Trump Slams ABC After Reporter Suspended for Inaccurate Flynn Reporting – By Brian Ross (abcnews.com) / Dec 3 2017
ABC News apologized Saturday for a “serious error” and suspended investigative reporter Brian Ross for four weeks without pay for the network’s incorrect Michael Flynn report.
Ross had initially reported Friday that during the presidential campaign, then-candidate Donald Trump had directed Flynn to make contact with the Russians. Ross later clarified the report, saying his source had actually said that Trump asked Flynn to contact the Russians as president-elect, not before the election, about issues including working together to fight ISIS. The network was widely criticized for not immediately correcting the report. It issued a correction later in the evening.
“We deeply regret and apologize for the serious error we made yesterday,” ABC News said in a statement from Heather Riley, its vice president of communications. “The reporting conveyed by Brian Ross during the special report had not been fully vetted through our editorial standards process. As a result of our continued reporting over the next several hours ultimately we determined the information was wrong and we corrected the mistake on air and online.
“It is vital we get the story right and retain the trust we have built with our audience — these are our core principles. We fell far short of that yesterday.”
On Sunday, President Donald Trump blasted ABC and Ross in a tweet.
People who lost money when the Stock Market went down 350 points based on the False and Dishonest reporting of Brian Ross of @ABC News (he has been suspended), should consider hiring a lawyer and suing ABC for the damages this bad reporting has caused – many millions of dollars!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2017
The incident was not Ross’ first publicly known problem with his reporting. In 2012, ABC News was forced to apologize after Ross incorrectly linked a member of a local tea party group to the mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado.
And in 2001, Ross reported that Iraq’s Saddam Hussein could have been the source of anthrax attacks in the United States.
Ari Fleischer, former White House press secretary under President George W. Bush tweeted Saturday that the White House had told Ross his report was wrong before he aired it, but he ran with the story anyway.
Mr. Lima – You should correct the last sentence of this story. Brian Ross was told he was wrong BEFORE he aired his story about Saddam being behind the anthrax attack. Your story says he was told that after. I’m the person who told ABC not to air it. cc:@TerryMoran https://t.co/TzmdPqA29F
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) December 2, 2017
ABC’s Terry Moran backed up Fleisher’s account.
https://twitter.com/TerryMoran/status/937105180478377985
Ross himself tweeted Saturday night that it is his job to hold others accountable, so he has no problem being held accountable himself:
My job is to hold people accountable and that's why I agree with being held accountable myself.
— Brian Ross Investigates (@BrianRoss) December 3, 2017
President Donald Trump, a frequent critic of the mainstream press, chimed in as well:
Congratulations to @ABC News for suspending Brian Ross for his horrendously inaccurate and dishonest report on the Russia, Russia, Russia Witch Hunt. More Networks and “papers” should do the same with their Fake News!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2017
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/abc-news-brian-ross/2017/12/02/id/829486/
PB/TK – A misrepresented report that was corrected and clarified within hours, did in fact, cause a commotion in the Stock Market, but by days end had recovered those losses. But if that report, misrepresenting a ‘candidate’ for a ‘president elect’ can cause that downward spiral, imagine what could happen if the worst is found. Yes, it was absolutely wrong for ABC News to allow a report to air before completing it’s review, that’s been the problem for years with all media, reporting first research second.
