Current Events > How Paramount buried a Vice documentary on DeSantis at Gitmo

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.semafor.com/article/07/19/2023/how-paramount-buried-a-vice-documentary-on-ron-desantis-at-guantanamo-bay

Showtime slated The Guantanamo Candidate, a 30 minute-long episode of its Vice documentary series, for May 28.
The episode opens with a shot of the outside the US prison complex at the southern tip of Cuba, where Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis served as a lawyer from March 2006 to January 2007.

Vice reporters had secured on camera interviews with a former detainee, Mansoor Adayfi, and a guard at the prison, staff sergeant Joe Hickman. Both said they remembered seeing DeSantis at the prison during a controversial detainee hunger strike. The Vice crew traveled to Guantanamo Bay to attempt to try to speak to military staff, and made several attempts to ask DeSantis about the allegations directly, eventually confronting him at a press conference in Israel, according to a detailed description provided to Semafor.

But Showtime viewers who turned on their televisions May 28 never saw the episode. (They were treated to a re-run of the scripted drama Yellowjackets.)
Showtime and Vice cited scheduling in a statement after The Hollywood Reporter noticed the missing episode.

But in fact, two people familiar with the incident said, the Paramount-owned cable channel ditched the DeSantis episode over fears of the political consequences. One person briefed on the decision told Semafor that the companys Washington lobbyist, DeDe Lea, raised concerns about the piece.

Showtime declined to comment on the decision to pull the episode.

We not only stand behind our rigorous reporting but are proud of the incredible journalism showcased in this story, a spokesperson for Vice, Elise Flick, told Semafor.

Antifar posted...

One person briefed on the decision told Semafor that the companys Washington lobbyist, DeDe Lea, raised concerns about the piece.

Cowards.

But:

Antifar posted...

We not only stand behind our rigorous reporting but are proud of the incredible journalism showcased in this story, a spokesperson for Vice, Elise Flick, told Semafor.

You still work for Vice, dial it back at least half of the available notches.

I would have liked to watch it. They should reconsider.

It's never about Red or Blue. It's always about Green.

The risk/reward of airing the episode was deemed to be too risky, so they pulled it.

bigblu89 posted...

It's never about Red or Blue. It's always about Green.

The risk/reward of airing the episode was deemed to be too risky, so they pulled it.

Ehhh I'd say some element of Red/Blue in that this particular person (and party) has a history of going to extremes at punishing negative statements about him.

Antifar posted...

But in fact, two people familiar with the incident said, the Paramount-owned cable channel ditched the DeSantis episode over fears of the political consequences.

The people should have as much information about presidential candidates as they possibly can. Intentionally suppressing information because of "political consequences" is the direct opposite of what investigative journalism is supposed to be about. Really brings me back to how the Stormy Daniels stuff would have come out a few weeks before the 2016 election, were it not for the head of the Enquirer buying and killing any related stories.

I hope they eventually do the right thing and release it, because the nation needs all the evidence it can get on the evils of DeShitbag.

And Ron is even more dangerous than Trump I've decided. Vice better not eventually end up causing him to win the white house

Paramount better NEVER air any pieces negative of a Democrat, ever.
They don't want to "be political"? Fine. Both sides that shit.

DrizztLink posted...
You still work for Vice, dial it back at least half of the available notches.

streamofthesky posted...

They don't want to "be political"?

That is not what they said.

"Hillary's ninjas" was a right wing projection, Republicans are the ones who go around on cleanup duty stealthily making payoffs or making witnesses 'fear the consequences'.

They've become good at it too over the years,
Nixon would be jealous.