Read: Media Mistakes in the Trump Era here
26. Thursday Sept. 2, 2021
Slate and other media falsely labelled a complaint about a man in the women's spa locker room a "transphobic hoax."
According to the complaint by women at the spa, one of whom recorded some of the aftermath and posted the video on social media, the man allegedly exposed his penis to a group of women in the locker room.
But some in the media chalked it up to a tale fabricated by the women as part of an anti-transgender hoax.
However, on Aug. 30, police actually filed charges of indecent exposure against the man, Darren Agee Merager. Meranger is reported to be a "serial sex offender."
According to the New York Post, Merager is also facing multiple felony charges of indecent exposure over a separate incident in Los Angeles. He reportedly denied the allegations to the Post and said he is the one who is the victim of harassment.
25. Thursday Sept. 2, 2021
USA Today corrects a fact check that had bad facts.
A fact check article by David Funke had falsely claimed that President Biden only checked his watch after a ceremony in which the bodies of U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan were returned.
In the false article, Funke made liars of the family members of fallen soldiers who saw Biden check his watch and said so to news reporters.
In correcting the article, USA Today continued to cling onto its narrative that there was something inaccurate about the watch-checking claim by changing the ratings from "partly false" to "missing context," even though there was no relevant content missing.
24. Monday Aug. 30, 2021
Scientific findings effectively debunked reporting by media outlets such as Wired, which reported that social media videos showing Covid-19 vaccine injuries in January were "dangerous" misinformation.
In fact, the videos garnered the attention of scientists who investigated and concluded the videos depicted a Covid-19 vaccine adverse event called Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).
Researchers in the United Kingdom recently identified for study two additional cases of (FND) in women in their 30s after receiving Covid-19 vaccines. Read more here.
FND is a neurological disorder involving malfunctioning of the nervous system and how the brain and body transmit signals. Symptoms can include limb weakness, paralysis, tremor, spasms, problems walking, speech problems, tingling, vision loss, seizures, fatigue, anxiety, chronic pain, memory symptoms, and blackouts.
An analysis of Covid-19 vaccine adverse events showed hundreds of thousands of reports of such symptoms.
23. Saturday Aug. 28, 2021
Writing about a major study in Israel that finds, like many others, natural immunity is far superior to vaccination for Covid-19, Meredith Wadman falsely writes in the journal Science that those who were infected with Covid-19 and gained natural immunity still benefitted from vaccination afterwards.
When the false information was flagged by a reader, Science deleted the false information and posted a clarification.
No word on how the fabricated science could have appeared in the article.
However, the mistake mirrors the same disinformation the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) got caught distributing in late 2020 and early 2021. The agency also falsely claimed studies at the time showed there was a benefit for previously-infected people if they got vaccinated. The studies showed the opposite. (More below the photos.)
When Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) flagged CDC's false information, signed off by their entire top team of immunization advisers, CDC top officials and scientists promised to correct it. However, the CDC scientists and officials continued to make the false claims to doctors and the public.
When Massie flagged it again, CDC's ultimate correction was so obtuse, it continued to give the same wrong impression.
CDC continues to recommend that people with natural immunity get vaccinated, despite studies showing no benefit.
22. Saturday Aug. 28, 2021
PBS' Hari Sreenivasan and others wrote that video of a violent passenger at Miami International Airport showed a "tantrum...like a 5 year old" against mask rules. Sreenivasan used the hash tag #COVIDIOTS.
However, according to news reports the incident involving a mentally troubled military veteran had nothing to do with masks.
21. Thursday Aug. 12, 2021
The Texas Tribune "overstates" the number of children hospitalized in Texas with Covid-19 by a factor of more than 40 times. The article initially claimed more than 5,800 children had been hospitalized during a seven-day period in August. However, the true number was about 142 children in a week.
When the Texas Tribune corrected the story, it did not provide the correct number for the seven-day August time period during which it initially claimed 5,800 child Covid-19 hospitalizations. Instead, the newspaper gave a corrected total that spanned a period of five-and-a-half weeks: 783 children between July 1 and Aug. 9.
