CNN apologizes for Obama gaffe in Bin Laden graphic

[RiverStone]

Read the complete story for this and other recent "accidential mistakes" by the MSM which diss Obama's good name. Do we see a trend here? Damn good thing we are paying attention! :banghead:

* * * * *

Raw Story
Michael Roston
Tuesday January 2, 2007


A Monday night broadcast of CNN's Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer confused America's "number one enemy" with one of America's most popular senators, RAW STORY has learned. CNN apologized for the error, which came after a series of incidents in recent months in which Illinois Democrat Senator Barack Obama was subtly or directly linked with militant Islamic personalities who have been hostile to the United States.

During a January 1st broadcast of Wolf Blitzer's nightly news program, a pre-commercial preview of the show's next segment included a story on the hunt for Al Qaeda's leadership. Over a photo of Osama Bin Laden and his second-in-command Ayman Al-Zawahiri, Blitzer stated, according to the transcript, "Plus, a new year, but the same mission. Will 2007 bring any new changes in the hunt for Osama bin Laden?"

But instead of asking "Where's Osama?" the graphic over the two Islamists read "Where's Obama?" referencing the surname of popular Illinois Democratic Senator Barack Obama.

A later segment of the show, which took up the topic of the 2008 presidential election, did discuss Senator Obama's political prospects if he chooses to run for president.

Blitzer apologized during this morning's coverage of the Gerald Ford funeral.

"I just want to make a correction, an apology, Soledad, for what we did yesterday. In 'The Situation Room,' we had a bad graphic," Blitzer said in a transcript delivered to RAW STORY by CNN's public relations staff. "We were doing a piece on the hunt for Osama Bin Laden in this new year 2007. Unfortunately, instead of saying "where is Osama," it said "where is Obama." I'm going to be calling Senator Barack Obama to make a personal apology."

more:

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/CNN_comments_on_Obama_gaffe_in_0101.html

edit: spelling

[rodeodance]

1. It is past time the Senator made a issue of this -like sueing their

pants off!

[IndianaGreen]

3. This is pure racism on the part of CNN

Obama's name is not Christian and he ain't white enough!

Back home we call it racism!

[Doctor_J]

7. No it's not. It's partisanism

If he were a black Repuke this would never have happened.

[rebel with a cause]

28. Maybe not,

but that doesn't mean it is not partisanism and racism. If you think that many people are not shaking in their boots because they are afraid that there just may be someone that doesn't look like them in the white house, you are mistaken. That he also doesn't think like them is only a another part of their problem.

[SemperEadem]

30. Wrong

if he were a popular Black repuke running for the office of President, they damn sure would do the same thing. MSM isn't ready to put forth positive images of a powerful, positive and popular black man because the viewing public isn't interested in seeing a powerful, positive and popular black man (or a woman) being their leader.

[SweetGrass]

60. Does anyone here...

remember a similar incident with Niger Innis and MSNBC? He wasn't running for anything, but...damn. In light of that incident, there might be merit to what you say.

[SemperEadem]

61. yep.... I do

[Bobbieo]

13. Probably done by someone with a New Year's Eve hangover!!!

[goclark]

21. A suit would be right on the money

Or the NAACP should sue.

[IndianaGreen]

2. This wasn't a "bad graphic" but a purposedly directed attack on Obama

Many Americans don't even know who Obama is, so to have a news organization use his name instead of Osama is a brainwashing attempt by Time-Warner, CNN's corporate master.

[SemperEadem]

31. Exactly

not only did the chyron operator purposely type it that way and position it over the image before recording it into the system, the director (if he/she is a thorough and competent one)looked at it before he/she told the technical director (or switcher) to ready the graphic before taking it to air.

This was no mistake. AT the very least, 4 people should lose their jobs over this one because it was deliberate.

[AndyTiedye]

4. The MSM is Just Getting Started on Obama

We'll be seeing "gaffes" like this every few weeks until he is no longer a viable contender.

