahoo! News story:

Couric was conflicted about the request and asked journalist David Brooks of the New York Times as well as former head of ABC News David Westin for advice. Brooks argued that she should remove the statements because Ginsburg was “elderly and probably didn't fully understand the question.”

https://www.yahoo.com/now/protective-katie-couric-left-rbgs-190400974.html

What an insulting, underhanded, dishonest, and ageist thing to do. We have to protect Our Liberal Heroes from themselves, lest they stray into wrongthink on any given issue - and pretend that they don’t actually believe whatever “uncomfortable” views they’re voicing.

Enemies of the People.

[Figueira]

The right is acting like Ginsburg is a victim of political correctness here, but I think this is more an example of the media sanitizing things to protect a supposed liberal saint who made illiberal remarks.

That doesn't make it any better. Ginsburg is entitled to her view on the anthem protests and is entitled to express it, especially since it's one held by a substantial proportion of the population, according to this a majority at the time, even if liberals don't like it.

I didn't say it makes it any better. I said that I think it's bad for a different reason than the right does.

Ginsburg is entitled to her opinion, but we're also entitled to know her opinion and form our own opinions on her based on it.

Fair enough, that's reasonable. However, I think there may have been a truly ulterior motive for Couric, she may have feared that having Ginsburg's view in the public domain could have swayed people against the anthem protests, so she covered it up to try to manipulate public opinion.

I suppose that's possible. It still doesn't make Ginsburg look good though unless you also oppose the anthem protests.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

I can't see how this isn't an incredibly blatant firing offense. As for RBG, this opinion likely falls very close to the opinion of a lot of older liberals - they don't like it, but they also oppose any retaliation for it.

[Figueira]

I can't see how this isn't an incredibly blatant firing offense. As for RBG, this opinion likely falls very close to the opinion of a lot of older liberals - they don't like it, but they also oppose any retaliation for it.

The opposition to anthem protests is absurd coming from the same people who tout "peaceful protests" whenever there's a riot.

That said, it doesn't matter whether it's "close to the opinion of older liberals" or any other group. Even if Ginsburg had said that the US should adopt Satanism as its official religion and start deporting all French people, it's still Couric's responsibility as a journalist to communicate that to the people.

[SnowLabrador]

I don't even want to think about Ginsburg anymore.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

I can't see how this isn't an incredibly blatant firing offense. As for RBG, this opinion likely falls very close to the opinion of a lot of older liberals - they don't like it, but they also oppose any retaliation for it.

The opposition to anthem protests is absurd coming from the same people who tout "peaceful protests" whenever there's a riot.

That said, it doesn't matter whether it's "close to the opinion of older liberals" or any other group. Even if Ginsburg had said that the US should adopt Satanism as its official religion and start deporting all French people, it's still Couric's responsibility as a journalist to communicate that to the people.

Yeah, but the fact that it isn't all that scandalous an opinion makes it all the more shocking that Couric would destroy her reputation for this.

[Pericles]

I can't see how this isn't an incredibly blatant firing offense. As for RBG, this opinion likely falls very close to the opinion of a lot of older liberals - they don't like it, but they also oppose any retaliation for it.

The opposition to anthem protests is absurd coming from the same people who tout "peaceful protests" whenever there's a riot.

That said, it doesn't matter whether it's "close to the opinion of older liberals" or any other group. Even if Ginsburg had said that the US should adopt Satanism as its official religion and start deporting all French people, it's still Couric's responsibility as a journalist to communicate that to the people.

To be fair, peacefully protesting in the street is better than spoiling people's sport and a patriotic event. Though there are a lot of people who just hate the fact that those people are protesting anyway.

[Big Abraham]

Deceptive work from an otherwise highly respectable journalist. Couric should’ve left it in the tape, even though I disagree with Ginsburg. If for nothing else, it would’ve demonstrated that people are complicated and not everyone is committed to the orthodoxy of one side or another AND that is okay.

A lot of people in this country could use a reminder of that.

Katie Couric is not a "highly respectable journalist".

“Highly respectable journalist” is as oxymoronic as jumbo shrimp.

[Figueira]

I can't see how this isn't an incredibly blatant firing offense. As for RBG, this opinion likely falls very close to the opinion of a lot of older liberals - they don't like it, but they also oppose any retaliation for it.

The opposition to anthem protests is absurd coming from the same people who tout "peaceful protests" whenever there's a riot.

That said, it doesn't matter whether it's "close to the opinion of older liberals" or any other group. Even if Ginsburg had said that the US should adopt Satanism as its official religion and start deporting all French people, it's still Couric's responsibility as a journalist to communicate that to the people.

To be fair, peacefully protesting in the street is better than spoiling people's sport and a patriotic event. Though there are a lot of people who just hate the fact that those people are protesting anyway.

Any protest is going to end up "spoiling" something.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

I can't see how this isn't an incredibly blatant firing offense. As for RBG, this opinion likely falls very close to the opinion of a lot of older liberals - they don't like it, but they also oppose any retaliation for it.

The opposition to anthem protests is absurd coming from the same people who tout "peaceful protests" whenever there's a riot.

That said, it doesn't matter whether it's "close to the opinion of older liberals" or any other group. Even if Ginsburg had said that the US should adopt Satanism as its official religion and start deporting all French people, it's still Couric's responsibility as a journalist to communicate that to the people.

To be fair, peacefully protesting in the street is better than spoiling people's sport and a patriotic event. Though there are a lot of people who just hate the fact that those people are protesting anyway.

Spoiling it how? Kneeling for a song before it even happens?

[beaver2.0]

Editing interviews to get rid of statements you oppose isn't a good look.  Also, it seems to me that as a journalist she should be relaying the answers to interview questions as they are given, not picking and choosing among from the ones she approves.  The public she be informed what public figures think.

If she'd deleted the line along with others to make a shorter product, then this would be fine, but from the article it doesn't seem like that was her motivation.

[brucejoel99]

Idk why Katie felt the need to do this or why she's admitting to having done so now, when both RBG's legacy & the kneeling-during-the-National-Anthem debate both remain significant issues. "Dumb & disrespectful" made RBG's opinion on the matter pretty clear. I didn't agree with her, but her opinion was far from a fringe one. By editing those comments out, Katie decided that RBG's opinion didn't deserve to be discussed, which was neither fair to RBG nor the public at-large.

Not to mention, it's nonsensically baseless for Katie to have both believed that RBG should remain on the Court at the same time that she supposedly failed to understand her simple question about a significant public issue. RBG faced tougher, more complex questions than this on a daily basis at the Court. She clearly knew exactly what she was saying.

And as for exactly what RBG had to say on the matter... yeah, it was pretty awful, terribly baffling, & completely out-of-touch. Regardless of whether or not kneeling during the National Anthem is even an effectively appropriate protest, the kneeling players' parents & grandparents lived through the segregated Jim Crow era. That wasn't exactly "a decent life."

[Yoda]

Genuinely shocked by this from Ginsburg. I find it very surprising how bad her take was on the whole kneeling thing.

[Alben Barkley]

Genuinely shocked by this from Ginsburg. I find it very surprising how bad her take was on the whole kneeling thing.

Why?

She was very old and from a generation and background that knew more than anyone how good America has been to them and how lucky they have been to live in this country.

It would have been far more surprising if she sided with Colin "I suck at football and think voting is for losers, but I'm gonna try to make myself out to be a political martyr (and make a ton of money from Nike at the same time) with a ridiculous publicity stunt" Kaepernick.