CNN’s Brown Spread “Bush Knew” Web Rumor After It Was Retracted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

[bellevuesbest]

ping

Didn't stop CNN

[Miss Marple]

Excellent! At least the Media Research center is paying attention! Aaron Brown should be e-mailed to make a public retraction.

[Dolphy]

It's nice to see where the ever so important and somber Aaron Brown gets his news and point of view.

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[Registered]

How's the investigation going?

[Registered]

How's the investigation going?

[Shermy]

There is, as you know, a story that's been circulating on the Web...

CNN. The font of "responsible" journalism. < /sarcasm>

Nothing new. Brown was used early in Project Get Hatfill - spinning the "Greendale School" and other myths and innuendoes.

[Fred Mertz]

I didn't realize that as I never watch CNN. Thanks Shermy.

[Old Sarge]

Down the Memory Hole...

[Weimdog]

The whole story and background is here too -

"The story also managed to get discussed on CNN. As CNS News noted, Aaron Brown mentioned the news story circulating "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." David Ensor told Brown the story sounded suspect to him, but millions of ears had the seed planted in their heads by the mention. TruthOut was undoubtedly pleased.

"Games people play in the middle of the night..."

Meanwhile, TruthOut was apparently working to cover some tracks. They removed a copy of the story they had posted on their website, putting in its place at the exact same URL a copy of a Washington Post article. As was captured over at Free Republic, however, their search engine's cache provided evidence that they did have the story up at one time. Later, they published a copy of Thompson's retraction"

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

[mystery-ak]

That's great...all he needed to do was say it once to get the rumor mill going...don't count on a retraction.....Thanks Doug.

[PokeyJoe]

What's CNN?

[backhoe]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/943322/posts

It is getting better. Check this out [Truthout trying to hide stealing a fraudulent article]

Anyway, might as well plug my blog. It has links to all of these threads, and a few other stories I have been following are 1) Liberia, 2) The Lawrence decision, 3) Charlie Chan, 4) ALA, and 5) conservatism in general.

 

 

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/943260/posts

BREAKING: Conned big time "CIA Witness" to White House Lying about Intel story found to be FRAUD
Capitol Hill Blue ^ | July 9, 2003 | Doug Thompson

 

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/943727/posts

No more unnamed sources - Doug Thomson - Capitol Hill Blue
Capitol Hill Blue ^ | 7/10/03 | DOUG THOMPSON

 

 

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/943260/posts

BREAKING: Conned big time "CIA Witness" to White House Lying about Intel story found to be FRAUD
Capitol Hill Blue ^ | July 9, 2003 | Doug Thompson
Read this:

TJ Wilkinson

Then follow the links:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/943260/posts?page=577#577

I can't pin point it .. but my gut tells me there is some more going on that we haven't figured out yet

[GOP_Proud]

<< That's great...all he needed to do was say it once to get the rumor mill going...don't count on a retraction... >>

Yup. Can't put the genie back into the bottle.

[colorado tanker]

Looks like CNN's agreement to be Saddam friendly is still in place after all.

[Prodigal Son]

You know, there ought to be a way to exploit this internet rumor mongering by topline journalists. We should concoct some sort of scheme that is ready to be kicked off at a crucial point in the elections next year.

[piasa]

Was he now? I bet truthout.org was, too.

[Porterville]

I thought they replaced Aaron with some Anorexic blonde, black, or Asian chick as is typical at CNN.