FOXNews.com – Report: Bin Laden Already Dead – U.S. & World — This story ran over 4 years ago. It’s still running. Even bloggers will correct erroneous posts. Most publications would add an addendum to a story like this. But not FOX. Do they know something the rest of us do not know? Do they think that this story has historical value? Exactly why do they allow this story to remain on the net? Essentially it’s”published” fresh whn you click on the link. So they are propagating a myth. Or is this a code to inform the insiders that Bin-laden is actually dead? Baffling.
Usama bin Laden has died a peaceful death due to an untreated lung complication, the Pakistan Observer reported, citing a Taliban leader who allegedly attended the funeral of the Al Qaeda leader.
“The Coalition troops are engaged in a mad search operation but they would never be able to fulfill their cherished goal of getting Usama alive or dead,” the source said.
And if they took it down, you’d cry foul that they were “hiding something.”
I guess “fair and balanced” does not mean they have any obligation to check the facts before blathering any load of horse s**t they feel like. On the surface though, since this story is so easy to debunk, Fox appears to be deliberately reporting false information.
Do they do this because lying gets better ratings or are they just sticking to the party line regardless?
Please, oh please bring back the fairness doctrine.
“posting follow-ups on every article posted is not practicable”
That’s not what this situation is calling for. It’s calling for a correction. Correcting errors is the duty of every news organization. As noted in the OP, if lowly bloggers can do it, FoxNews can do it.
“removing it breaks links that people may have interest in (such as yours).”
Unbelievable. Keep it up so as not to break the links of people pointing out how stupid it is to keep it up? That’s crazy talk.
“And if they took it down, you’d cry foul that they were “hiding something.””
Nobody would. They would, however, ask for a public acknowledgment that Fox News was in error (i.e. issue a correction).
I don’t know why it’s so hard for you two to understand that a correction should have been appended to the original article. It’s standard operating procedure for all respectable news outlets … that’s it! Sagrilarus and malren don’t think Fox News is respectable, therefore, no correction is needed!
Posting a clarification or retraction wouldn’t be much work, and it would also be standard journalistic practice.
Taking it down would be wrong, but in this case they obviously don’t want to admit they were hopelessly wrong.
We all know he’s hiding in Berkeley in the attic of a well known technology journalist, author, and TV personality.
Personally, I believe it! Why do you think he seems to have vanished? You’ll notice that the only thing we ever hear from him is the occasional suspicious tapes. Really, al-Zahiri is the one making the news in al-Qaeda.
Did anyone bother doing a search for this? Apparently every news media out there carried this…and it’s *gasp* still available to see: yahoo, cnn, bbc, etc…
Nothing like spouting off before looking something up.
The only thing that the article claims to do is quote from a publication called the “Pakistan Observer” and “sources” that claimed to have seen bin Ladens dead body. Pulling up some other sources at the time, this transcript also eludes to the same reports, although it does not go into as deep of details as the fox news report does.
You would have thought that if it were a huge story, that it would have recieved at least a little bit more attention 4 1/2 years ago.
Who is bashing anyone? This is about bogus stories on the net staying on the net for NO GOOD REASON. Fox is the big “fair and balanced” news organization that is supposed to be the best. Since when do they represent the right? They don;t calim to. I never said they did. How is this bashing the right? Sayin “Bush is an idiot and everyone who voted for him and who still likse him must be all be perverts” would be bashing the right. If I wanted to bash the right I would. The left is easier to bash. (See Cheney post).
It’s not about bashing. It’s about media needing to keep things up to date and accurate. This story isn’t accurate. Digging up stories on CNN and whatever just makes my point stronger.
“Nothing like spouting off before looking something up.” Look up what? Why? How would this change my point? Fox claims to be holier than thou. CNN never does. They suck. SO CNN has old news up. Wow. A shock.
As for taking stuff down. I’ve done it. What’s wrong with taking something that is inaccurate off the internet? do we actually want the net clogged with BS? Why? What does it prove?
Cripes.
