CHRIS HALL (HOST): We already know that politics is badly polarized in the United States. Does this mean that the media now needs to, the mainstream media, if I can call it that, needs to be even more vigilant itself about how it deals with these kinds of stories, and is there a way to prevent what [is] essentially is misrepresentations by people in order to try and plant stories? 

MATT GERTZ: Well, I think it's always important to use the most rigorous methods possible, for media outlets to be forthright about the work that they do, and to explain the work that they are doing [do] to their audience as best they can. I do think that to some extent this is not a soluble problem, that there are people like James O'Keefe who no matter what the media does, will continue to push these sorts of smears and lies about the press and that there isn't really a way to get around that problem. It's in their interest to do so, they have an audience because they’ve managed to convince them that the rest of the press cannot be trusted and because of that it is very hard to turn that around. 

Related:

A woman approached The Post with dramatic — and false — tale about Roy Moore. She appears to be part of undercover sting operation.​

Previously:

The sinister screw-ups of James O’Keefe

James O'Keefe's October Surprise Shows He's Still A Hack, Not A Journalist

The Deceptive Edits In James O'Keefe's Fracking Hit Job