ABC President: Ross report hurts coverage

Politico ^ | 7/24/12 | Dylan Byers

[Nachum]

ABC News president Ben Sherwood told staff today that last Friday's incorrect report by Brian Ross detracts from the network's otherwise excellent coverage of the Colarado theater shooting, network sources tell POLITICO. Sherwood's remarks, made on the network's daily editorial conference call, came the morning after Ross's report was picked up by late night comedians John Stewart and Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central, both of whom used Ross's erroneous suggestion of a Tea Party link to the Colorado theater shooting as fodder for their Monday night routines. On Monday's conference call,

[Wordkraft]

I would hope that the gentleman who was the deliberate target of the malicious attack by Mr. Ross and Mr Stephanopolous (sp?) will bring suit against the perpetrators, the network, the Democrat party and sponsors for a nice round sum close to the amount of the national debt.

[CharlesWayneCT]

He shouldn’t forget that they also woke the shooter’s mother up at 5am, and then completely mis-characterized her statements to them. She had to issue a correction to their erroneous reporting on that matter as well.

Maybe it would be easier for ABC to make a list of the things they got RIGHT in their coverage.

[skeeter]

ABC's report on Obama's trip to Aurora was another knee slapper - starting off with "The president traveled to Colorado today, to comfort the victims and family of the mass shooting as best he could".

Subjective qualifiers injected to provoke emotion have no place in news reporting, at least not traditionally.

[morphing libertarian]

Donchano, we want a president who cares and tries real good. Results be damned.

[Steely Tom]

“Even so, Brian Ross has a job at ABC for life because talent of his caliber is simply too difficult to find. He’s basically irreplacable.”

[onemiddleamerican]

Also in the above article:

In addition to Ross's report, ABC News now faces a conflicting claim from the mother of Colorado theater shooting suspect James Holmes. Arlene Holmes issued a statement yesterday alleging that ABC's Matthew Mosk mischaracterized her when he reported that she had identified her son as the alleged shooter. On Monday evening, ABC released a new article with details about Mosk's call to the mother and announced that it was standing by its initial report.

For longtime Freepers, the name Matt Mosk should ring a bell. He was a print reporter back then, and he "had access to" a Freeper's account. He used that access to print Freepmails in the political expose he penned on a conservative candidate. He is still pulling sleazy tricks, I see.

[Zionist Conspirator]

Holmes should sue Ross (and ABC if he can do it) into the poor house.

Why hasn't Ross been fired? Allowing such a thing is so in your face it's undeniable.