Video Editing Error To Blame For Missing Applause In FoxNews.com's Obama West Point Video (UPDATED)

CORRECTION: It was a technical error, and nothing more, that led to the applause being omitted from FoxNews.com video of President Obama's speech to West Point cadets.

The network says that a video editing error was to blame for the missing applause. A video editor took two separate clips that were meant to be used as sound bites that included what's known as "padding" at the end of them. Padding allows producers to fade in and out of segments without sound.

The speech aired as delivered, with applause, on TV air; the edited clip only appeared online.

Original Post: Fox News video of President Obama's speech this weekend at West Point omits cadets' applause after the President discussed ending the Iraq War.

"WestPt cadets applaud Obama, FoxNews alters tape 2 remove applause," Michael Moore tweeted.

In the official video, seen at bottom, cadets applaud after Obama says, "through their competence and creativity and courage, we are poised to end our combat mission in Iraq this summer."

In the Fox News version of the video, seen below, there is no applause but rather an awkward pause.

Media Matters' Jamison Foser acknowledges that Fox News' microphone may not have picked up the audience applause, but suggests that the network still promoted that section of the clip to make it seem as though Obama's comments were not well received by the cadets:

Now, maybe Fox didn't intentionally remove the audience applause. Maybe Fox's video used a direct feed from Obama's microphone, and it simply didn't pick up audience noise. But if Fox didn't intentionally try to make Obama look silly, why did it choose a 2-minute clip -- out of a 32-minute speech -- that portrayed Obama looking silently around the room, seemingly for no reason?

Fox News version of video:

Official video via WhiteHouse.gov (applause at 10:28):

Comments

[electra10]

09:06 PM on 06/15/2010

it wasn't an attempt to make PRESIDENT OBAMA look 'silly'...

it was an attempt to convince their ZOMBIE DRONE VIEWERS that he's hated by the military.

[JTW iC]

01:07 PM on 06/03/2010

Sound or no sound, that was a chilly reception.

[Pammy1151]

09:57 AM on 06/03/2010

Yea right Like I believe their excuse.

[nbb]

06:00 AM on 06/03/2010

Ya think? That goofy set of sound technicians over at Fox just can't get their act together, can they?

[up420oz]

09:24 PM on 06/02/2010

faux tv;
the worst:reporters, common taters, technicians, equipment, etc...

[leggs67]

06:52 PM on 06/02/2010

What a bunch of bulls**t. A technical problem they couldn't fix before it was aired multiple times in multiple timezones. Its like Rush bashing Chelsea all over again. FOX is full of cowards, chicken hawks who never served, and liars.

[PRONESE]

06:42 PM on 06/02/2010

CSPAN Must have had the same technical difficulties with the audio also IMHO. SarcOff
R/ PRONESE

[jde]

06:27 PM on 06/02/2010

Personally, I would have gone with "The dog ate it."

[BodyHeat]

12:23 AM on 06/03/2010

Now that hilarious. Worth a fan

[Pammy1151]

09:58 AM on 06/03/2010

I love it fanned

[frisbeemcgee]

05:55 PM on 06/02/2010

I work in television and I PROMISE you - there is NO technical error that would explain that result. There's not a microphone on the planet that would pick up the relatively quiet sound of a person's voice and then not be able to hear the sound of a thousand clapping cadets. Somewhere in a small dark room a giggling editor - directed by someone in charge - went to work dropping out all sound between Mr. Obama's comments. Fox's explanation for what happened is patently false - and should shed light on the truthfulness of all the other explanations they come up with to explain their underhanded, nefarious dealings.

[logic123]

05:51 PM on 06/02/2010

Poor Faux, getting caught sucks hugh...

[PolicyWonkette]

05:36 PM on 06/02/2010

If it weren't Fox, I might believe it.

[CrustAlmighty]

03:15 PM on 06/02/2010

Shenanigans.

[annie0107]

01:29 PM on 06/02/2010

So easy to blame the guys from IT

[Strywever]

12:56 PM on 06/02/2010

Odd how Fox experiences so many technical and editing errors that other networks somehow avoid.

[aloha43]

10:41 AM on 06/02/2010

Yet another lame excuse for treating our President badly.

Way to go Faux.

[Chloe33]

12:36 PM on 06/02/2010

Awwwww, prez can handle it. Bush did.

[Acerbus III]

05:12 PM on 06/02/2010

No one needed to alter tapes or do fancy editing to make Bush look like an idiot. He did that all by himself.