In addition to its slanted coverage [1] of the news regarding Cuba, NBC Nightly News on Thursday offered up a biased segment against the growing transportation company Uber by using two incidents involving its drivers to conclude that Uber’s currently experiencing “a rough ride” over “increasing concerns” regarding safety.
NBC News correspondent Janet Shamlian only interviewed two individuals during her entire two-minute-and-19-second segment, with both being firmly against Uber and using the company as well. [MP3 audio here [2]; Video below]
In a tease to Shamlian’s segment, Brian Williams hyped: “A rough ride for the company attempting to transform the way so many Americans get around. Increasing concerns about the safety of Uber.”
When he introduced the segment, Williams again continued throwing cold water on the company by stating that there are “new concerns tonight for Uber” while it operates in 70 cities nationwide and 260 globally.
The first half of the story focuses on a 7-year-old girl from San Francisco who died after being hit by car driven by someone who was a Uber driver (but wasn’t carrying a passenger). That incident, coupled with another where a Boston Uber driver kidnapped and raped a woman, led to Shaumlian to rail against the safety of Uber as falling short compared to taxi drivers:
There are two incidents that have some questioning whether a ride in an Uber car is a safe one. Uber screening doesn't check the FBI’s criminal database, like many taxi companies do. Uber outsources its background checks.
Instead of speaking with an Uber representative or even an advocate for ride-sharing companies, Shamlian brought in San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon to continue pushing the anti-Uber agenda:
If you read the website, there's all this language about how they're striving to make this a very safe experience for the driver and when you start reading the small print, you can see that basically Uber is completely walking away from any liability.
Following that, Shamlian continued to create her straw-man argument against Uber by accusing it of being “aggressive in fighting stronger background checks.”
Only then did she reference any sort of statement from Uber, which said on Wednesday that it has “more work to do and we will do it” and committed to adding “tools for enhanced driver screening and giving customers the instant ability to communicate with Uber in an emergency.”
To cap off her slanted story, Shamlian mentioned the support among consumers, but again chose to carry water for the taxi monopolies: “Riders say it's easy to use, but experts believe, if safety becomes an issue, that convenience will take a backseat.”
The full transcript of the segment that aired on December 18's NBC Nightly News can be found below.
NBC Nightly News
December 18, 2014
7:13 p.m. Eastern [TEASE]BRIAN WILLIAMS: Still ahead, on a Thursday evening, a rough ride for the company attempting to transform the way so many Americans get around. Increasing concerns about the safety of Uber.
(....)
7:16:19 p.m.
2 minutes and 19 seconds[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: Safety Concerns]
WILLIAMS: We are back with a story about new concerns tonight for Uber, one of the nation's fastest growing companies. The car service and taxi alternative now in 70 cities across the country. 260 cities worldwide and with that, rapid expansion comes increasing concern about safety. We get our report tonight from NBC's Janet Shamlian.
JANET SHAMLIAN: Sofia Lu was in a San Francisco crosswalk when the 7-year-old was hit and killed by a car. The driver was working for Uber.
SOFIA LU’S MOTHER: After I lost my daughter, I just feel I want to die too.
SHAMLIAN: Uber denied responsibility because the driver, who had a previous conviction for reckless driving, didn’t have a passenger at the time. Uber says it did perform a background check but won't comment whether it knew of the conviction. This month in Boston, an Uber driver was charged with raping and kidnapping a young female passenger. The company says that driver passed a background check. There are two incidents that have some questioning whether a ride in an Uber car is a safe one. Uber screening doesn't check the FBI’s criminal database, like many taxi companies do. Uber outsources its background checks. San Francisco is suing Uber. District Attorney George Gascon saying the screenings are inadequate because they don't include fingerprinting.
SAN FRANCISCO DA GEORGE GASCON: If you read the website, there's all this language about how they're striving to make this a very safe experience for the driver and when you start reading the small print, you can see that basically Uber is completely walking away from any liability.
SHAMLIAN: Other ride services don't think either, but it's Uber that’s been aggressive in fighting stronger background checks. The company has defended its screening, but on Wednesday, Uber promised to improve, saying it still has “more work to do and we will do it.” Pledging to build tools for enhanced driver screening and giving customers the instant ability to communicate with Uber in an emergency. In the case of Sofia Lu, the driver has been charged with vehicular manslaughter and her family is suing Uber. Riders say it's easy to use, but experts believe, if safety becomes an issue, that convenience will take a backseat. Janet Shamlian, NBC News, San Francisco.
— Curtis Houck is News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Curtis Houck on Twitter. [3]