mtpolitics.net

Painting With The Broadest Brush Possible

CBC News is running with this headline: California couple harassed after Fox News links their home to Islamic radical.

According to the article, the alleged terrorist in question moved out of the house three years ago, but Fox didn’t check the facts.

The FNC “reporter” in question is a guy named John Loftus, and in checking other stories, it seems the address was disclosed during a live broadcast, so there was no editorial check on it. (Transcript can be found here.)

Funny thing, though, a cursory check of John Loftus reveals that he seems to be more of a freelance contributor with a weekly segment, rather than an actual FNC reporter. He also has a daily segment on ABC Radio, and he’s also turned up on MSNBC, CNN and other outlets as well. (This is from his own media page.)

Note that I am not defending the guy’s actions. If he couldn’t be bothered to check something as simple as whether or not the person in question still lived there, then he deserves everything he gets. It seems to me to be dishonest (and telling) to ascribe the actions (and/or motives) of an individual to that of an entire entity.

Loftus was reprimanded, and his segment appears to have been cancelled, though I haven’t been able to confirm this.

Had the story been vetted through the editorial process, then I do agree that FNC should be held responsible.

As it is, though, it’s the stupid mistake of one guy, not FNC as a whole.

(H/T: Ed.)