CNN Errs. Errs? ERRS?

Democrats in Self-Destruct Mode CCLII

Why isn't this being called the malicious, politically motivated lie it really was?

Let's say you're a young man who loves his smart, pretty sister. Let's say your best friend can't stand the young man — lets' call him George — who lives down the street from you. One day, your best friend shows up and tells you, "George is telling everybody that your sister is ugly and stupid". You go off on George, only to find out that George had said no such thing. You confront your best friend, and he replies, "Oops. My mistake".

Mistake? Mistake? you would shout. Wouldn't you?

So, why does CNN get to pass this off as a "mistake"? (Ellipses in original.)

What began on David Letterman's "Late Show" as a comedy bit needling President Bush turned into a comedy of errors when CNN incorrectly reported that the White House had cried foul.

Then Letterman — apparently not getting CNN's message that it had made the mistake until he was well into his Tuesday broadcast — only heightened the confusion.

The whole thing started during a collection of video clips Letterman showed Monday under the label "George W. Bush Invigorates America's Youth."

One showed Bush at a March rally in Orlando, Fla., standing at a lectern with several listeners behind him — among them, a boy in his early teens who could barely stay awake. While Bush spoke, the young man yawned, twisted his head, checked his watch and generally seemed dead on his feet.

Tuesday morning, CNN attempted to lighten its news mood by running the segment, credited to CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman," on its "CNN Live Today."

But then CNN host Daryn Kagan added: "We're being told by the White House that the kid, as funny as he was, was edited into that video, which would explain why the people around him weren't really reacting."

Later, during CNN's "Live From ...," anchor Kyra Phillips reran the tape but cautioned viewers: "We're told that the kid was there at that event, but not necessarily standing behind the president."

The truth was: The White House never complained, and the footage was real.

On Tuesday night, Letterman aired Kagan's and Phillips' skeptical remarks and ranted: "An out-and-out, 100 percent absolute lie. The kid absolutely was there and he absolutely was doing everything we pictured via the videotape....

"So when you cast your vote in November," he urged, "just remember that the White House was trying to make ME look like a DOPE."

By then, CNN had owned up to its mistake, and placed a call to Letterman's New York headquarters before the 5:30 p.m. taping began. But the tape was already rolling before Letterman got the word.

"According to this," he said during the show, referring to an index card in his grasp, "CNN has just phoned and ... the anchorwoman misspoke. They never got a comment from the White House. It was a CNN mistake."

So then he wailed: "Now I've called the White House liars, and you know what that means — they're going to start looking into my taxes!"

Though CNN spokeswoman Christa Robinson noted that "we frequently air late-night comedy show clips," on Thursday she confirmed the "misunderstanding among our staff" surrounding the yawning-boy video.

Meanwhile, Kagan made an on-air show of contrition.

"Dave, we apologize for the error," she said, offering to come on his show for a Stupid Human Trick.

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An out-and-out, 100 percent absolute lie. You got that part right, Dave; but, at the time, you didn't realize who was doing the lying.

This is another time when the mask comes off momentarily. Another time we get a glimpse behind the curtain.

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Sat. 04/03/04 08:17:06 AM
Categorized as Democrats in Self-Destruct Mode & Media.