CNN’s Brown Spread “Bush Knew” Web Rumor After It Was Retracted

Media Research ^ | 7-10-03

[bellevuesbest]

CNN Anchor Pushes Anti-bush Rumor -- Four Hours after its Retraction! When Castigating George Bush for Passing on Bogus Information, Aaron Brown Passes on Web Story He Should Have Known Was False

In the 1990s, the World Wide Web was denigrated in media circles as a nest of White House-bashing conspiracy theorists, a fact-free zone where the scandal stories were too good to check. Last night, CNN NewsNight anchor Aaron Brown pulled a fascinating, though embarrassing trick: While castigating the President for passing on bogus information, he passed on a bogus Internet story he should have known was false.

After the lead story on the WMD search by David Ensor, CNN’s all-news anchor jumped on the latest juicy rumor, asking Ensor: “There is, as you know, a story that's been circulating on the Web today that there was at some point a conversation between the President and a CIA consultant where the consultant directly told the President that this African uranium deal was bogus. Do you have any reporting that supports the idea that the President was directly told it was fake before he included it in the State of the Union speech?”

Clearly flummoxed, Ensor could only say: “I have no way to confirm that story and it is somewhat suspect, I would say, but we'll have to check it.”

In searching for the Web source of this rumor today, CNSNews.com Executive Editor Scott Hogenson found the story on CapitolHillBlue.com, where founder and publisher Doug Thompson retracted the story under the headline “Conned big time” at 6:05 pm Eastern Daylight Time -- four hours before Brown’s exchange with Ensor!

[piasa]

You know, we all ought to carry one of those around, to freeps, etc, with our name and photo on it, just in case any journalists ask us who we are, or needs to see credentials. It'll save them time since they'll never have to independently verify who we are.

Do you think their editors will see the humor in it?

[Terp]

If you want to let CNN know how you feel here is a link.

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/

[syriacus]

I was was surfing through CNN last night and heard two hosts, who were discussing some hoax that had misled CNN. They were talking about the problems arising from the very fast dissemination of "news" because of modern technologies, like the internet.

I listened for about 5 minutes, but they didn't mention what the hoax was about.

I guess they liked avoiding the tawdry details of the actual hoax/affair. They obviously preferred discussion on a purer, abstract plane.

I'm glad I was able to come here, to Free Republic, to get the lowdown.

[syriacus]

http://williammckinley.blogspot.com/2003_07_01_williammckinley_archive.html#105786512599461515


Neat webpage!

[syriacus]

What did he know?
When did he know it?

[princess leah]

Maybe thought ought to hook up all CNN and media personnel to lie detector machines and make them report news with those machines live and let the beeping begin! It would bring a new meaning to the word "REALITY TV"

[GOPJ]

bump

[1Old Pro]

as expected from CNN.....

[bellevuesbest]

I guess that's as close to a retraction we can expect from CNN. I don't watch CNN. Did anybody watch Brown last night to see if he admitted he goofed?