As an aside, while Covid-19 is grabbing the headlines, it was actually a different virus that was filling up more of those Texas ICU beds, according to the article: an unseasonable outbreak of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV: "a highly contagious virus that can require hospitalization mostly among children... Within Texas Children’s, more than 45 children were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Wednesday, and hospital staff members have diagnosed over 1,600 cases of RSV."
20. Thursday Aug. 12, 2021
Web MD, USA Today, and others falsely call the 2020 Sturgis, South Dakota Motorcycle Rally a Covid "Super Spreader" event. Dr. Anthony Fauci had furthered the false narrative on Meet the Press. But the "Super Spreader" claims about the event were false. Data analysis showed the rally wasn't associated with anywhere near the national average of cases, and especially not the quarter million that some original claimed. Additionally, it was shown that many media reports used photos of a previous year's rally, misrepresenting and misdating those photos as if they were taken during the pandemic.
19. Sunday August 8, 2021
USA Today's Gabe Lacques, ESPN, The Denver Post, The Washington Post, Associated Press (AP), the New York Post, and other publications report, as if true without attribution, that a fan shouted a racial slur at a Miami Marlins player. However, an investigation revealed what many had said from the start: the fan was yelling the name of the Rockies team mascot, and that racist-minded observers mistook that for "the N-word."
As of a week later, uncorrected headlines and/or with the false information remained accessible online (see below).
18. Monday July 26, 2021
The Associated Press corrects a story that falsely claimed CDC had released guidance in May stating that unvaccinated people don't have to wear masks indoors. "The story should have said the CDC guidance released in May was that those who are vaccinated don’t have to wear masks indoors."
17. Saturday July 24, 2021
The Associated Press corrects a story published July 24, 2021 that falsely claimed Florida had changed to weekly reporting on Covid-19 cases earlier in the month. Florida actually implemented the change a month before, in early June.
16. Monday July 19, 2021
The Associated Press corrects a story that falsely claimed a supposed decision not to prosecute former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross was made by the Department of Justice under the Biden administration. AP later said it was under the Trump administration.
15. Wednesday June 2, 2021
The Washington Post joins a cacophony of other media in finally correcting their false reporting that incorrectly claimed, early and often, that the Covid-19 "lab theory" was a "debunked" "conspiracy theory."
Read and watch my Covid-19 origins investigation here.
14. Tuesday May 17, 2021
The Poynter Institute retracts a September 2020 Politifact fact check about a statement by Li-Meng Yan that falsely claimed, among other assertions: The genetic structure of the novel coronavirus rules out laboratory manipulation.
Many authorities have said that is not now and has never been the case. In light of growing recognition of that fact, Politifact added the following Editor's Note to the original fact check:
When this fact-check was first published in September 2020, PolitiFact’s sources included researchers who asserted the SARS-CoV-2 virus could not have been manipulated. That assertion is now more widely disputed. For that reason, we are removing this fact-check from our database pending a more thorough review. Currently, we consider the claim to be unsupported by evidence and in dispute. The original fact-check in its entirety is preserved below for transparency and archival purposes.
13. Wednesday May 11, 2021
As people wait in long lines for gas, and even as the New York Times showed images of long lines in its news coverage, the newspaper claims in a Tweet that "there have been no long lines."
Additionally, the same day the Tweet claims no "major price hikes," consumers documented major price hikes up to $9.99/gallon, prompting President Biden to warn against gouging.
12. Saturday May 1, 2021
The New York Times, Washington Post and NBC News correct their false reporting about Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani. The articles all claimed Giuliani and/or One America News had received a "former warning from the FBI about Russian disinformation" prior to 2019 political scandals involving the U.S., Russia and Ukraine. Giuliani and One America News did not receive such so-called "defensive briefings," after all.
The false New York Times article was written by William K. Rashbaum, Ben Protess, Maggie Haberman and Kenneth P. Vogel. Haberman and Vogel are repeat offenders on anti-Trump media mistake lists.
