# ABC News shit the bed by publishing fake news on Friday. They know it too. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 5, 2017, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598 "2017-12-05T02:55:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/41 "2017-12-05T14:37:58Z")
Yeah, I’m not seeing the uproar. I mean, it’s a big deal that they made a pretty significant error in their reporting. But they owned up to it quickly and punished the guy who made the error. That seems to be Working As Intended. Yes, it would be great if they were infallible and never let a mistake slip through. In the absence of infallibility, I’ll take accountability as a close second. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/42 "2017-12-05T14:53:15Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > And how can we judge Brian Ross’ intent? You insist it was just a mistake, that he had no malicious intent. What are you basing that belief on? IMO it’s extremely unlikely that Brian Ross knew his report was fake at the time he made it. The fallout for being wrong about that was completely predictable. I think it’s likely that he was biased in favor of having the scoop on a Big Big story instead of just a Big story, and was therefore less careful than he should have been. But that he knew it was fake news and went ahead with it makes no sense at all. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/43 "2017-12-05T14:55:53Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > If a Planned Parenthood employee says that they are being harassed for being a baby-killer, do you take it that this employee considers himself to be a baby-killer? > > I think the plain reading of remark you quoted is a reference to the criticism being levied against ABC News, not a commentary about how the president of ABC News sees his company’s reporting. > > If there’s any additional context to the remarks, other than what was in the CNN article, I could change my mind, of course. Absolutely. The OP’s reading is one where you interpret the words in the worst way possible. But there is no reason to assume that is the only way to interpret them, and there are good reasons (as you noted) to not do so. The term “fake news” is best reserved for news that is deliberately cooked up in order to create a false narrative. This looks more like a simple matter of valuing scoop over quality. There could easily have been bias in play that cause that imbalance, but that’s different from sitting down and crafting something purposely to deceive. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/44 "2017-12-05T14:56:30Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > See, but this is exactly what I like about mainstream media. When they fuck up, they admit it, correct it, and take disciplinary action. That’s much more than can be said about right wing media I’ve read. Unless I’m to believe right wing media doesn’t make errors. :rolleyes: The fact that they very publicly retracted the story they found to be lacking is a good, not a bad thing, to me. I don’t think they get as much credit for that, either. This was not something they could suppress - it was going to come out one way or the other. Every other major news organization is reporting like mad on this same story. They needed to do what they did in order to maintain their reputation, which is a big part of their business model. IOW, self-interest would completely account for their actions. So they don’t get any kudos for integrity. ---
**Author:** ![Razncain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@Razncain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Razncain)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/45 "2017-12-05T15:02:51Z")
**HurricaneDitka** , if this really outraged you, you would be concerned with how much Trump contributes to fake news on a regular basis. Every major news has made corrections at one time or another; this is not what fake news looks like. [This is what fake news looks like.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEUeDW9vA6o) Your exchange with **running coach** was telling: > [@running\_coach](#): > > Then why are you insisting it’s fake news? > [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I’m quoting the president of the company. He called it “fake news”. > [@running\_coach](#): > > He said the network was being accused of reporting fake news _by other people_. > That’s what “being pilloried for” means. > He did not say that ABC reported fake news. > Inaccurate news, mistaken news, careless reporting of news, yes. This is where you would need to do what ABC just did and admit your error. