The New York Times Edited and Buried Video of Pretti’s Earlier Confrontation with Federal Agents

The New York Times has decided its readers need not see the whole video of Alex Pretti’s January 13 confrontation with federal officers. What’s more, the story — which sheds new light on Pretti’s posture toward federal law enforcement personnel in Minneapolis — has been relegated to a running listicle of blog items about ICE’s efforts in the Twin Cities.

The video the Times chooses to use starts not with Pretti screaming at agents while mere feet away from them, nor does it show him spitting at an agent who’s turning away. It doesn’t even include Pretti kicking the taillight out of the agents’ Ford Expedition. Instead, the Times decides that the video should begin with the agents’ response to the assault on their vehicle, showing doors opening and tactically dressed agents pouring out to thump on Pretti. There are two videos, from two angles, that capture the exchange and the context far better than what the Times opted to post. And it hasn’t even been 24 hours since this event was widely known to have occurred.

But maybe the Times doesn’t have the resources of a YouTube channel with 92 subscribers.

Journalists reporting on an event have an obligation to provide their readers with as many facts as they can muster and communicate. The Times has once again shown itself, through the sin of omission, to be more interested in narrative than in the truth. Despicable.