NBC Facing Calls for Transparency After Release of Paul Pelosi Attack Bodycam Video

After bodycam footage of the victims, critics call for transparency by NBC News October attack on Paul Pelosi shed sought-after light on what appeared to be accurate and inaccurate with correspondent Miguel Almaguer’s infamous report that was strangely retracted last year.

Almaguer appeared to infer that Pelosi, the husband and former House Speaker, was a reference in a viral video report days after the attack. Nancy PelosiHe might not have been in danger at all when police arrived at his San Francisco residence the night he was attacked by suspect David DePape. 

NBC quickly retracted Almaguer’s report, with little explanation, and the Comcast-owned network has refused to explain what – if anything – the veteran reporter got wrong. The bizarre handling of the situation has led to all sorts of speculation, and Friday’s release of bodycam footage from the incident was supposed to clear things up. Many media watchdogs have since claimed the footage vindicates Almaguer, while others aren’t so sure. 

“NBC just needed to be transparent,” Fox News contributor Joe Concha said. 

BODYCAM VIDEO FROM PAUL PELOSI ATTACK SHED LIGHT ON NBC NEWS MYSTERIOUSLY RETRACTED RECORD

Miguel Almaguer’s NBC News report was retracted last year.
(Screenshot/NBC News)

Curtis Houck, NewsBusters managing editor, is one of the critics who feel Almaguer should be reprimanded by NBC. He feels that the public should be fully informed about where the story failed in their eyes.

“NBC News failed to provide any explanation whatsoever for why they not only suspended Almaguer, but whether any producers were suspended as well as what specifically in his reporting on the incident neglected to meet their standards and practices,” He spoke to Fox News Digital. “The video at least partially vindicated his reporting and made NBC’s evasive behavior and attempt to sweep Almaguer’s reporting and suspension under the rug even more disconcerting.”

“For a profession with transparency as a cornerstone, NBC News has failed to practice what is preached. A simple statement that a retracted and deleted story didn’t meet your ethical standards was utter nonsense and the video release gave us a reminder of that. If they expected the public to move on, they were mistaken,” He added.

PAUL PELOSI VIDEO SHOWES HAMMER ATACK AFTER POLICE ARE AVAILABLE

Fourth Watch editor Steve Krakauer believes Almaguer had been sourced by him “spun a story” This was to make it seem that Pelosi was not in immediate danger. “cover their inaction.”

“NBC’s Pelosi report was clearly wrong. I still think it was an extreme step to suspend Almaguer and expire the video, but it did contain false information, likely spun up by the SFPD to make them look better,” Krakauer tweeted. 

After police broke into Paul Pelosi’s San Francisco home on Oct. 28, 2022, David DePape and Paul Pelosi were seen together.
(San Francisco County Superior Court).

Concha wants NBC to be truthful about the situation and to tell viewers the truth. 

“If Almaguer screwed up, they should have been more specific on the what and how after handing down the suspension,” He said. 

Almaguer was not on the air for several weeks after the shocking report was retracted. However, the network refused confirm that he had been suspended and made an on-the record comment. Concha is amused the company that employs Rachel Maddow – whose reporting on allegations of Trump-Russia collusion has come under fire as conspiratorial – was so quick to punish Almaguer but not her.

“Standards are based by who and who isn’t expendable, it appears,” Concha said.

Almaguer has not replied to multiple requests for comment, and his agent also declined to speak. 

“In fairness to Miguel, some of the report was accurate… but when Almaguer implies that Paul Pelosi is not in imminent danger, that just took us to a whole new area,” Griff Jenkins, Fox News correspondent, said: “MediaBuzz,” Noting that Pelosi seemed appropriate to act for someone in danger 

DePauw University journalism professor Jeffrey McCall previously blasted NBC News for an “insufficient” explanation of why Almaguer’s reporting was retracted. He believes the Comcast-owned network hasn’t done itself any favors and the bodycam footage only makes things worse. 

“NBC has a tricky balancing act here, but it is a challenge they pretty much made for themselves,” McCall spoke to Fox New Digital. “NBC brass clearly doesn’t want to manage personnel matters in public, but they should have some responsibility to explain its news standards and why Almaguer’s original report was pulled.”

NBC NEWS BOSS CAN PROVE SHE’S MORE THAN A ‘FIGUREHEAD’ REPORT ON PAUL PELOSI’S RETRACTED STORY

McCall felt that the retracted report was invalid after seeing the video released publicly by authorities. “generally on target” Other than the “notable exception that Pelosi did not step back” Almaguer said it. 

“That particular detail could have been corrected without necessarily pulling the entire report and making Almaguer disappear from the NBC air,” McCall added. 

NBC News did not respond when asked if Almaguer’s claim that Pelosi “walked several feet” Retraction was justified by the fact that the report had been retracted in favor of DePape. 

“Almaguer’s report was, indeed, different and more detailed than the other reports and narratives floating around at that time. It seems a key issue here is whether there was outside pressure influencing NBC’s decisions regarding Almaguer’s reporting, and if so, from where,” McCall added. 

“If not, it should be simple enough for NBC to explain the journalistic standards that were violated and end the mystery,” he added, noting that it’s perfectly acceptable for news organizations to provide clarity surrounding complex and mysterious stories.  

“That should be manageable without necessarily demeaning Almaguer, who is a veteran and capable journalist,” McCall added. 

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NBCUniversal reported earlier this month that Noah Oppenheim, the controversial president, had been fired As the leader of NBC News. Former New York Times deputy managing editor Rebecca Blumenstein is set to join NBC News and will inherit much of Oppenheim’s responsibilities, reporting directly to NBCUniversal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde. Blumenstein did not respond to previous requests about whether she planned to elaborate on what happened with Almaguer’s report. 

NBC News didn’t respond to a request to comment. 

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