The search for Bin Laden was as successful as the U.S. search for WMDs in Iraq. While we know that the planes were brought down by Bin Laden’s men, thermite might have been used to complete the fall of the WTC. 911 would not be “successful” from Bin Laden’s standpoint if it had not been for the cooperation of U.S. operatives. Google “WTC thermite” or visit these:
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/thermite.htm
http://www.physics911.net/thermite.htm
algoxy.com/psych/9-11scenario.html
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/april2006/240406thermiteidentified.htm
The truth is out there, Scully.
site admin,
“do we actually want the net clogged with BS?” – Yes, isn’t that why we have this site. 🙂
“Fox claims to be holier than thou. CNN never does”
You’re simply insane if you actually believe that.
malren — do you ever research anything you believe?
This week, while researching a completely different topic at the Audit Bureau of Ccirculation, I happened upon their most recent study of TV news offerings. Believability for the three old major networks was almost exactly equal. I don’t recall the number — but, it was something like 45%.
Fox was about 20 points below. CNN was about 20 points above. Unless you think the ABC is a liberal conspiracy, of course. It is, however, advertising revenue is baselined.
while what you say may be true Moss…….another fact is that Fox is the most watched cable news network. They may not trust it according to the group you visited, but they sure as hell watch it.
And Fox is no longer a flick by stop….it now is also the most watched cable news network that people leave on all day, and is the most used *end* destination for news watchers.
I would have thought they would have at least put a link to a correction or an appendum in the old story. I remember when several news sites reported this, then there was nothing ever mentioned again, I used to wonder what happened to the story. Have we ever actually *seen* bin laden since 9/11, except for the 2 tapes with in several months of the attack? I know the goverment has verified his voice on the audio tapes, but you have to wonder why his aides do all the actual visual tapes now. John…..would you mind going up to your attic and asking him that? 🙂
Yes, Fox does not claim to be biased to the right, and they aren’t. They just look that way compared to most of the others and most people seem to make that association.
Darn, you sure like to sugarcoat things don’t you. Fox spews is NOT a news outlet. It is a propaganda source for the right. It is pure entertainment. Commentators like O’Reilly, Hannity, and Wallace should not be confused with actual journalists.
***
It would not have hurt if Fox had added a clarification at the beginning of the article stating that the story is apparently untrue. If this was just another “interest” story about some guy in Lahore Pakistan having seven fingers and can fit all of them in his nose at one time, then I can see ignoring the facts. That is not the case, this is a major story and should have some clarification.
Last week Reuters ran a story about two men in Hungary that drank a barrel of rum they had found. Not only did it taste funny, but when they hit bottom, they found a body. Apparently this was a false story and Reuters took it down after it was discovered to be false.
http://blogs.reuters.com/2006/05/09/rum-barrel-story-withdrawn/
But then this is the difference between a class organization and crap entertainment.
“Fair-&-Balanced,” not “Holier-Than-Thou.” There’s a difference.
Didn’t read the arfticle, but your excerpt is correct even now.
Geez Mr. Fusion….Hannity, O’Rilley are the reason so many watch Fox…..O’Reilly has the top rated commentary/interview show on cable for like 2 years.
But, I don’t watch those, I’m strictly a str8 news person, and I do like Brit Hume’s political stuff in the afternoon(Special Report). I have only seen Wallaces show a few times, and I didn’t think it was all that badf, he did good interviews and has real representives of each side on, not like O’Reilly. In fact top Democrats flock to Wallaces show on Sundays.
Geez Mr. Fusion….Hannity, O’Rilley are the reason so many watch Fox…..O’Reilly has the top rated commentary/interview show on cable for like 2 years.
But, I don’t watch those, I’m strictly a str8 news person, and I do like Brit Hume’s political stuff in the afternoon(Special Report). I have only seen Wallaces show a few times, and I didn’t think it was all that bad, he did good interviews and has real representives of each side on, not like O’Reilly. In fact top Democrats flock to Wallaces show on Sundays.
If he did die, coalition troops will never find the body since after three days he would have risen to heaven.
>It is a propaganda source for the right. Commentators like O’Reilly, >Hannity, and Wallace.
Why don’t you add in Geraldo, Greta Van Susteren, Catherine Crier, and Paula Zahn? I’m not even sure Wallace is righty given his dad.