Theme: "The press is the enemy"
Aug. 25th, 2005 08:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
theweaselkingFox News broadcasts the "home address of a terrorist" - the perfectly normal American family of 5 living at that address are, frankly, deeply shocked. Hilarity ensues.
"In what Fox News officials concede was a mistake, John Loftus, a former U.S. prosecutor, gave out the address Aug. 7, saying it was the home of a Middle Eastern man, Iyad K. Hilal, who was the leader of a terrorist group with ties to those responsible for the July 7 bombings in London."
Satellite photos of the house and directions to the residence were posted online. The Voricks told police, who arranged for the content to be taken down. Someone even removed the street sign where the Voricks live to provide some protection. A driver yelled a profanity at the family and called them terrorists as they barbecued on their patio Aug. 14. Some drivers have stopped and photographed the house, Randy Vorick said. Last weekend, someone spray-painted "Terrist" on their home. Police, who have regularly patrolled their house since the day after the broadcast, now station a squad car across the street.
The Voricks said they had made several unsuccessful attempts to contact Fox News and Loftus by telephone and e-mail. They want a public apology and correction. Both have issued apologies - Fox in a one-line statement to the Los Angeles Times and Loftus in an e-mail to the family - after being contacted by the newspaper. The Voricks say they have yet to see or hear a correction.
Loftus apologized and told The Times last week that "mistakes happen."
Loftus said he gave out the address to help local police, and insisted that Hilal, a Garden Grove grocery store owner, was a terrorist.
"I thought it might help police in that area now that we have positively identified a terrorist living in [Orange County]," he said.
Cathy Viray, an FBI spokeswoman in Los Angeles, said agents were looking into Loftus' terrorist allegations but stopped short of calling it an investigation.
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Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has long complained of press criticism. He sought to turn the tables on Thursday with a new tactic - sounding a buzzer every time reporters ask questions he deems "not constructive."
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From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
In last Sunday's Crossroads section, we ran a column ("A return to the rule of law") about the U.S. Supreme Court and attributed it to former Milwaukee Mayor Frank P. Zeidler.
The problem: He didn't write it. Another problem. We can't tell you who did.
"In what Fox News officials concede was a mistake, John Loftus, a former U.S. prosecutor, gave out the address Aug. 7, saying it was the home of a Middle Eastern man, Iyad K. Hilal, who was the leader of a terrorist group with ties to those responsible for the July 7 bombings in London."
Satellite photos of the house and directions to the residence were posted online. The Voricks told police, who arranged for the content to be taken down. Someone even removed the street sign where the Voricks live to provide some protection. A driver yelled a profanity at the family and called them terrorists as they barbecued on their patio Aug. 14. Some drivers have stopped and photographed the house, Randy Vorick said. Last weekend, someone spray-painted "Terrist" on their home. Police, who have regularly patrolled their house since the day after the broadcast, now station a squad car across the street.
The Voricks said they had made several unsuccessful attempts to contact Fox News and Loftus by telephone and e-mail. They want a public apology and correction. Both have issued apologies - Fox in a one-line statement to the Los Angeles Times and Loftus in an e-mail to the family - after being contacted by the newspaper. The Voricks say they have yet to see or hear a correction.
Loftus apologized and told The Times last week that "mistakes happen."
Loftus said he gave out the address to help local police, and insisted that Hilal, a Garden Grove grocery store owner, was a terrorist.
"I thought it might help police in that area now that we have positively identified a terrorist living in [Orange County]," he said.
Cathy Viray, an FBI spokeswoman in Los Angeles, said agents were looking into Loftus' terrorist allegations but stopped short of calling it an investigation.
===============================
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has long complained of press criticism. He sought to turn the tables on Thursday with a new tactic - sounding a buzzer every time reporters ask questions he deems "not constructive."
===============================
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
In last Sunday's Crossroads section, we ran a column ("A return to the rule of law") about the U.S. Supreme Court and attributed it to former Milwaukee Mayor Frank P. Zeidler.
The problem: He didn't write it. Another problem. We can't tell you who did.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-26 12:59 am (UTC)Or rather, if this was from a news broadcast, I suppose it'd be slander. Then again, it wasn't really the journalist (I'd assume) making the accusation, but the words he or she was reading so...which WOULD it be?
(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-26 01:13 am (UTC)See Fox run.
Run, Fox, run.
See Fox trip on its own dick, fall down, get up, and run while insisting that nothing happened.
Stupid, stupid Fox.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-26 06:28 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-26 01:14 am (UTC)Seriously. That family ought to sue. For a lot.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-26 02:07 pm (UTC)