The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on Thursday that a local radio station, Civic Media, admitted to editing an interview with President Joe Biden following his debate with Donald Trump. The interview, conducted by Civic Media host Earl Ingram, was intended to reassure the public about Biden’s capability for another term, amidst growing concerns about his mental fitness.
Ingram revealed to ABC News that he was provided with questions for Biden ahead of the interview and did not have the opportunity to ask all his intended questions. The interview was recorded on July 3rd and aired on July 4th.
Civic Media issued a statement clarifying that the Biden campaign requested two edits after the interview was recorded. The station’s management confirmed that the production team considered the edits non-substantial and proceeded to broadcast the interview with the requested segments removed.
The two edits published by the Journal Sentinel were:
At time 5:20, the removal of Biden’s statement: “…and in addition to that, I have more Blacks in my administration than any other president, all other presidents combined, and in major positions, cabinet positions.”
At time 14:15, the removal of Biden’s reference to Donald Trump’s call for the death penalty for the Central Park Five: “I don’t know if they even call for their hanging or not, but he–but they said […] convicted of murder.”
Civic Media acknowledged that these edits fell short of their journalistic standards. Their statement emphasized that listeners expect journalistic integrity, especially in high-profile interviews. They concluded that the decisions made regarding the interview questions and the edits did not meet these expectations, and they disagreed with the production team’s judgment in the moment.
