Healthcare Matters

Believe it or not, both CNN and Fox News mistakenly reported yesterday’s breaking news. Prior to correctly reporting the decision as a 5-4 vote upholding the Constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, both Fox News and CNN ran live news reports of the law being overturned by the Supreme Court.

“CNN regrets that it didn’t wait to report out the full and complete opinion regarding the mandate. We made a correction within a few minutes and apologize for the error,” said CNN in a statement released following their breaking news blunder.

Fox News also issued a correction, although they claimed that they still had reported the “facts.” “We gave our viewers the news as it happened. When Justice Roberts said, and we read, that the mandate was not valid under the Commerce clause, we reported it. Bill Hemmer even added, be patient as we work through this. Then when we heard and read, that the mandate could be upheld under the government’s power to tax, we reported that as well—all within two minutes. By contrast, one other cable network was unable to get their Supreme Court reporter to the camera, and said as much. Another said it was a big setback for the President. Fox reported the facts, as they came in,” said Fox’s  EVP of news-editorial Michael Clemente.

Even The Huffington Post blew it, as it immediately posted stories based on watching the erroneous reports of CNN and Fox.

Perhaps the most remarkable news item to come from all of this is that writers from The Huffington Post have been exposed as Fox News watchers.

—Tom Finn