Shame on the media for Fort Hood errors, E&P’s editor says
The media has suffered two black eyes in its reporting of the Fort Hood rampage, the editor of the media journal Editor & Publisher says in a commentary.
E&P Editor Greg Mitchell writes:
With the publication of an interview with Sgt. Mark Todd, the actual cop who gunned down the killer at Fort Hood — following its account of an unnamed eyewitness last night — the New York Times this afternoon finally underlined what some of us noticed from nearly the start: the media fell hook, line and sinker once again for a military account of what happened during the tragedy.
First, it was the “death” of the apparent mass murderer, Major Hasan, not corrected for hours. Then, for days, the story of how a white female cop brought down the shooter, even as she was receiving serious wounds.
Mitchell concludes his article by wondering:
But what else will turn out false about Fort Hood claims from military, e.g. the “Allahu Akbar” shouts?
Yes, Munley is a hero for facing the bullets. And, no, this isn’t another Jessica Lynch case, but it does have some disturbing similarities.
Plus: Just coincidence that a white woman got the credit over a black male? We’ll soon find out. Perhaps. But this time, put aside the military’s official narrative. First time, shame on the source. Second time, shame on the media. Third time?
Steve Parker is the deputy managing editor for news, and oversees the Post-Dispatch's front page. STLtoday's online news editors are on his newsroom team. Parker has been at the paper since September 1980. 
Yes, this nicely fits into the Post-Dispatch playbook for pre-conceived notions: the military misleads reporters and can’t be trusted, and racism is pervasive in society and a black man didn’t receive his proper credit. Way to use this crime to advance your bigotry! Kudos!
The most shameful element is the lame stream media resembling the Audacity of Hype in that neither of them can either spell or say Muslim terrorist. On the other hand, they are probably simply gutless wonders who can’t make a decision (reason why Barry Boy is still dithering).
Has the Post Dispatch ever corrected the slanderous lies repeated by Burwell about what Rush Limbaugh said on his show?
If not, they are hypocritical to criticize the military for providing inaccurate information.
The military corrected the inaccurate information as soon as they discovered it while the Post has known for months about their inaccurate reporting and done nothing.
I am a conservative white male. First of all what is a E&P Editor? Ethnic Police? Personally, I don’t see a black officer or a female officer. I see two good cops doing their job. They got the job done. Kudos to them.
Where do you get off putting a race angle into this? Where do you get off implying that, perhaps, this was not an act of terrorism when the evidence keeps pointing that way more, and more? This was not a rampage. It was a premeditated extremist act of murder. Jihad! Let’s call it what it is!
Remember, it was not the army that issued the statement regarding the actions of Sgt. Munley. That statement was issued by her boss, the Chief of Police.
You sir, are a real piece of work. It is because of idiots like you that this paper is tanking.
I have nothing but respect for both Sgt. Todd and Sgt. Munley. You are a disgrace for seizing upon their heroic actions to make you P. C. points.
…Well, Mr. “gene” -
At least whichever “sir” to whom you refer is brave enough to sign his real name, unlike…
uh - gene? It wasn’t a Post Dispatch reporter that wrote the piece. It was Greg Mitchell of “Editor and Publisher”.
Maybe before you start calling people “idiots”, you should learn to read first?
I’m sorry but wasn’t there a LOT of confusion about what actually happened and why at the time?? How can you have definitive answers about things within an hour or two of its occurring? You simply can’t. The media jumps to conclusions to grab OUR attention. Hanging onto the errors is simply bad reporting and heaven knows there’s LOTS of that out there every day.
Who cares,He was shot, he is a scum bag sleeper, terrorist, he is now paralyzed. Now simply wait until he get sme strength back, bring him back to Hood, and let him crawl through lines of Military personnel and let each kick him with their boots. JUSTICE!
Instead of more media racist tripe which I think has already been covered on two other blogs already, why isn’t the media talking about the second homegrown terrorist attack on American soil against the military since Mr. Obama became president? Hasan had a business card that read SOA - Soldier of Allah and was sending money to al qaeda in Pakistan. Sounds like an extremist terrorist to me. Will there be a Ft. Hood commission? Shame on the media for not calling a spade a spade. At least Ed Schultz of MSNBC is asking this question and he is a far-left liberal.
–What a crock of…
–Sounds like more Media Matters propagandist bilge than any real self criticism. The “black eyes” would be those accrued by the continued attempt to portray this soldier of Allah jihadist as someone simply “stressed” to the breaking point.
–It must be the first case of “pre-traumatic stress disorder” I’ve ever heard of.