CNN, the Coast Guard, and Panic on 9/11

Way to go CNN!

The Coast Guard was carrying out a training exercise and CNN reports "SHOTS FIRED ON POTOMAC RIVER" and "Coast Guard challenges suspicious vessel."

There is no excuse for CNN's shoddy reporting.

From Politico:

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told POLITICO that CNN should attend the Coast Guard's noon press conference where they'll explain the exercise on the Potomac.

"My only caution would be that before we report things like this, checking would be good," Gibbs said.

Later, Gibbs and CNN's Elaine Quijano had a heated exchanged during a gaggle with reporters, where the press secretary said it was "a little hard to divorce the media coverage" from her questions. Gibbs said his criticism wasn't of her, "just writ large at CNN."

“Look, if anybody was unnecessarily alarmed based on erroneous reporting that denoted that shots had been fired, I think everybody is apologetic of that,” Gibbs said.

CBS News Radio White House correspondent Mark Knoller, on Twitter, said that "some networks have a lot of explaining to do--misinterpreting police scanner messages as shots firect [sp?] by the coast guard. He added: “As Walter Cronkite used to say, get it first, but first, get it right."

Of course people were "unnecessarily alarmed" if they saw CNN's report.

I would have been extremely concerned if I saw that bit of "breaking news."

This incident provides another reason not to watch CNN.

What a stunning lack of journalistic standards!
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In a shameless CYA move, CNN blames the Coast Guard for their erroneous report.