Fake news archives poorly

November 20, 2003

While unlimited access to Lexis and Westlaw may be the crack cocaine of legal research, free access to these databases is unquestionably useful. Not just for the caselaw and statutes, but for the news archives, too. LexisNexis has information about television news programs, including fake news programs, like The Daily Show, which is useful for trying to figure out when a particular segment aired, but not useful in trying to remember what was funny.

For example, watch the original clip: Lewis Black On The Do Not Call Registry Controversy

Then, read the summary transcript. Note how little of the original flavor of the piece that the dry and mechanical summary conveys.

Black says that Americans are finally coming together to solve a problem. That problem is telemarketing.
Visual - Federal Trade Commission Building. The FTC set up the National Do Not Call Registry.
Visual - telemarketers.
Interview - Linda Prager, citizen, says answering the phone and it being another solicitation is frustrating.
Visual - Black, showing what he considers the best way to answer a phone.
Graphic - passage of Do Not Call legislation.
Sound Bites - Rep. Edward Markey, MA, discusses legislation. Black says Congress made a mistake because now Americans know they can actually do things quickly if they want to.
Visual - Bush signing bill, courtesy CNN. Denver judge says the Do Not Call list violates free speech rights and is unconstitutional. President Bush ordered the registry to take effect as of today. Industry lawyers vow to take the fight to the Supreme Court.

For real news, this may be a useful database. For fake news, not so much.

Does anyone have a clip or transcript of the "Wacko Jacko" segment from July 10, 2002 (or simply remember the especially hilarious part at the end?)

Posted by Andrew Raff at November 20, 2003 04:43 PM