The false Washington Post article was written by Ellen Nakashima, Shane Harris, and Tom Hamburger.
And Ken Dilanian is on the error list again, at NBC News.
11. Friday April 30, 2021
NPR, like many in the media, reports (as if it as somehow confirmed firsthand) that "President Donald Trump's... allegations of election rigging and widespread voter fraud" are "false." Instead, the reports should or could accurately say that NPR and other news outlets have not uncovered evidence of widespread voter fraud; yet, there is no indication any outlets conducted a widespread firsthand investigation to find or eliminate fraud.
NPR also calls the media outlet "Newsmax" "far right"-- when it is not. If NPR inserts such opinions and attacks in its news reporting, it should label them as opinions, or attribute them to a source, rather than claiming them to be fact.
10. Friday April 30, 2021
Newsmax corrects its 2020 election fraud reporting and apologized to Eric Coomer, director of product strategy and security for Dominion Voting Systems.
"Newsmax has found no evidence that Dr. Coomer interfered with Dominion voting machines or voting software in any way, nor that Dr. Coomer ever claimed to have done so...Nor has Newsmax found any evidence that Dr. Coomer ever participated in any conversation with members of 'Antifa,' nor that he was directly involved with any partisan political organization," said Newsmax in a statement.
9. Tuesday April 27, 2021
A Politico article by with three bylines, EUGENE DANIELS, KRYSTAL CAMPOS and MICHAEL CADENHEAD, wrongly stated that Rep. Byron Donalds was "Florida's first-ever Black Republican in Congress."
In fact, he is third.
A correction added to the article didn't explain how the basic research impacting the very premise of the article wasn't done prior to publication.
8. Tuesday April 27, 2021
New York Post reporter Laura Italiano resigns after saying she was pressed to write an incorrect article claiming a book written by Vice President Kamala Harris was being distributed to children who illegally crossed the border into the U.S.
A correction to the Post article noted: "The original version of this article said migrant kids were getting Harris’ book in a welcome kit but has been updated to note that only one known copy of the book was given to a child."
7. Monday April 26, 2021
Fox News corrects an earlier report that "incorrectly implied" a calculus involving Americans eating less red meat was part of "Biden's plan for dealing with climate change."
"That is not the case," says Fox News.
https://twitter.com/oliverdarcy/status/1386757567750230019?s=20
6. Sunday, April 4, 2021
CBS' 60 Minutes is accused of selectively editing a segment with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, in a story that implied he is guilty of "pay-for-play," linking a campaign donation from Publix grocery stores to the selection of Publix as a major Covid-19 vaccine distribution center. Numerous media outlets picked up the narrative.
After the segment, numerous Democrat political figures in Florida confirmed that, contrary to the implication in the report, Publix was recommended by other state agencies rather than the governor's office.
Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat, tweeted, "I said this before and I'll say it again. [Publix] was recommended by [Florida Division of Emergency Management] and [Florida Department of Public Health]. Period! Full stop!...No one from the Governors office suggested Publix...It's just absolute malarkey."
In remarks edited out of the 60 Minutes story, DeSantis also had explained that other stores were actually chosen for earlier vaccine distribution jobs before Publix.
Palm Beach County Mayor Dave Kerner, a Democrat, accused 60 Minutes of reporting "intentionally false" information, saying that the TV program knew the county-- not the governor's office-- had been the one to request "to expand the state's partnership with Publix" to help get more of the county's elderly vaccinated.
5. Thursday, April 1, 2021
NPR corrects its book review by senior editor and correspondent on the Washington Desk Ron Elving that falsely claimed U.S. intelligence had discredited the story of the FBI obtaining and investigating material on Hunter Biden's laptop.
4. Wednesday, March 31, 2021
The Atlanta Journal Constitution falsely reports that Georgia's new voting integrity law would "limit voting hours."
A later correction acknowledged "nothing in the law changes" the hours: 7am to 7pm. It also pointed out that "experts say the net effect was to expand the opportunities to vote for most Georgians, not limit them."
