Clinton News Network embarrasses themselves again:
CNN was fooled by an obvious prankster, prompting Bernard Shaw to lash out at the "idiot," but maybe the real idiots were those who put him on the air.
Every time there's major breaking news event involving a tragedy or live action video, from the OJ chase to the Diana car crash to the TWA crash, a fan of syndicated radio host Howard Stern always manages to get onto CNN and/or MSNBC (onto ABC in the OJ chase) with a fake phone call. They make it onto the air since the cable networks never bother with any basics of call screening. It happened again last Friday during CNN's live coverage of the Capitol shooting. As recounted on the "Captain Janks" Web page, the Stern fan reported:
"I called CNN's assignment desk in Washington, DC and told a producer that I was the spokesperson for 'Washington Memorial hospital,' the place where the gunman had been rushed in critical
condition, and that I was authorized to report that he had died of multiple gunshot wounds. The producer asked me if I would be willing to go on the air with Bernard Shaw and report it live. 'Of course.' I replied, trying not to sound too excited."
"After a screening process by the producers that included the
phone number of the 'hospital', (which I had gotten earlier), the
correct spelling of my name (Michael Bowen), and the wording of my
report, I was transferred to Atlanta, GA where the on-air phone
line is sent through. Within seconds, I on the air with Bernard,
and plugged in to the world."
As any resident of the Washington area knows, there is no such
thing as Washington Memorial Hospital. But that didn't deter CNN.
So, at 5:29pm ET on July 24 CNN viewers heard a live report from
the fake caller, rehabilitated to be from GW Hospital though the
on-screen graphic read "Washington Hospital Center."
Bernard Shaw: "Michael Bowen is a spokesman for George
Washington University Hospital. He is live on the telephone now.
Mr. Bowen, what can you tell us?"
"Bowen": "The gunman, whose name will be withheld, has died of
multiple gunshot wounds to the chest at 4:52 p.m. Reports said
that he was angry that his radio was broken. He couldn't listen to
Howard Stern."
Shaw: "Oh my goodness. We were just victims of a hoax. My
sincerest apology to you our viewers. Sometimes during live
coverage, we have idiots who penetrate telephone systems and our
system was just penetrated. That was not a spokesman from George
Washington University Hospital...That was a hoax. All I can do is
put my palms up and apologize to you. If there was a way to
prevent it, believe me, you would not experience what we just
experienced. Well, that was awful, and I hope that person -- well,
I shouldn't say that, that wouldn't be polite, would it?"
It's a lot funnier when you actually see Shaw's "oh my
goodness" followed by his overheated pontificating. To hear the
call via RealAudio, go to captainjanks.com
"Idiots who penetrate telephone systems?" Quite a skill to
"penetrate" the CNN phone system. He placed a call. Who is the
real idiot, the caller or the CNN producers who put it through
without any effort at verification of a guy claiming to be from a
hospital that doesn't exist?
A suggestion for CNN: This happens every time there is live
coverage of a tragedy. Be aware of its likelihood and prepare some
verification questions. Or at least check caller ID (In this
instance the call came from Pennsylvania). They could have asked
for the address of the hospital, the name of the nearest Metro
stop or the name of the college President. Incorrect answers
should be obvious to a DC resident, like a CNN Washington bureau
producer or assignment editor.
Then CNN staffers won't look like the idiots.
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