After erroneous Flynn report, ABC News suspends Brian Ross | ABC News |
ABC News on Saturday suspended investigative reporter Brian Ross for four weeks without pay for his erroneous report on Michael Flynn, which it called a “serious error.”
Ross, citing an unnamed confidant of Flynn, the former national security adviser, had reported Friday that then-candidate Donald Trump had directed Flynn to make contact with the Russians. That would have been an explosive development in the ongoing investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to interfere in the election. But hours later, Ross clarified his report on the evening news, saying that his source now said Trump had done so not as a candidate, but as president-elect. At that point, he said, Trump had asked Flynn to contact the Russians about issues including working together to fight ISIS.
ABC was widely criticized for merely clarifying and not correcting the report. It issued a correction later in the evening.
“We deeply regret and apologize for the serious error we made yesterday,” the network said in a statement Saturday. “The reporting conveyed by Brian Ross during the special report had not been fully vetted through our editorial standards process. As a result of our continued reporting over the next several hours ultimately we determined the information was wrong and we corrected the mistake on air and online.
“It is vital we get the story right and retain the trust we have built with our audience — these are our core principles. We fell far short of that yesterday. Effective immediately, Brian Ross will be suspended for four weeks without pay.”
These journalistic “errors” keep the chance of survival for Trump alive. 🙁
Congratulations to @ABC News for suspending Brian Ross for his horrendously inaccurate and dishonest report on the Russia, Russia, Russia Witch Hunt. More Networks and “papers” should do the same with their Fake News!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 3 december 2017
[Update-1] Reply on comment by nicholas:
You have all(most) of the facts but draw the wrong conclusion … blaming the Soviet Union – The Red Scare – Barry Goldwater … now putting all blame on Russia’s Putin who is clearly defending itself from US aggression … using tools of the digital age as the US and Israel have done with cyber warfare on Iran – Stuxnet – decades of propaganda and lies by the US Government, it’s intelligence agencies and the American press and media reporting – what are the facts and what is fabricated – walking a thin line all of the time 🙂
Read Arthur Gilroy’s comments – some of them anyway 😉
In 2001, a different setting – needing an enemy for US warfare – same media – same reporter – what a poor job – how gullible the masses can be – a democracy unworthy – US is not a leading nation across the globe for freedom 🙁
○ Troubling Anthrax Additive Found; Atta Met Iraqi | ABC News – Oct 29, 2001 |
○ The unresolved story of ABC News’ false Saddam-anthrax reports | Salon – 2007 |… and no, it wasn’t Russia that started the Georgian War in 2008 but U.S. puppet Saakashvili!
More below the fold …
13/ Right now conservatives are making hay over ABC erroneously reporting that Trump ordered Flynn to violate the law pre-election–putting them in the bizarre position of saying that at least Trump only ordered Flynn to violate the law post-election. https:/t.co/ka9Hi85lon
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) 3 december 2017
15 But right now we don't have a Flynn confidant saying Flynn said that–and of course Flynn wouldn't have told any confidant about pre-election sanctions negotiations, as revelation of those would be the ballgame on a Trump-Russia conspiracy–so ABC's Ross has to be suspended.
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) 3 december 2017
On this topic, see my recent diary …