3. Monday, Jan. 18, 2021
AP incorrectly reports that 200,000 small flags were placed on the National Mall to honor Americans killed by Covid-19.
But the flags represented people who couldn’t come to the inauguration, not COVID deaths.
2. Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021
The Washington Post's Amy Gardner, AP, CNBC, Rolling Stone, and others falsely report that President Trump pressed a lead Georgia elections investigator to “find the fraud,” and told the investigator it would make them a national hero.
However, the actual recording of the call later made public revealed that Trump did not say either of those things.
1. Friday, Jan. 8, 2021
The New York Times reporters Marc Santora, Megan Specia and Mike Baker report Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick was killed by "pro-Trump supporters" who "overpowered" him and "struck him in the head with a fire extinguisher."
But other reports the same day referenced Sicknick dying from a stroke.
The Times waited until mid-February to issue a correction, but still claimed-- citing no evidence and no autopsy report-- that Sicknick had died "from injuries in pro-Trump rampage."
There was no explanation as to who fabricated the fire extinguisher story.
Read: Media Mistakes in the Trump Era: The Definitive List
Thank you for reporting truth! God bless you. Americans love you! I always watch full measure. Thank you ❤️.
Hear! Hear!
Ditto, Sheryl is amazing. I just wish the so called reporters were fined Big so they might think twice spreading lies. As far as 60 Minutes, they should be fined and should have to spend their 60 minute time public service announcement of letting the American people know every lie they have spread. That should take care of their shows for several years. Thanks to Full Measure for actually reporting facts.
Thank you for your real and rate journalism, Ms. Attkisson!
You could get whiplash comparing the "mistakes" in your definitive list from the Biden administration to those in the Trump administration. Everything was anti Trump over the last 4 years and now they are pro Biden in the current year. Of course when compared to their anti-Trump narrative previously they are at least consistent in that respect.
Sharyls book Slanted is a fascinating compilation of the most egregious press events during trump but more importantly going back 20 years or so. Well worth reading or listening to it!
Fox News lies 24/7. Report on that.
You are the one who is lied to.
UPDATED 4:30 PM PT – Sunday, April 4, 2021
A major Australian T.V. channel has continued to expose the weakness and corruption of the Biden administration. In a recent segment of his show, Alan Jones of Sky News Australia said Biden’s declining mental and physical health have raised increasing alert among U.S. allies.
“This is the President of the United States of America who is illiterate, incoherent, cognitively deficient,” Jones said. “And a leader of the Western world, it is an insult to those who fought for democracy.”
Jones said the purported leader of the free world has to be propped up for every public appearance. He added, Democrat-controlled media has lied and covered up for Biden to make him look good, but it’s failing at its task.
“After the stumble, the websites of MSNBC, CBS News, the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and the New York Times all had no mention of Biden’s stumbling incident,” Jones noted. “To prove the Trump point when it came to airtime on television, CNN devoted 15 seconds to the incident. But when Trump walked slowly down a ramp after he delivered a graduation address last June, CNN devoted 22 minutes to Trump’s walk, the media pushing the line that Trump, at 74, was facing serious health questions.”
Jones also said Biden has made statements that didn’t make sense, which stirred further confusion among U.S. allies.
Yellow journalism used to be illegal.
Msnbc, cnn, cbs, etc. Made it ok to lie to the public. Do YOU know how to read?
What makes you think that? Why couldn't it be that the main stream media is lying? They tell you what they want you to know. If you listen or read their and politicians contributions, the wording/terminology is all the same, etc. It's as though they are trying to get it to stick in your mind. Do you think you hear ALL the news? Don't you think you might be hearing more news by listening/reading/watching other outlets?
Cudos to you! If more people would really go outside of the comfort zone in search of real news they would be better informed and see what their NOT being told by the MSM.
How would you know , since you don't watch Fox. You hear lies on CNN and think it's true because, it fits your bias.