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/46 "2017-12-05T15:22:27Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > If a Planned Parenthood employee says that they are being harassed for being a baby-killer, do you take it that this employee considers himself to be a baby-killer? Not necessarily, although I don’t think it’s a clear denial of the accusation either. > [@Ravenman](#): > > I think the plain reading of remark you quoted is a reference to the criticism being levied against ABC News, not a commentary about how the president of ABC News sees his company’s reporting. > > If there’s any additional context to the remarks, other than what was in the CNN article, I could change my mind, of course. I think that’s one possible reading of the quote. For example, if Al Franken / John Conyers said they were being absolutely pilloried for sexual assault, I wouldn’t take it necessarily as a denial of the claims against them, just an observation on the result. Given the context of this remark (an internal company call) I think it’s more likely that Goldston was trying to impress the gravity of the error on his staff, not offer a denial (or an admission) to the “fake news” accusation. > [@Ravenman](#): > > I think Fox News clearly goes into each day with an intent to relay a politically-driven narrative of the news, which is decided by the executive leadership of the company in consultation with various conservative political leaders/groups. I don’t think ABC News does anything like this. … Perhaps. I’d probably rate ABC News as a whole as more interested in playing things straight than Fox (although I’m not sure Brian Ross merits that assumption at this point), but I don’t believe that, for example, MSNBC is (see below). > [@running\_coach](#): > > Most recent example from Fox. > When the Flynn story broke, Clinton’s emails were the prominent story-large headline, top-middle of the page. > The Flynn story was “below the fold”, in a sidebar, small thumbnail. > I haven’t seen that kind of treatment on a major breaking story by any of the other mainstream news sites. I actually found even worse behavior from MSNBC: > [@Now, Al Franken](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/500): > > The headlines at various news outlets are a bit comical this morning: > > Fox News: Al Done? Grope-gate puts Franken’s Senate future in jeopardy as critics call for resignation > > CNN: Trump blasts Franken but stays silent on Moore > > MSNBC: _crickets_ a search of ‘Franken’ on the home page can’t uncover a single mention. It’s down the memory-hole for them. Perhaps you don’t count MSNBC as a “mainstream news site” either though. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/47 "2017-12-05T15:36:12Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > I don’t think they get as much credit for that, either. > > This was not something they could suppress - it was going to come out one way or the other. Every other major news organization is reporting like mad on this same story. They needed to do what they did in order to maintain their reputation, which is a big part of their business model. > > IOW, self-interest would completely account for their actions. So they don’t get any kudos for integrity. Except I don’t see this same sort of self-interest from right wing news sources in correcting the record. Also, what you say establishes the notion that mainstream media does, in fact, try to get it right in order to preserve its reputation. This is quite the opposite from what the right generally wants you to believe, that the MSM are just lying sacks of shit. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/48 "2017-12-05T15:40:08Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I actually found even worse behavior from MSNBC: > > Perhaps you don’t count MSNBC as a “mainstream news site” either though. > [@Now, Al Franken](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-al-franken/801770/500): > > The headlines at various news outlets are a bit comical this morning: > > Fox News: Al Done? Grope-gate puts Franken’s Senate future in jeopardy as critics call for resignation > > CNN: Trump blasts Franken but stays silent on Moore > > MSNBC: _crickets_ a search of ‘Franken’ on the home page can’t uncover a single mention. It’s down the memory-hole for them. MSNBC Nov 16 All these stories are about Franken and the accusations. > **[Radio host makes claim of sexual misconduct against Al Franken](https://www.msnbc.com/velshi-ruhle/watch/leeann-tweeden-accuses-al-franken-of-sexual-misconduct-1097385539549)** > > Talk radio host Leeann Tweeden claims Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., groped and kissed her without consent as she slept during a USO tour in 2006. > **[Minnesota's Franken faces sexual misconduct allegations](https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/minnesotas-franken-faces-sexual-misconduct-allegations-msna1038851)** > > Sexual misconduct from men in powerful positions is a societal problem, not a partisan problem. > **[Moore, Franken face new sexual misconduct allegations](https://www.msnbc.com/mtp-daily/watch/moore-franken-face-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations-1097648195749)** > > Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore and Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) face allegations of sexual misconduct, leaving both parties with the question of what to do next. > **[Bipartisan calls for ethics investigation on Franken after allegations](https://www.msnbc.com/hardball/watch/bipartisan-calls-for-ethics-investigation-on-franken-after-allegations-1097755203593)** > > Los Angeles radio host Leeann Tweeden says Franken forcibly kissed her, without her consent, and groped her during a rehearsal for