Fox News wrongly ID's family as Terrorists

[kestra]

Strike up another well researched news piece from Fox:
http://www.wdsu.com/nationalnews/4901047/detail.html

my favorite line:

Loftus himself told the Los Angeles Times last week that "mistakes happen." He said, "That was the best information we had at the time."

Sound familiar??

How about a 'damn, I can't imagine how our mistake must've harmed you and your family. We'll retract the statement and make an apology on air'

[Aristotle]

Kestra, are you going to make a thread for every single time the New York Times, LA Times, or CNN makes a mistake also?

I didn't think so.

[kestra]

yeah, I might, if I come across it. But I still would have criticized had this come from any other source as well. The US press's credibility as a whole is at an all time low.

[Dalaena]

Originally posted by kestra
yeah, I might, if I come across it. But I still would have criticized had this come from any other source as well. The US press's credibility as a whole is at an all time low.

Yeah, I actually think the world's press credibility is at an all time low. There are teachers in Thailand who are teaching children that Hawaii was once a terrority of Japan, and that that's why Japan bombed the US in WWII. His source? Some random article in a small newspaper in Thailand. Unfortunately, my cousin is stating this as fact, which is actually contrary to world history.

The press really should chill out a bit. You'd think they would have learned their lesson with CBS's HUGE Bush Memo mistake that ended up ruining the career of a long-time journalist and discrediting an entire broadcast station. Heck, you can just go back a little further and look at the NYT's fiasco with Jason Blair. Or! What about Newsweeks' inacurrate reporting which caused riots and violent protests? When you don't hold these networks and the media in general to a higher standard, then you get repetative behavior such as this, where the little people just become fallout for the next big story.

[kestra]

What about Newsweeks' inacurrate reporting which caused riots and violent protests?

Afghanistan president Karzai stated publicly that the Newsweek article, while condemning it, was not the underlying reason for the protests. He stated that there were political motives directed at his government that were the source of the riots, that they were "directed at the peace process" and the "elections in Afghanistan." He said on CNN with Wolf Blitzer "......the trouble was directed at the strategic partnership that Afghanistan is talking with the United States".

So you see, I'll call bullshit on any news organization if I come across it.

[Aristotle]

Originally posted by kestra
Afghanistan president Karzai stated publicly that the Newsweek article, while condemning it, was not the underlying reason for the protests. He stated that there were political motives directed at his government that were the source of the riots, that they were "directed at the peace process" and the "elections in Afghanistan." He said on CNN with Wolf Blitzer "......the trouble was directed at the strategic partnership that Afghanistan is talking with the United States".

So you see, I'll call bullshit on any news organization if I come across it.

Sounds to me like all you did was make excuses for Newsweek. Their behavior was far more reprehensible, and probably not even a mistake but a deliberate political ploy. Our Newsweek subscription just expired, and this single issue is the #1 reason right now that I haven't renewed.

I don't recall hearing you trash Dan Rather or CBS for their disgusting forgeries done for pure political reasons.

Honestly Kestra, if you want to bash FOX News, fine. For me, I can barely watch ANY major media outlet, FOX included, because of the way news is done these days. But if you are going to make a specific thread about something like this, while ignoring far more serious "errors" (and calling them errors is generous, when they not-coincidentally fit the political agenda of those news organs), you just look hopelessly biased and hypocritical.

This error did not further any political leaning FOX may have. It was a pure, embarassing mistake that gave no benefit at all to any politician or political movement. The Newsweek article and the CBS news reports already mentioned in this thread did.

For the record, I think it is disgusting that FOX News let someone give out a home address for ANY REASON. On pure privacy grounds alone that kind of crap is way over the line. I have personal experience with how hurtful crazy stalker-types can be when they get and distribute your home address. Furthermore, anyone with an ounce of sense would know what would happen after divulging that information. I would sincerely hope that FOX plans to make serious restitution to that family long before any law suit appears to nudge them in the right direction.

Also, John Loftus should be banned from appearing on/fired from FOX for this move.

[kestra]

We're all biased, one way or another, even RPG administrators.
I've made posts about Fox and CNN. That just leaves the NYT and LA Times, and I won't -look- biased anymore.

Phew!! Halfway there.