In a Sunday report about how MSNBC failed in their duty to report facts to their viewers in the midst of Iran’s missile attack on U.S. bases in Iraq last week, Fox News Channel media reporter and host of MediaBuzz, Howard Kurtz unloaded on the liberal cable news outlet for pushing Iran’s state-media propaganda and scaring the families of service members.
After returning from a commercial break, Kurtz called out Tehran bureau chief Ali Arouzi because he “saw fit to report what turned out to be completely bogus Iranian propaganda.” Arouzi parroted reports from Iran’s state-controlled media that falsely claimed 30 U.S. service members were killed in the attack.
“Yes, Arouzi offered the caveat that he wasn't sure about, but then why report it at all,” Kurtz chided. “And Chris Matthews said nothing, offered no qualifiers. Imagine if you had a loved one in the military serving on one of those bases and heard this fabricated report designed by the Iranians to scare the American public? And MSNBC repeated this several times.”
Kurtz played another soundbite of Arouzi, in addition to lying about 30 dead troops, asserting without evidence that the entirety of Al Asad Airbase was “leveled.”
“Leveled the entire base? I mean, come on. How do you put that on the air without evidence? Anchor Chris Hayes, to his credit, cautioned viewers about this so-called reporting,” Kurtz denounced with the on-screen headline that read: “Airing Iran’s propaganda.”
As he was wrapping up the segment, Kurtz expressed how confused he was about why MSNBC would willingly push Iran’s “garbage” (emphasis his):
Now, it's not unusual for news outlets to report conflicting death tolls from U.S. adversaries or conflicting claims about civilian casualties after an attack, but why would anyone air this garbage from Tehran's state-controlled media during an attack? That’s just beyond me.
“Iran lied about this just as it lied, including to its own people, in denying it shot down that passenger jet headed for Ukraine,” he concluded.
Aside from the example Kurtz presented, the reporting on the Iran situation from MSNBC and its sister outlets has been extremely troubling. As NewsBusters associate editor Scott Whitlock reported, MSNBC suggested it was the “rational” Iranians who had to deal with an “irrational” President Trump. That same day, NBC chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel feared Trump would “taunt” or “humiliate” Iran, after it was learned they had killed no one in the attack.
Speaking of pushing Iranian propaganda, a study from NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck discovered that Chris Matthews, the host of MSNBC’s Hardball, referred to the drone strike that killed General Soleimani as an “assassination” 60 times.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
Fox News Channel’s MediaBuzz
January 12, 2020
11:27:02 a.m. EasternHOWARD KURTZ: MSNBC was live as Iran was launching rocket attacks against Iraqi bases housing American soldiers, and Tehran bureau chief Ali Arouzi, speaking with anchor Chris Matthews, saw fit to report what turned out to be completely bogus Iranian propaganda.
ALI AROUZI: This bit, I'm not sure about but Iran state media is claiming that 30 U.S. soldiers have been killed in this attack.
Howard: Yes, Arouzi offered the caveat that he wasn't sure about, but then why report it at all? And Chris Matthews said nothing, offered no qualifiers. Imagine if you had a loved one in the military serving on one of those bases and heard this fabricated report designed by the Iranians to scare the American public? And MSNBC repeated this several times.
AROUZI: We’re also getting unconfirmed reports from state media saying that they have leveled an Al Assad base in Iraq, and they have killed 30 U.S. troops.
Howard: Leveled the entire base? I mean, come on. How do you put that on the air without evidence? Anchor Chris Hayes, to his credit, cautioned viewers about this so-called reporting.
CHRIS HAYES: I just want to be very clear, we don't have independent confirmation of that as of yet. That is a claim being made on Iranian state media.
KURTZ: Now, it's not unusual for news outlets to report conflicting death tolls from U.S. adversaries or conflicting claims about civilian casualties after an attack, but why would anyone air this garbage from Tehran's state-controlled media during an attack? That’s just beyond me. Iran lied about this just as it lied, including to its own people, in denying it shot down that passenger jet headed for Ukraine.