[zbdent]

5. If Obama was a repuke instead of a Dem

you would hear constant cries for Blitzer's resignation and public flogging ...

[IndianaGreen]

45. All pukes have Christian names

Obama is too African and his full name is too Muslim sounding.

Repukes want Blacks to have the names of their white masters! What's next, abandon the white Christian god for an African one?

[rebel with a cause]

47. george bush is a white name, but

a christian one? I'll give you there is Saint George, and a burning bush is mentioned in the Bible. But unless someone sets the bush on fire, I don't consider him having a religious name. :sarcasm:

Oh, a question for you. What is Lieberman (not a Christian name) going to do when it comes time for him to partner up with McClain on the pukes ticket in 2008? Or is Jewish ok now with them?

[Doctor_J]

6. What are they going to do the 50th time this "mistake" happens?

CNN is trying to attract the millions who are abandoning Fox "News".

So this slipped by the writers, producers, and Leslie himself? OK. :eyes:

[Lerkfish]

9. as I pointed out elsewhere, this was NOT a crawl across the bottom typo

this was a sig image produced with plenty of time and (supposedly) reviewed by editors and desk chiefs.

Either this was a monumental freudian slip (which is doubtful) or intentional propaganda positioning.

Considering that CNN and FOX were just last week or so making parallels with Obama's middle name and Saddam, I don't believe this is accidental in the least.

[Beetwasher]

8. Funny How These, Ahem, "Mistakes" Always, I Mean ALWAYS Smear Dems

Whenever there is a "mistake" like this it is always in favor of the Repubs and/or against the Dems. I've never seen one that smears Repubs.

[RiverStone]

12. How about CNN flash "Chimp"

Instead of George.

That might even things out a bit.

[rebel with a cause]

29. Well, maybe putting a D

by the disgraced republican's names was meant to be an insult to them. :sarcasm:

[Mad_Dem_X]

34. You got that right!

These little "accidents" are always against Dems. Just like with the Diebold machines; you never hear of one switching someone's vote to Dem if they tried to vote Repub!

[Supersedeas]

36. they probably have a Dept of Ahem....errr....aDem Mistakes at CNN/FOX

Mark Foley (D)

[Maccagirl]

10. How many times are they going to let Repubs

say "His name is Barack HUSSEIN Obama" before that crap stops? There was no "error" Mr. Blitzer.

[aquart]

11. Damn straight he owes him a personal apology. On air.

[jaxx]

16. Yes he does, and in print.

I just emailed CNN with the same idea. Said if they couldn't do it, I'd be watching for them to start refering to Mr. Bush as Shrub. Fair is fair.

[BearSquirrel2]

14. This whole thing reminds me of ...

This reminds me of the 2004 presidential campaign where ABC decided to show the Al-Jazeera broadcast of John Kerry's campaign speech side by side with their own. It is obvious that this is a conditioning exercise. ABC was linking John Kerry to islamism and by virtue of their other fine works ... Osama Bin Laden.

CNN's "tongue and cheek" stories about "confusing" Obama with Osama is another effort of this kind. The "confusion" never existed, it was a smear campign to begin with. No doubt the Pukes will claim this is "Hillary's work" since they call CNN the "Clinton News Network". I call it the Concealed (Conservative) News Network.

[Mad_Dem_X]

35. I'd forgotten about that one!

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[lumpy]

15. The 'editor' who was responsible for the 'mistake'

should be fired, as incompetent, is nothing else.

[Bobbieo]

17. Yes, that editor is responsible for the mistake. Hangover????

[SemperEadem]

33. it's not an editor's mistake

it was a chyron operator, technical director, director, executive producer and line producer mistake--this was a live element, not a video edit mistake... being an editor myself, I get so sick of editors being blamed for the mistakes the production crews make.

[JohnyCanuck]

53. Ha ha, get fired my ass.

It was probably another one of the Pentagon's PSYOPS personnel working undercover at CNN. He/she will be in line for a commendation for showing initiative and creative thinking, not a firing.

