Mainstream Misreporting: CNN’s Gross Distortion
By Allie Winegar Duzett | November 10, 2009
The Mudville Gazette has reported that once again, the "mainstream" media have distorted their coverage of the recent murders at Fort Hood.
Private Joseph Foster was sitting in the second row when Nidal Malik Hasan attacked last week, and explained his situation to CNN:
Roberts: So the first moments of Thursday afternoon, can you tell our viewers, you know, where you were, what happened, how it all unfolded?
Foster: I was sitting in what they call station 13, it's where we get, basically, our final outs of our RSP (ph) system and I was sitting in about the second row back when the assailant stood up, screamed and yelled Allah Akbar (ph) in Arabic and he opened fire.
Foster was one of those soldiers wounded when Hasan began shooting. He was shot in the hip, but even with his wound he did "what [he] was trained to do," helping others get out of harm's way. As the Mudville Gazette pointed out, when Roberts said Foster was "acting heroically" for helping others despite his injury, Foster nobly protested:
ROBERTS: So you were acting like a soldier. You were acting heroically. We should point out that you're with the 20th Engineer Battalion and despite your best efforts and I guess the efforts of your comrades, as well, four members of the battalion were killed, 10 others were injured. And you were shot in the hip and you didn't realize it at the time?
Foster: I had realized it at first, but with that much adrenaline, you tend to forget things.
Clearly, Foster was implying that his adrenaline rush made it possible for him to forget the pain from his hip and save the lives of those around him.
However, you would never get this story if you didn't watch the video of Private Foster yourself (or read about it at the Mudville Gazette or Gateway Pundit)-because CNN was reporting Foster's account thusly:
Fort Hood, Texas (CNN) -- Pvt. Joseph Foster was filling out routine paperwork for his upcoming deployment to Afghanistan on Thursday when he heard a shout quickly followed by a burst of gunfire from just a few feet away.
"I was sitting in about the second row back when the assailant stood up and yelled 'Allahu akbar' in Arabic and he opened fire," Foster said Monday on CNN's "American Morning."
Foster, 21, said he wasn't clear about whether the gunman said those exact words, noting that "with that much adrenaline, you tend to forget things."
Of course, when the Mudville Gazette first pointed this out, CNN retroactively edited the first article they linked to. They did find this page that as of 1:26 PM EST had the original story intact, and we at Accuracy in Media took the liberty of saving a screenshot of the page, in case they retroactively edit that one, too.
This story serves as a disturbing wake-up call to those few left in society today who believe that such organizations as CNN are above selective editing for agenda-driven purposes. This is just one more reason why the American people should think twice before believing what they read.
Allie Winegar Duzett is an intern at the American Journalism Center, a training program run by Accuracy in Media and Accuracy in Academia.
10 Comments | Post a Comment
Jeff—
Also, I suggest you check out the Mudville Gazette’s page. If I am so incorrect, then why did CNN change the article the first time, after the Gazette called them out on selective editing and misleading quotation? If the Gazette—and I—were wrong, and CNN was in fact protecting Private Foster, then why did they suddenly feel the need to stop protecting him?
aewd
Amazing. Forty-odd American soldiers dead or wounded, and this cement-headed leftist is worried about “loyal Americans being defamed!!!
You reckon this Obamista would be worried about “loyal Americans” being defamed if the shooter was named Billy Bob Yokum? Right.
There’s been a helluva lot more innocent Americans murdered by Islamic terrorists than “loyal americans” have been defamed.
It’s like talking to a misguided brick wall.
Hey Jeff,
Have you ever been shot? I have, as some around me were also wounded, now move the situation to a place where it is least expected to happen, it changes the entire dynamic. When I was shot, the only thing I felt was a sting, what was important was getting to those who could not help themselves. It wasn’t until we were all in and out of there, when a buddy told me I was bleeding.
The fact is CNN screwed up, they took someone who has never been on a worldwide news show, it is intimidating…as was the way he was being questioned. He is not the only person who heard Hasan screaming Allah Akbar, which of course means God is Great, also is used as both an informal expression of faith and as a formal declaration. CNN deliberately tried to mislead the public, and should be forced to apologize openly. They have very little credibility as it is now
I take it you did not hear the interview with Senior Sgt. Mark Tod, who helped subdue Hasan.
There is no doubt in my mind that this was an act of Islamic Terrorism, and not a crime as the White House is calling the incident.
Is there anything else you want to know about Islam, or translated from Arabic?
I am of the mind that you owe an apology to Ms. Duzett. Just ‘who’ do you think you are to doubt her Journalistic acumen for reporting the truth (something I suppose you are not used to hearing). I do not work for AIM, but I am a Contributing Partner in donations to help keep this site up. Else go and spread your liberal/Marxist crap where it is appreciated, such as the Kos, Media Matters…ect.
Until you yourself have been in a room where people are being shot by a lunatic Islamic extremist, then I suggest you cut the man some slack.
Something else you may not know about Hasan, is that Major Hasan was stationed at Bethesda-Walter Reed Hospital where in 2008 his supervisors thought he could be psychotic, and capable of harming the soldiers. It is damn near impossible to fire a doctor in the Military, especially a Muslim-American (think about possible discrimination charges), so they shipped him off to Ft. Hood. They took him in, and was about to give him a Psychiatric Evaluation before shipping him off the Afghanistan. They did not believe he would pass the exam, then put him in a mental ward.
