NOTE TO CNN: A simple we are sorry we screwed up will suffice

[wndycty]

White House Blames Media, False Reports for Scare Resulting from Coast Guard Exercise

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs on Friday morning said he was not aware of any heads-up given by the U.S. Coast Guard to the White House about its training exercise in the Potomac River this morning, as President Obama was at the Pentagon commemorating the 9/11 attacks, and he suggested that any panic that resulted from the reporting of the event was the fault of the media, not law enforcement.

Gibbs said the "reporting was based on listening to a police scanner" and wasn't "verified" before being reported. Many media outlets falsely reported that shots had been fired.

"If anyone was unnecessarily alarmed based on erroneous reporting that denoted shots had been fired, I think everybody is apologetic of that," Gibbs said.

The White House spokesman said the Commander-in-Chief would not "micromanage" the Coast Guard's decision to hold the exercise, and he chastised the press -- in honor of those who died on 9/11 and the future victims of terrorrism -- telling reporters to tell themselves "We may not get this first, but we may be the first ones to get it right."

Asked if 9/11 was an appropriate day for such a training exercise, Gibbs said, "I tend not to question law enforcement trying to keep the nation safe."
-snip-
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/09/white-house-blames-media-for-scare-resulting-from-coast-guard-exercise.html

[graywarrior]

1. The media has become the most dangerous organization in the country.

[1776Forever]

7. They certainly assist the crazies by giving them plenty of fuel to burn on!

:hurts:

[WeDidIt]

2. CNN - Reality Television that pretends to be journalists.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

5. That's what it is now, isn't it?

Cheap reality TV with a really bad cast.

[WeDidIt]

8. I've been calling it that for a while now

Nothing more than Reality Television.

[myrna minx]

11. Precisely - and we ALL lose as a result.

:-(

[Kalyke]

3. CNN was wrong.

I used to be a reporter and one of my former co-workers was fired for reporting off a scanner (with also incorrect info).

However, 9/11 in Washington DC does seem like an odd day for the Coast Guard to have maneuvers that involve shooting anything that sounds like weaponry.

[tridim]

9. Apparently there was no shooting, CNN just made it up.

I demand an immediate apology from CNN.

[wndycty]

10. Shooting? No shores were fired, no one said shots fired, someone did shout bang bang bang

WOW!

[Ian David]

12. Supposedly, they didn't ACTUALLY shoot anything. Just SAID they did on their private frequency. n/t

[WeDidIt]

14. The Coast Just said they conduct training exercises in D.C. DAILY

Every day, 365 days per year.

Holidays.

Weekends

Whatever.

Every day of the year, they conduct such exercises.

[ShortnFiery]

4. Yes, they were a pissy group of Cable TV media whores today. Absolutely bizarre

on air "hissy fits" and other demonstrations reflecting their company's perceived position and power.

Hell, I think they'll soon demand an office in Homeland Security.

What Maroons! :P

[high density]

6. CNN is a TV version of twitter

I don't know how anybody could stand to watch them. Their website once was really good but it's as dumb as the TV network these days.

[Ian David]

13. They're good for car chases and planes landing with stuck landing gear. n/t

[me b zola]

15. I contacted them to let them know that they owe us an apology

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?92

[Uncle Joe]

16. CNN doesn't need to apologize, they're already sorry, they've been sorry for years. n/t