a USO tour in 2006. > **[Multiple scandals challenge Senate standards](https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/multiple-scandals-challenge-senate-s-standards-1097857091601)** > > Rachel Maddow looks at the the questions facing the Senate, particlarly the ethics committee, on how to deal with Senator Robert Menendez, Senator Al Franken, and potential senator Roy Moore and the particulars of the accusations they face. > **[Trump tweets about Franken, silent on Moore](https://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/trump-tweets-about-franken-silent-on-moore-1097885763777)** > > Republicans and Democrats are handling scandal in their party very differently as is the President who slammed Al Franken but is yet to comment on Roy Moore. Fmr US Atty Joyce Vance, Conservative Author Charlie Sykes, and Fmr. US Rep. Donna Edwards... Your post claiming there were no stories was the next day. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/49 "2017-12-05T15:41:31Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Also, what you say establishes the notion that mainstream media does, in fact, try to get it right in order to preserve its reputation. This is quite the opposite from what the right generally wants you to believe, that the MSM are just lying sacks of shit. I don’t know who you’re referring to in using the term “the right”. I myself am on the right, and while I think the MSM is definitely biased to the left, it’s not to the point of standing by egregiously false news on subjects that will obviously come to light. The bias manifests itself in much subtler ways, e.g. in choice of subjects to report on, in emphasis and tone, and in interpretation of ambiguous evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Razncain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@Razncain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Razncain)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/50 "2017-12-05T15:46:46Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > MSNBC Nov 16 > All these stories are about Franken and the accusations. > [Leeann Tweeden Accuses Al Franken of sexual misconduct](http://www.msnbc.com/velshi-ruhle/watch/leeann-tweeden-accuses-al-franken-of-sexual-misconduct-1097385539549) > [Minnesota's Franken faces sexual misconduct allegations](http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/minnesotas-franken-faces-sexual-misconduct-allegations) > [Moore, Franken face new sexual misconduct allegations](http://www.msnbc.com/mtp-daily/watch/moore-franken-face-new-sexual-misconduct-allegations-1097648195749) > [Bipartisan calls for ethics investigation on Franken after allegations](http://www.msnbc.com/hardball/watch/bipartisan-calls-for-ethics-investigation-on-franken-after-allegations-1097755203593) > [Multiple scandals challenge Senate's standards](http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/multiple-scandals-challenge-senate-s-standards-1097857091601) > [Trump tweets about Franken, silent on Moore](http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/trump-tweets-about-franken-silent-on-moore-1097885763777) > Your post claiming there were no stories was the next day. **HurricaneDitka** , what was that about hearing crickets? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/51 "2017-12-05T15:47:50Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > … Your post claiming there were no stories was the next day. That’s not at all what my post was claiming, although I recognize now that simply quoting it was not as clear as it could have been. My claim is that there were no stories about Franken _on the home page_ of [MSNBC.com](http://MSNBC.com) at the time of that post. See, this goes back to our discussion about the “extent, spin and visibility of certain stories”. If Fox News is guilty, in your given example, of burying a big story “below the fold”, then MSNBC was guilty, at least at that point, of burying it on the digital equivalent of page C17. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/52 "2017-12-05T15:48:05Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > I don’t know who you’re referring to in using the term “the right”. I myself am on the right, and while I think the MSM is definitely biased to the left, it’s not to the point of standing by egregiously false news on subjects that will obviously come to light. > > The bias manifests itself in much subtler ways, e.g. in choice of subjects to report on, in emphasis and tone, and in interpretation of ambiguous evidence. Or in other words, it’s not a bias you can actually point out-It’s a bias you can _feel_? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/53 "2017-12-05T15:52:02Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > That’s not at all what my post was claiming, although I recognize now that simply quoting it was not as clear as it could have been. My claim is that there were no stories about Franken _on the home page_ of [MSNBC.com](http://MSNBC.com) at the time of that post. See, this goes back to our discussion about the “extent, spin and visibility of certain stories”. If Fox News is guilty, in your given example, of burying a big story “below the fold”, then MSNBC was guilty, at least at that point, of burying it on the digital equivalent of page C17. Let me remind you. > [@](#): > > MSNBC: _crickets_ a search of ‘Franken’ on the home page can’t uncover a single mention. It’s down the memory-hole for them. You said you searched and couldn’t find a single story. