“On Sunday afternoon, Sixty Minutes is the most watched network show in the United States.…I have watched the show and I am familiar with the format. Generally speaking, the show is not complete unless someone is nailed to the cross. Also, the program will invariable sneak in a touch of propaganda. You can be sure this propaganda is slanted to the Left.
“When I was advised that Sixty Minutes wanted to interview me, I certainly had misgivings.…
“However, I wanted so much for the American people to understand the realities of our situation in Nicaragua and to know what the administration in Washington was doing to us, that I agreed to do the program. All arrangements were made and Dan Rather was sent down to do the program. That interview I shall always remember.
“Rather tried every conceivable journalistic trick to trip me up on questions. He knew in advance the answers he wanted and come “hell or high water” he was going to find the question to fit his preconceived answer. Well, he never succeeded. From watching the show, one would never know that Dan Rather spend two and on-half hours grilling me. It’s difficult to believe, but Rather condensed that entire time to seven minutes.…
“I didn’t realize what the power of film editing really meant. With that power, Rather cast me in any role he chose. Everything good I said about Nicaragua was deleted. Any reference to Carter’s effort to destroy the government of Nicaragua was deleted. Every reference to the Communist activity and Cuba’s participation was deleted.
“His insistence that there was torture in my government probably disturbed me the most. We would go over the subject and then we would come back to it again. He just wasn’t getting the answers he wanted. Finally he said: “May we visit the security office of the Nicaraguan government?” He had heard that this was a torture chamber and he believed it. I replied: “Yes, Mr. Rather, you may visit those offices and you may take your camera.” Then I added: “You go right now. Take that car and go immediately so that you can’t say I rigged it.” Well, he did go, and he saw where the people worked and talked to many of them. When the show came on the air, he made no mention of the fact that he had personally visited our security offices and was free to film, talk to people, or do anything he wanted to do. He knew in advance how he wanted to portray me and his predetermined plan was followed.
“When Rather left my office, I was convinced he would take me apart. I was right. The show was a disaster. Rather depicted a situation that didn’t exist in Nicaragua. That show did irreparable harm to the government of Nicaragua and to me. Such massive disinformation also does harm to the American people.”
(Former Nicaraguan President Anastasio Somoza Nicaragua Betrayed, pp. 205-207. July 31, 1985.)
Related Categories
Media