Why Were Government Propaganda Experts Working On News At CNN?

3/27/00

Reports in the Dutch newspaper Trouw (2/21/00, 2/25/00) and France's Intelligence Newsletter (2/17/00) have revealed that several officers from the US Army's 4th Psychological Operations (PSYOPS) Group at Ft. Bragg worked in the news division at CNN's Atlanta headquarters last year, starting in the final days of the Kosovo War.

In the U.S. media, so far only Alexander Cockburn, columnist for The Nation and co-editor of the newsletter CounterPunch, has picked up on the story. Cockburn's column on the subject is available at www.counterpunch.org.

The story is disturbing. In the 1980s, officers from the 4th Army PSYOPS group staffed the National Security Council's Office of Public Diplomacy (OPD), a shadowy government propaganda agency that planted stories in the U.S. media supporting the Reagan Administration's Central America policies.

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1748

[bling bling]

56. So the "liberal media" is actually the Republican government. Shocker.

Anybody who has watched the "news" in the last 6 years probably should have seen how the Republicans in our government have infiltrated the media. I guess nobody but us cares. Maybe someday Frontline will do a piece about it or something.

[truthisfreedom]

18. This "apology" is only meaningful if someone is FIRED.

Whoever took it upon themselves to make this attack on the Democratic Party needs to be made into an example.

[krabigirl]

19. Sorry, that is inexcusable.

Don't the graphic designers have to go through some sort of QC process before their images are broadcasted live? There's no excuse for something as careless as this, and to me it seems intentional.

[Dogmudgeon]

20. Once is a mistake. A dozen times is a conspiracy.

Of course, we're not permitted to discuss conspiracies, either.

--p!

[NotGivingUp]

22. that was NO mistake

[w4rma]

23. Good. (nt)

[beachmom]

24. Good that he apologized. Pre-blogs nothing would have happened.

Admitting the error and saying he was sorry is not nothing. It means they're listening to us.

[originalpckelly]

25. "Caption malfunction" in the vein of "wardrobe malfunction"

[goclark]

26. Remember how they went on and on and on

about the "wardrobe" for Janet.

Now watch this get no positive coverage.

[Sam Odom]

27. Maybe Teddy Kennedy wrote the graphic n/t

n/t

[TheDonkey]

32. Do these idiots have editors!?

It's more embarassing how sloppy and ill-informed the supposed "most trusted" name in news can be. Do they have editors... spell check?

[Rex]

37. Ohh Wolfy! You are so manly, yes I'm sure you will get right on it!

Right after you go to the book burning and give Satan his daily prayer. CNN is such a joke now.

[Crunchy Frog]

41. If I was a guy, and my name was Leslie...

I'd probably choose a "manly" name like "Wolf" for myself too. :evilgrin:

[0rganism]

46. Or shorten it to "Les"? Maybe?

Why "Wolf" seemed to him to be a better name for his clearly-unwolflike self ties into the deep mysteries of the human psyche. :shrug: Sometimes the obvious solutions just aren't good enough, I guess.

Nothing wrong with "Leslie" as a male name -- Les Claypool comes to mind, as does a particular brand of amplified speaker system...

[rebel with a cause]

49. Leslie Howard

English actor appeared in many famous movies including "The Petrified Forest" and "Gone With the Wind". Fought in War World I and was killed in 1943 when the airplane he was riding in was shot down by the Germans. Rumors to have been working in secret services, but unconfirmed.

[durtee librul]

52. I thought Leslie Howard

was in the movie Father Goose with Cary Grant and I think that was made in the late 60's or early 70's...maybe I am just confused and have been listening to CNN too long.....

[rebel with a cause]

55. Trevor Howard

another Englishman, born 20 years later than Leslie, and not as cute. :blush:

[Crunchy Frog]

50. "Les"? You mean like "Les Nessman"?

