A terrorist website releases a tape of Osama Bin Laden, claiming it's new. And how do the MSM react? By rushing to air it, or in the case of wire services like AP, trumpet it in print. As of 6:30 A.M. EDT this morning, the AP story Bin Laden Appears in New al-Qaida Video was featured on Drudge.There's only one problem. A senior Bush administration official informs this NewsBuster that:
"intelligence agencies have determined the video was previously aired as a portion of a longer show first on MBC TV (Middle East broadcast station) on April 17, 2002."What's the result of the MSM's sloppy "air-first-verify-later" approach? The world’s most evil and despicable terrorists are given tons of free air time and print exposure.
Shades of the recent incident in which the MSM breathlessly promoted news of 20 beheaded bodies having been discovered in Iraq, only to have the story debunked within 48 hours.
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msm
July 15, 2007 - 06:34 ET by the mad poleyet, still no word on the shooting of the serviceman by the peacenik. What is his condition?
I emailed his First Sergean
July 15, 2007 - 07:15 ET by Mean Gene Dr. LoveI emailed his First Sergeant earlier this week. I got a reply on Friday saying SrA Schrieken is doing well and recovering.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." --Thomas Jefferson
This is how ABC News put it y
July 15, 2007 - 07:20 ET by ThisnThatThis is how ABC News put it yesterday morning -- their first sentence: "A brief clip of an older-looking Osama bin Laden is contained in a new al Qaeda videotape praising al Qaeda martyrs posted on jihadi Web sites early this morning." Later on they mention an expert who said "... it is most likely an unreleased portion of an earlier message".
So why does ABC lead off their story with a strong hint that this is really new (looking older implies years have gone by), rather than cautioning everyone that experts think this may be a tape from years past?
Could it be that ABC wants to (a) continue to support the terrorists attempts to get their message out, and (b) imply that our GWOT strategy isn't working -- because, after all, Bin Laden is still out there?
It just seems to be such a backwards way of mis-placing the true emphasis. Does everything ABC does support their agenda, or do they just hire real stupid people who know nothing about journalism?
It is unacceptable to frame t
July 15, 2007 - 08:37 ET by dahliatraversIt is unacceptable to frame the story as being about a "new" video clip and then work in the truth later as a disclaimer. Done that way, the story is basically a lie.
Shame on you, ABC.
Dahlia, I am shocked I tell y
July 15, 2007 - 10:21 ET by MikeBDahlia, I am shocked I tell you, shocked, that the networks would lie to us in any way, much less this way.
/sarcasm
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
If the drive-by media has the
July 15, 2007 - 07:29 ET by NewsbusterbrownIf the drive-by media has the choice between being careful and fair or sloppy and biased, they will almost always choose the latter.
Reported to Drudge. Realit
July 15, 2007 - 08:39 ET by Reality CheckReported to Drudge.
Reality Check
They have a weighty obligatio
July 15, 2007 - 08:50 ET by dahliatraversThey have a weighty obligation to get items like this right. They failed miserably in this case.
As Dave Barry once said about the emphasis on speed over accuracy:
"If the news media owned airlines, there would be a lot less concern about how many planes crashed, and a lot more concern about whose plane hit the ground first."
Out of the mouths of comics,
July 15, 2007 - 09:54 ET by Cape ConservativeOut of the mouths of comics, comes greater wisdom than from the pens or mouths of supposed journalists!!!!!!!
Media biased????? Every day in every way they prove it to us over and over and over again!!! And then they wonder why no one bothers to listen to or read their propaganda! Sadly there are too many others who do pay attention.
Take heart, CC. There are i
July 15, 2007 - 10:29 ET by MikeBTake heart, CC. There are indications that Communist, er, liberal domination by the media over information sources for the electorate is slipping. For example, the subscription and readership rates of the big newspapers are slipping (layoffs at al-NYT anyone?), the viewership of NBC, ABC, CBS are slipping, while the viewership of FNC is increasing. The audience for the commentary on the Rush Limbaugh radio show is now as large, or larger than the viewership of the commentary disguised as news of the Big 3 combined.
And, the strikethrough feature still doesn't work. <sigh>
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
Tupac could take lessons from
July 15, 2007 - 10:47 ET by Fred911Tupac could take lessons from Osamas people.
And Katie's trend in the rat
July 15, 2007 - 20:57 ET by dahliatraversAnd Katie's trend in the ratings has been matched at the other two channels during the 6:30 hour, MikeB. (It's just that her drop has been more precipitous.)
The friggin' MSM in this coun
July 15, 2007 - 11:51 ET by drillanwrThe friggin' MSM in this country holds the choker collar and leash to the publics terminal ADD disease. Will the disease kill us before the MSM chokes us to death? Or are they hand-in-hand?
PS
And if it is NOT the MSM's manipulation and calculation in doing these things regarding the twisted and chopped up news stories they feed the public, then it is their laziness, which is as big an abomination in the computer/internet age that if they don't want to get off their lazy fat arses they can at least use their search engines to research stories before putting them out there.
If the MSM were in the business of making cars, Tylenol, or disposable razors we'd all be dead ... As it is, their product is getting us there just the same ... only slower.
I'm convinced he's dead, prob
July 15, 2007 - 12:06 ET by BEGRUNTI'm convinced he's dead, probably killed in the battle of Tora Bora. I mean really, if I were bin laden, I would be holding up the current NY Times and be laughing. Why on these so called current videos, he never mentions anything about current battles or events, just a bunch of muslim babbling about the profit...blah, blah, blah. If he's not dead, than let HIM prove it, not some lame cut and splice job.
Agreed.I just hope they had
July 15, 2007 - 12:09 ET by Jack BauerAgreed.
I just hope they had the bastard stuffed and mounted, so Delta Force have something to bayonet when they eventually find the cave.
He already looked to be going
July 15, 2007 - 12:14 ET by drillanwrHe already looked to be going through the early stages of mummification .
i think that the tall towel h
July 15, 2007 - 14:17 ET by PKi think that the tall towel head has died of some fairly common desease that is easily treatable and survivable in the "land of the great satan".
i also believe that if his body is found that an autopsy would show what it is beyond doubt.
an alternative is that he died of suffocation in a cave huddled up to a bomb fragment with the stars and bars painted on it.
either of which would be totally embarrasing to the crazy critters.
C
Good point, Begrunt. In fac
July 15, 2007 - 21:00 ET by dahliatraversGood point, Begrunt. In fact, if the best his followers can do is dredge up tape from five years ago, doesn't that make it close to a certainty?
You, and I, and several other
July 15, 2007 - 21:16 ET by drillanwrYou, and I, and several others on this board agree ... I'd say that makes it a concensus.