Absolutely! Fox was included above for some inaccurate reporting. But watch the Project Veritas footage where CNN admits to their entire focus being propaganda. The last two areas he admitted to constant propaganda were - getting Trump out of office, and covid 19/spreading fear/focus on death count/suppressing available treatments. He said the next area of propaganda will be climate change and using fear again, because "Fear sells." That has already started.
Seems to me NY Times, Wash Post, ABC, NPR does ALL the lying. DID YOU even read the article????
Correction:
Wash Post, NBC, NPR & NY Times seem to be doing all the lying. NYSlimes & NBC even have repeat liars. LOL... FOX corrected their story.
As Sharyl points out, no one is above criticism but as we can see, Fox is by far the least guilty of lying.
While not enamored of Fox's reporting on the election fraud, I know what is going on more generally because Fox is much more balanced than certainly CNN or MSNBC who routinely behave (Smolett, Avenatti, Rebehka Jones, Bobulinski etc.) as the media organs for the democrat party.
You need to watch Fox. Obviously you don’t. They are more truthful than the liberal media, where you never see the real truth. I watch both sides to keep balanced.
That is what you libs derogatorily call a "whataboutism," is it not?
Miss Atkinson is one of the few real reporters in this country, who seeks the truth and we the deplorables are so grateful that have her.😀💕🇺🇲💥👍
Ahmen
ditto.
When I click on the address to read the Definitive List, I am sent to a page that says, 'not found 404.'
Dear Mrs. Attkisson: I spent 2 solid 2 years designing a fool proof land border security plan. This plan would secure our borders saving the taxpayers billions of dollars and will pay for itself over a period of time as all business deals do. This plan is designed to be perpetual lasting forever. I would like to send this plan to you for your evaluation. My information: Louis P. McCasland email: usmc.txvet@sbcglobal.net; P.O. Box 280 Hondo, Texas 78861 Phones: 830-423-7984: 210-685-4469 and Joan"s phone no. 210-685-4470
Keep up the work. 2022 needs to be an open and fair election. I wish the best for President Joe Biden but that doesn't mean I don't want to know why Ruby Freeman waited for observers to go home to remove ballots from under a table? Why those five poll workers just didn't resume counting the ballots they had been counting previously is troublesome.
Thank you...many times thank you. The sad part is for the most part the liars will continue to lie. Even sadder is the lie "is out the door and almost around the world until the truth gets to the porch".
I thought it was "the truth gets its pants on", but I agree. But for people like Sharyl I would lose my mind.
thanks for the aide memoire. How quickly we forget and how much they rely on that.
Here is another media mistake. On April 3, Ron Elving was reporting on the second capitol police officer who died. He brought up Brian Sitnick and repeated the false narrative that Mr. Sitnick had died from being bludgeoned by Trump supporters on January 6. The link is below. The story title is “Week In Politics: People On Alert After Another Attack On The Capitol.”
https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/2021/04/03/981875128/weekend-edition-saturday-for-april-3-2021
THANK YOU for all you do - your excellent reporting is truly a beacon of hope amongst all the propaganda.
I wonder if the cop killed by the knife wielding Louis F. devotee will be mourned in state. Actually, I am kidding. He won't.
I admire you, Sharyl!! You are the best of the best! You give people facts & let them make up their own minds (which never happens anymore!).
I am also wondering if anyone of our politicians or whom-it-may-be has thought about or mentioned making Election Day a holiday? Then there is no issue as to how voting hours will effect working people! Am I being crazy for thinking this because it seems simple?!
One of the great misnomers is "common" sense. When you have a common sense view you shouldn't feel this alone. The French figured this out; their version is "bon sense" because it sure as hell is not common.
Making it a holiday would make it more valued and encourage more participation. Voting station tailgating! I love it.
Thank you.
Here's one you missed. Omission, but a whopper.
In the middle of a pandemic with vaccination delivery being one of the highest priorities, I have heard a hundred democrats sound off on how requiring government issued id in order to vote is an attack on the African American vote, BUT I have not heard one democrat raise a concern that these same marginalized millions will not be able to get a vaccine without a photo id.
Why? Because they don't actually care about these maladroits or because they know they don't exist.
