In the midst of CNN’s live coverage of the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooting on Friday, the network contributed to misinformation and slander against the clinic by allowing an ignorant Republican House Representative to speak without fact checking.
The network thought it wise to bring on Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger to speak about the volatility of the guns the attacker was using in an effort to gain information about the possible outcome of the ongoing hostage situation. The conversation then turned to the political nature of the attacks, and Kinzinger took the opportunity to attempt to distance himself and his pro-life party from the violence perpetrated by the gunman.
Kinzinger referenced “these barbaric videos” as a reason why people would have “legitimate concern” about the morality of the facility. Despite the fact that the videos he speaks of have been debunked as completely fabricated, neither Kinzinger nor the CNN anchor make this correction. Uninformed audience members might now believe that the gunman had some legitimate claim to his violence, due to the rhetoric of the GOP.
Shame on CNN for not correcting a blatantly false comment on air and thereby providing misinformation to its audience.
