When reporting on television, journalists have to compress large amounts of information to short time periods to keep the broadcast on schedule. Take a look at this selection of a speech from Sen. Joseph McCarthy warning Americans of the threat of communism and the Cold War.
In this speech, McCarthy claimed that homegrown “traitors” were causing America to lose the Cold War and made reference to his list of communists within the U.S. government, lists that he never made public and may not have even existed. McCarthy was far from the first politician to make a speech like this. Exaggerated claims are often part of political messaging. When selecting a quote journalists have to balance between reporting events and amplifying a political message.