The leftist media has made an art form of distortion, misinformation and censorship. I thought it was the result of bias or lack of research or ignorance. I was wrong. It is intentional. It is a conscious organized attack on objectivity and freedom. The motivation is to attain, for the instigators,, influence and power over the masses. It's working.
Thank-you for all your hard work Ms. Attkisson! You help us know the truth!
I guess I must lead a very sheltered life, I don’t know of anyone who listens to the corporate news. Nobody believes in it any more,
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/08/11/kamala-harriss-radical-green-new-deal-vision-ban-plastic-straws-alter-food-pyramid-to-limit-red-meat/
I have many sites with kamala stating that months ago. It is TRUE they do want to replace meat with gates plant based meat. It's been said many times
You do an incredible job Sharyl!!
It is a shame that the 'media police' could not handle the unbiased truth that you shared on the air. Again they managed to place you in a spot where the lower-rated audience is tuned. Please keep fighting for where your hard, direct informational questions can be heard and seen. A fan
Anyone that watches MSM has no clue of what is going on. The Democrats/MSM/Big Tech are one and the same with the purpose of destroying the Country. Wake up America, the Marxist agenda is here!!
Democrats/.Republicans/Independents that care about America and capitalism must strongly and quickly unite and vote out before it is too late!!!!!!!!.
> NPR also called the media outlet "Newsmax" "far right"
'Far right' is what you use when you are thinking Orthodox Jews (far right) are Hitler supporters (far right).
It doesn't mean anything else than 'the people who don't support our policies and have guts to complain'.
Fascism was created by Mussolini. He had been a big man in the Internationals or Comintern (Communist Internationals) when he realized he was proud of being an Italian. Fascism was built on the teaching of Karl Marx. Hitler added a racial component when he created Nazism. Communism and Fascism/Nazism are products of the Left.
International Socialism is another term for Communism. This is put into practice by the Globalists, the one world government types, that government being the UN, Nazism has a national focus.
Communism is found on the far Left end of the political theories. Nazism is to their immediate Right. Everything else is to the Right of the Nazis.
+ Both systems have all powerful leaders kept in power by the Secret Police and the Military and the people have no rights.
Most history books are written by college professors who are Leftists, Communists and they have sought to put as much distance between the Communists and the Nazis.
There are lesser differences,
I love your work Sharyl , but April 4 it's Ron DeSantis--not Rick. (Don't mean to be petty.)e
Nothing new here, Years ago (1971) Edith Efrom in the "News Twisters" reported rampant fake reporting by main stream news organizations.
I've read both of your recent books. Excellent!!! I love the list of media corrections! Keep them coming.
It may not be considered a "mistake",
but very important is news
that does NOT get reported.
The censored Robert Hunter Biden laptop computer story before the 220 election had the potential to change the results of the 2020 election. (Based on what people said in a poll after the election, when told about the story (for the first time).
Thank you, Sheryl. But surely there's a lot missing here. How can your readers help?
Sorry; I know how to spell your name. From now on it will be "Ms. Attkisson," which is how I should have addressed you to begin with.
Thank you, Ms. Attkisson, for all you do.
Hmmm...Perhaps someone should look into the credible reports that the Biden Administration is paying the Taliban to allow the evacuations from Kabul to proceed 'unmolested'.
BCNU...
I guess with this bomb shell there is no need for anyone to wonder how you racked up all the gold. Thanks, you are the best.
Such an amazing recap. I trust Sharyl to give us the truth no matter where it leads. Keep these coming...love this piece ..and I can only imagine how much time spent to put it together. Bravo!
I'm glad I subscribe.
I wish there were more journalists like Sharyl Attkisson who are not afraid to report the truth. I gave up listening to Main Street media long time ago. I get my info now from outlets and journalists like Sharyl Attkisson and Full Measure, American Family Association and American Family Radio news cast. I can get the truth from a perspective that is not pushing an agenda or false ideology and just like Sharyl they tell the truth whether it hurts or not.
We should be able to sue them. Why can't we???