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FAIR: "Networks Treat White House Allegations as Fact"

FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting), a media watchdog dedicated to separate fact from fiction in the reporting of U.S. events, has issued a Media Advisory regarding the "Terror Plot" reports by the major networks.

Media Advisory

"Terror Plot" Reporting Lacks Skepticism
Networks treat White House allegations as fact

2/13/06

When George W. Bush announced on February 9 that an Al-Qaeda plot against a building in Los Angeles had been "thwarted," many television newscasts took the administration's claims as fact.

ABC World News Tonight anchor Charles Gibson reported (2/9/06) that "President Bush today revealed some details of a terrorist plot that was foiled," later putting this question to ABC reporter Pierre Thomas: "So what were the details of the plot and how was it foiled?" After a brief summary of the administration's story of the plot and some soundbites from terrorism experts on the general threat posed by Al-Qaeda, Thomas concluded that "disaster was averted."

CNN's Miles O'Brien (2/10/06) displayed a similar lack of skepticism: "The president was talking terror yesterday, and lifting a veil on a thwarted Al-Qaeda attack that aimed to fly a hijacked airliner into a L.A. skyscraper in early 2002." Unsurprisingly, conservative commentators like Fox's Bill O'Reilly were upset that the media weren't credulous enough; O'Reilly (2/10/06) singled out the New York Times (2/10/06) for failing to give the story prominent placement: "Of course, on page 22 is the terror thing that they stopped an attack on Los Angeles. Page 22."

CBS Evening News anchor Bob Schieffer announced (2/9/06) that "for the first time President Bush confirmed today that in the months after 9/11, the government broke up another terrorist plot to fly a plane into the tallest building in Los Angeles." The fact that Bush says something does not "confirm" that what he is saying is true—and in fact, earlier reporting by the Los Angeles Times casts doubts on Bush's claims.

Read more of this Media Advisory here.

posted by Annamarie at 12:07 AM