Jumpy Fox Counts Out Pontiff
It Ain't Over, Till It's Over... Pope John Paul II died Saturday night April 2nd, 9:37 PM Vatican time. However, FOX News Channel in an attempted redux of the 2000 elections, did their best imitation of infamous boxing referee Richard "Stop It" Steele, and counted the Pope out 26 hours prematurely.
Fox News Channel anchor Shepard Smith reported on Friday April 1st at 1:23 PM EST that the pope had died, he did not cite sources. By 1:30 PM EST, Fox reporter Greg Palkot in Rome was sending signals of caution, saying the report had not been confirmed and the network was checking into it. Around 1:55 PM EST, Smith apologized to Fox viewers for the initial unsubstantiated report.
FOX was not alone in their attempt to be the first to break the story during the Papal death watch. After the FOX announcement, CNN and The Drudge Report also reported the pontiff prematurely dead.
The ADN Kronos news agency reported that John Paul II's brain activity monitor had apparently gone flat. The Associated Press sent an advisory to its members at 1:31 PM EST that some Italian media were reporting the pope was dead and that the AP was trying to verify the reports. At 1:55 PM EST the AP sent a NewsAlert that the Vatican had denied he was dead.
FOX spokeswoman Irena Briganti said a FOX producer, monitoring a translation of reports from Italian media, erroneously shouted that the pope had died and it had gotten on the air through an open mike. Smith was responding to the producers words.
I can hear Chevy Chase's voice clear as day, "Tonight's top story, Generalisimo Francisco Franco is still dead".
Vatican Denies Popes Death - April 1st
Fox Scramble
Drudge and CNN jump the gun
Fox News Channel anchor Shepard Smith reported on Friday April 1st at 1:23 PM EST that the pope had died, he did not cite sources. By 1:30 PM EST, Fox reporter Greg Palkot in Rome was sending signals of caution, saying the report had not been confirmed and the network was checking into it. Around 1:55 PM EST, Smith apologized to Fox viewers for the initial unsubstantiated report.
FOX was not alone in their attempt to be the first to break the story during the Papal death watch. After the FOX announcement, CNN and The Drudge Report also reported the pontiff prematurely dead.
The ADN Kronos news agency reported that John Paul II's brain activity monitor had apparently gone flat. The Associated Press sent an advisory to its members at 1:31 PM EST that some Italian media were reporting the pope was dead and that the AP was trying to verify the reports. At 1:55 PM EST the AP sent a NewsAlert that the Vatican had denied he was dead.
FOX spokeswoman Irena Briganti said a FOX producer, monitoring a translation of reports from Italian media, erroneously shouted that the pope had died and it had gotten on the air through an open mike. Smith was responding to the producers words.
I can hear Chevy Chase's voice clear as day, "Tonight's top story, Generalisimo Francisco Franco is still dead".
Vatican Denies Popes Death - April 1st
Fox Scramble
Drudge and CNN jump the gun
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