The erroneous early Fox News report about the New Orleans terror attack is warping the political dialogue in the aftermath of the deadly rampage. The false report from Fox, attributed to anonymous sources, confused the public and evidently President-elect Donald Trump too. The misinformation is still circulating more than 24 hours later serving as a cautionary tale about the news ecosystem as the new year begins.
During the 10 a.m. hour on Wednesday, Fox reported that the New Orleans suspect's truck crossed the US border in Eagle Pass, Texas two days ago. Some of the right-wing network's coverage explicitly said the suspect drove across the border, leaving viewers with the impression that a foreigner might be responsible for the deadly carnage.
Eight minutes after the first Fox segment that mentioned the border, Trump issued a statement about criminals coming in from other countries. While Trump didn't mention Fox directly, he is known to be an avid consumer of the cable network and has tapped several of its personalities for his incoming cabinet.
This is an important cautionary tale in the age of information bubbles and persistence of disinformation. The initial coverage led to unverified claims being echoed by Trump's allies, creating a false narrative.
Collection
[
|
...
]