Jeff,
“Lying” is the key word in your last paragraph, since this article was first published, more that 20 people have come forward to say they heard the very same words, Allah Akbar, and they did so under oath.
Now that they have had time to view the video and audio, it is very clear. Investigations into Maj. Hasan revealed communications between himself and the “Head” of Al Qaeda in Yemen. While searching his residence, they also found several boxes of business cards, and printed below his name were to acronyms: SoA(SWT), which stands for Soldier of Allah, the last letters refer to “Subhanahu Wa Ta’all,” which means “glory to God.”
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/hasan-multiple-mail-accounts-officials/story?id=9065692
If Obama still calls this “just a crime” and not Terrorism, he is only fooling himself.
God only knows how many Terrorists are within our walls, Government, Military, and throughout the country because of Political Correctness.
Hasan had orders to deploy to Afghanistan as an Islam “pastor” if you will. But he had already said he would never go and be a part of fighting those of his own faith.
You will also note that this Administration has a habit of breaking bad news on Fridays to skip the rest of the week’s news. This time we have Obama in the Pacific, while Holder announces that Khalid Sheik Mohammed will be standing trial in a Civilian Court in N.Y. This amounts to putting the United Stated on trial, CIA intelligence will be on display for the world to see, and then again I believe that is exactly what Obama wants.
There is no doubt that Obama lied to the people when he said he would be tried in a Military Tribunal, just less than two months ago.
Now Holder is making a move to have Hasan’s investigation and eventual trial to be taken out of the hands of the Military.
Justice…How long before it is called…“Just Us”.
Wes, how can you criticize the vast military training and experience of Clinton, Obama, Holder, and Jeffie?
These giants of international affairs know what’s best for us, so shut up, bend over, and pay your (ever-increasing)taxes.
C.Roy,
NOT ONE time did I put our Military down, nor would I EVER think to do so…not when you have been where I have been.
I was making a point that Major Hasan has been proven to have ties to Al Qaeda, this has been confirmed.
What I am saying is this country has become to Politically Correct to look into the background of some of the Muslims. Do you know that he did not have something worse planned? We do not know that, now do we. I think 14 dead and 30 wounded on what should be one of the safest places in America to have something like this happen.
Our own soldiers sitting in that room that day, some wounded have now testified that Hasan did say Allah Akbar, with “mainstream” media has distorted their coverage of the recent murders at Fort Hood.
Your Quote to me was “Wes, how can you criticize the vast military training and experience of Clinton, Obama, Holder, and Jeffie?”
I did not question ANYONE above expect Holder, Eric Holder never spent a day in the Service of our Military, he is a scumbag Defense Lawyer from Chicago, and nothing will change that.
As for taxes, I have not only never missed filing, I pay early…and gladly so! As for my tax filings, I use the short form, I do not write off the charities I give to, I wouldn’t know a loophole if it bit me in the butt. But if Cap and Trade passes that is something not even you can handle, it will effect every living in America.
But setting here watching our troops in Afghanistan die because Obama wants to wait till the November elections were over before he made a choice while HIS General is on the ground there requesting troops, and having to wait 90 days or more is inexcusable.
I do not give a crap what Congress says (they are the ones he would piss off by sending them), and he needs them on board for the Health Care vote.
You just do not play politics with Soldiers lives on the line. And I NEVER again want to see a President, or anyone in our government going overseas to apologize for the the United States of America.
I have been cussed out, called many names by the loony left on this site, that does not bother me, but what you said took the cake.
And for the record, did you serve our country?
If you are questioning my Patriotism, you are running in the wrong direction, and are in for one hell of a fight.
Don’t you dare ever question my Patriotism, I will stand among the best of the best.
C.Roy, I do hope your post was in jest, I have often stood by many of your comments.
You know as well as I that Clinton, Obama, and Holder have evaded or never joined the Military.
I may have rushed into my rant after re-reading your post.
Of COURSE it was written in jest! I have nothing but contempt for these arrogant, self-seving pansies and their stooges on the so-called “mainstream” media.
As far as I’m concerened the only stream these scumbags belong in is the one they make during their random drug tests.
That BO would leave those soldiers twisting in the wind while he dithers politically is beneath contempt.
Soldier on, Wes. You do a good job.
I broke a tooth on Friday, and it had to be cut out, and was on some pretty good pain killers, probably should have not even logged on. I have more than a high tolerance to pain, except when it comes to my teeth. This morning they prepped me for a screw-in replacement.
But, when I re-read what you wrote, I got the nuance.
<laughing> Sorry about that!!! Still on the pain meds, (I lowered the dosage) and have adjusted to them.
You hold you own as well, buddy.
November 11 at 2:48 pm | #1 | Link
Jeff—
CNN didn’t just say that Foster “believed” he heard Hasan’s words. CNN wrote that Foster thought he’d heard it, but that his adrenalin rush may have impaired his memory.
I don’t know about you, but to me, those are two very different claims. It is one thing for them to say that Foster believed he’d heard it, and it is another thing for them to quote him out of context and remark that his mind was probably overwhelmed at the time from a wound-induced hormone rush. Do you understand the difference here?
aewd