Mediaite’s Dan Abrams: Publishing Matt Lauer’s Op-Ed Doesn’t Mean It’s a Defense of Matt

>> That Ben Smith column ░░░░░░░░ the New York Times ░░░░░░░░ Ronan farrow prompted a ░░░░░░░░ of source from former ░░░░░░░░ Today show anchor Matt ░░░░░░░░ Lauer was fired in ░░░░░░░░ for what the network ░░░░░░░░ at the time was ░░░░░░░░ sexual behavior with a ░░░░░░░░ That colleague later told ░░░░░░░░ that Lauer raped her ░░░░░░░░ the Sochi Olympics in ░░░░░░░░ Lauer denies any rape ░░░░░░░░ or any unwanted sexual ░░░░░░░░ He spoke out in ░░░░░░░░ column published this week ░░░░░░░░ mediate Let s talk ░░░░░░░░ about that with Dan ░░░░░░░░ the founder of mediate ░░░░░░░░ are the legal analyst ░░░░░░░░ ABC News founder of ░░░░░░░░ law crime network and ░░░░░░░░ of the Dan Abrams ░░░░░░░░ on Sirius XM You ░░░░░░░░ about these legal and ░░░░░░░░ issues all the time ░░░░░░░░ did you think it ░░░░░░░░ appropriate to publish the ░░░░░░░░ Tom Jones said he ░░░░░░░░ welcome the chance to ░░░░░░░░ Lauer but just not ░░░░░░░░ to publish Lauer s ░░░░░░░░ Why did you think ░░░░░░░░ was This was definitely ░░░░░░░░ controversial piece I m ░░░░░░░░ convinced the decision to ░░░░░░░░ was that controversial I ░░░░░░░░ a media site We ░░░░░░░░ media critique And what ░░░░░░░░ Lauer did he reached ░░░░░░░░ to four different witnesses ░░░░░░░░ were cited in Ronan ░░░░░░░░ s book And checked ░░░░░░░░ them as to whether ░░░░░░░░ farrow talked to them ░░░░░░░░ whether the accounts described ░░░░░░░░ farrow s book were ░░░░░░░░ According to all four ░░░░░░░░ them they weren t ░░░░░░░░ farrow had not contacted ░░░░░░░░ And these were critical ░░░░░░░░ to the story about ░░░░░░░░ Ronan farrow was telling ░░░░░░░░ what happened to Matt ░░░░░░░░ That doesn t mean ░░░░░░░░ publishing it it s ░░░░░░░░ defense of Matt Lauer ░░░░░░░░ s simply saying this ░░░░░░░░ newsworthy This was fact ░░░░░░░░ with regard to the ░░░░░░░░ people that Matt Lauer ░░░░░░░░ he spoke to and ░░░░░░░░ felt that it was ░░░░░░░░ worthy of publication that ░░░░░░░░ Lauer should be able ░░░░░░░░ defend himself That doesn ░░░░░░░░ mean that Ronan farrow ░░░░░░░░ any of the credit ░░░░░░░░ he deserves He deserves ░░░░░░░░ credit for the work ░░░░░░░░ he s done But ░░░░░░░░ also think he s ░░░░░░░░ questions to answer in ░░░░░░░░ with what Matt Lauer ░░░░░░░░ saying Farrow dent take ░░░░░░░░ Matt Lauer Lauer took ░░░░░░░░ himself essentially Brook Nevils ░░░░░░░░ accuser described this alleged ░░░░░░░░ Lauer focuses in on ░░░░░░░░ to catch and kill ░░░░░░░░ said she broke up ░░░░░░░░ her boyfriend over her ░░░░░░░░ about the encounter with ░░░░░░░░ but according to Lauer ░░░░░░░░ did not call the ░░░░░░░░ boyfriend and talk to ░░░░░░░░ Those are the sorts ░░░░░░░░ issues that Lauer is ░░░░░░░░ Mediaite then followed up ░░░░░░░░ these individuals like the ░░░░░░░░ boyfriend You all fact ░░░░░░░░ Lauer s re reporting ░░░░░░░░ that right Right We ░░░░░░░░ it the way we ░░░░░░░░ any opinion piece where ░░░░░░░░ makes these allegations He ░░░░░░░░ citing four conversations that ░░░░░░░░ claims he had with ░░░░░░░░ people that undermined Ronan ░░░░░░░░ s reporting We weren ░░░░░░░░ just going to publish ░░░░░░░░ and take Matt Lauer ░░░░░░░░ word for it So ░░░░░░░░ publishing they reached out ░░░░░░░░ these four individuals these ░░░░░░░░ witnesses cited in Ronan ░░░░░░░░ book to find out ░░░░░░░░ Matt Lauer s account ░░░░░░░░ accurate They said it ░░░░░░░░ That doesn t answer ░░░░░░░░ ultimate questions here but ░░░░░░░░ a media critique perspective ░░░░░░░░ s no question that ░░░░░░░░ was worthy of publication ░░░░░░░░ adds more grays to ░░░░░░░░ black and white I ░░░░░░░░ what I wonder are ░░░░░░░░ heading into a world ░░░░░░░░ men who have been ░░░░░░░░ in this me too ░░░░░░░░ will re report the ░░░░░░░░ and on some cases ░░░░░░░░ on their accusers Look ░░░░░░░░ is this I don ░░░░░░░░ think can be compared ░░░░░░░░ said to me the ░░░░░░░░ critique is why did ░░░░░░░░ want to publish Matt ░░░░░░░░ s story at all ░░░░░░░░ didn t want to ░░░░░░░░ from Matt Lauer I ░░░░░░░░ ask that you read ░░░░░░░░ first before you critique ░░░░░░░░ This isn t just ░░░░░░░░ publishing a piece by ░░░░░░░░ Weinstein saying I didn ░░░░░░░░ do it This is ░░░░░░░░ media an important media ░░░░░░░░ of what was the ░░░░░░░░ and key allegation against ░░░░░░░░ Lauer He s saying ░░░░░░░░ about the reporting on ░░░░░░░░ about the witnesses who ░░░░░░░░ cited to bolster the ░░░░░░░░ they didn t say ░░░░░░░░ the book suggests that ░░░░░░░░ said or this didn ░░░░░░░░ happen as the book ░░░░░░░░ it happened If you ░░░░░░░░ about accuracy and you ░░░░░░░░ about journalism I think ░░░░░░░░ s important And again ░░░░░░░░ ll say it Ronan ░░░░░░░░ has done a terrific ░░░░░░░░ of amplifying important voices ░░░░░░░░ but I think it ░░░░░░░░ for that same reason ░░░░░░░░ he ought to at ░░░░░░░░ respond to the specifics ░░░░░░░░ Lauer s response and ░░░░░░░░ more specifics with regard ░░░░░░░░ Ben s piece as ░░░░░░░░ For the record farrow ░░░░░░░░ this about the column ░░░░░░░░ Matt Lauer He said ░░░░░░░░ I have to say ░░░░░░░░ Matt Lauer is just ░░░░░░░░ Catch and kill was ░░░░░░░░ reported and fact checked ░░░░░░░░ with Matt Lauer himself ░░░░░░░░ didn t address the ░░░░░░░░ questions about who he ░░░░░░░░ t call for the ░░░░░░░░ Final thought He didn ░░░░░░░░ address any of the ░░░░░░░░ By the way we ░░░░░░░░ a separate piece on ░░░░░░░░ s denial We did ░░░░░░░░ whole piece about what ░░░░░░░░ publisher is saying It ░░░░░░░░ not as if we ░░░░░░░░ picking a side here ░░░░░░░░ s doing media critique ░░░░░░░░ media analysis You can ░░░░░░░░ it on mediaite com ░░░░░░░░ thank you very much.