That's a manly hunk. Let's just say that I can see where it would lead to insecurity in the weak-minded.

[0rganism]

51. keywords: "in the weak-minded"

Don't get me wrong -- I'm not disagreeing with you. There are names that can be worn easily by cowards and liars, and there are names which will lead to suspicion. How we determine which is which, that is the mystery meat.

[Hekate]

38. Keep it up DUers! Post it here and we will make sure CNN hears about it!

We did a good thing yesterday.
I wonder how many total complaints CNN got for that asinine stunt? What *holes.

Hekate

[SoCalDem]

39. " a bad graphic".. a "glitch".. "a boo-boo"

Gee whiz..people.. It's not their fault..

Remember all the scenes from those old Mickey Rooney movies...??

You know the ones..

Where are the "kids" decide to put on a show?

Well, the "kids" at CNN are just tryin' t'put on a show. It's not like they are professionals or anything..

gee whiz ... give 'em a break :)

[durtee librul]

54. Well as long as we are all CNN

bashing, I wish they'd ditch Carol Costello. She is nothing more than a glorified news READER and she hardly qualifies as a 'journalist.' Bring back Christine Amanapour (spelling...sorry), at least she has diction and leaves the editorializing to the listener.

Some of those women they have now are just as bad as the lip gloss ladies at the f word network and just about as vaccuous.

[Crunchy Frog]

40. I don't buy Leslie's sincerity

but I'm glad that he felt sufficiently pressured that he ended up apologizing. I think it demonstrates the increasing power of the blogs. A few years ago, he would have simply gotten away with it.

[BrightKnight]

42. a deliberate swiftboat attack and the apology is just empty words

They assume that making a stink out of this will only hurt Obama's image.

Is there an internal investigation? Has anyone been terminated?

[depakid]

43. Does anyone really think that if there wasn't TIVO or the Net

that CNN or Blitzer would have acknowledged this?

I don't. I've seen too many similar things too many times.

[antiimperialist]

44. Deliberate, calculated

The media wants voters to associate Obama and Osama in their subconscious.
We will prevail, media or no media.

[0rganism]

48. Remember when CNN labeled a Tim McVeigh graphic "McCain"?

Of course you don't, because they didn't.

[snowbear]

57. I'm surprised the story never made it onto Media Matters..

I haven't seen anything over there about it.. :shrug:

[snowbear]

58. BTW.. there's an update on that Rawstory site ~ "Senator Obama sees no malicious intent"

Obama thanks blogs for response to CNN Osama-Obama snafu;
Senator sees no malicious intent

Michael Roston
Published: Tuesday January 2, 2007
Print This Email This Print page sponsored by Velvet Revolution.


The office of Senator Barack Obama (D - IL) contacted RAW STORY late Monday morning to say they saw no malicious intent in a Monday night CNN graphic that confused the senator's surname with that of Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.

During a Jan. 1 broadcast of Wolf Blitzer's nightly news program, a pre-commercial preview of the show's next segment included a story on the hunt for Al Qaeda's leadership. Over a photo of Osama Bin Laden and his second-in-command Ayman Al-Zawahiri, a graphic read "Where's Obama?" rather than "Where's Osama?"

Continued: http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Senator_Obama_sees_no_malicious_intent_0102.html

Senator Obama.. you are incredibly forgiving considering the circumstances...

[I_Make_Mistakes]

59. What is he going to say. I mean come on. It's an attempt to make

him justify his race and religion. I say let the media keep it up. My Republic father used to make racist jokes (in earlier years), not really grasping that it was racial slur, if anyone knows what I mean (clueless). Yes, I called him out on it.

After 911 he changed! I could not believe how upset he was that people were harassing the nice Muslim's that owned a business down the road. There really is a God, and he must lightening bolted my dad. He is still a Republic, but not a racist one anymore.

I think as long as the media and that party keep pulling this shit, they will continue to lose the moderates in their party, NE at least.