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/54 "2017-12-05T15:52:15Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > You’re entitled to gloat. … I actually considered just adding this to the schadenfreude thread (and when I found The View clip I almost wished I had), but I thought there was some space for good discussion here too. > [@Jophiel](#): > > Yeah, I’m not seeing the uproar. I mean, it’s a big deal that they made a pretty significant error in their reporting. But they owned up to it quickly and punished the guy who made the error. That seems to be Working As Intended. > > Yes, it would be great if they were infallible and never let a mistake slip through. In the absence of infallibility, I’ll take accountability as a close second. The only nitpick I would have with this is the word “quickly”. They were particularly slow to issue their [del]clarification[/del] [del]correction[/del] retraction, which is why this story blew up more than it otherwise would have. That was one of Goldston’s points. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/55 "2017-12-05T15:57:51Z")
> [@razncain](#): > > **HurricaneDitka** , what was that about hearing crickets? > [@running\_coach](#): > > Let me remind you. > > You said you searched and couldn’t find a single story. I said I did “a search of ‘Franken’ on the home page”. That means that I went to [MSNBC.com](http://MSNBC.com), pressed CTRL+F, typed ‘Franken’, and pressed Enter, and got no results. It was literally a search “on the home page” (basically, a look at the headlines they were emphasizing at that point) not using their search engine to scour the entire site. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/56 "2017-12-05T15:58:10Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > That’s not at all what my post was claiming, although I recognize now that simply quoting it was not as clear as it could have been. My claim is that there were no stories about Franken _on the home page_ of [MSNBC.com](http://MSNBC.com) at the time of that post. See, this goes back to our discussion about the “extent, spin and visibility of certain stories”. If Fox News is guilty, in your given example, of burying a big story “below the fold”, then MSNBC was guilty, at least at that point, of burying it on the digital equivalent of page C17. _At the time of that post_ what was the breaking story about Al Franken that wasn’t being covered, and what story should it have replaced? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/57 "2017-12-05T16:03:39Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > _At the time of that post_ what was the breaking story about Al Franken that wasn’t being covered, and what story should it have replaced? At the time of that post two of their major competitors still had stories about Franken (or Franken-Trump-Moore) on their home page. MSNBC did not. That makes it, I think, a perfect example of the “extent, spin and visibility of certain stories” ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/58 "2017-12-05T16:08:56Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > At the time of that post two of their major competitors still had stories about Franken (or Franken-Trump-Moore) on their home page. MSNBC did not. That makes it, I think, a perfect example of the “extent, spin and visibility of certain stories” Here you go. Wayback Machine Nov 16 18:57:15 GMT (10:57 am Pacific) > **[MSNBC — Breaking News, Top Stories, & Show Clips](https://web.archive.org/web/20171116185715/http://www.msnbc.com/)** > > Breaking news and in-depth analysis of the headlines, as well as commentary and informed perspectives from The Rachel Maddow Show, Morning Joe & more. First story. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/59 "2017-12-05T16:09:14Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > At the time of that post two of their major competitors still had stories about Franken (or Franken-Trump-Moore) on their home page. MSNBC did not. That makes it, I think, a perfect example of the “extent, spin and visibility of certain stories” What I see on MSNBC is breaking stories, so once again I ask you: At the time of that post what was the breaking story about Al Franken that wasn’t being covered, and what story should it have replaced? The fact that you can hunt until you find a time when Al Franken wasn’t on the main page doesn’t impress me in the least. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2017, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598/60 "2017-12-05T16:09:51Z")
> [@razncain](#): > > **HurricaneDitka** , if this really outraged you … It doesn’t “really outrage” me. Like I said in the OP, I thought it was “interesting”. I don’t know what I said that gave you a sense I was “really outraged”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abc-news-shit-the-bed-by-publishing-fake-news-on-friday-they-know-it-too/803598.md?page=4)