Friday, September 11, 2009

CNN Statement about Coast Guard Story

CNN staff were monitoring law enforcement activity this morning given the 9/11 anniversary.

After hearing a U.S. Coast Guard radio transmission that a boat had breached a security zone on the Potomac River a short distance from the Pentagon where the President had just attended a 9/11 anniversary ceremony, CNN contacted the Coast Guard public affairs office at the agency's headquarters. The Coast Guard spokeswoman said she was unaware of any activity taking place on the Potomac River.

After hearing a further radio transmission about 10 rounds being expended, and after reviewing video of rapid movement by Coast Guard vessels as the President's motorcade crossed the Memorial Bridge, CNN reported the story. Simultaneously, during a second phone call, the Coast Guard spokeswoman informed us that its National Command Center and other command posts knew nothing about any activity in the area.

Given the circumstances, it would have been irresponsible not to report on what we were hearing and seeing. As with any breaking news story, information is often fluid and CNN updated the story with the official explanation from the Coast Guard as soon as it was provided.

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:06 PM

    Is CNN even a viable news organization
    anymore. This is just beyond stupid.Even
    an intern knows scanner channel is not
    news and training exercises go over the
    scanners and you have to check out what
    you are hearing and confirm it before you
    go on air with it.CNN is the biggest loser
    here and it is now longer the stellar news
    operation it was and will not be with the
    current management. CNN is no longer
    considered to have strong journalism
    values and does not do news anymore.
    CNN just wants opinion. A lot of good
    that does. Opinions are like a head. We
    all have one. Rise against CNN and protest
    with your remotes. Because ratings loses
    is the only thing CNN will understand.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous3:29 PM

    This is a major league snafu and inexcusable.

    ReplyDelete