It’s one thing for a news agency to add a correction to the bottom of a story and then send out a second tweet acknowledging it, but it’s another thing entirely to withdraw an entire piece, but that’s what the AFP news agency did Tuesday.
Why scrap an entire story? Because the whole thing was based on a false premise, and no amount of editorial tinkering could fix that.
The AFP’s story was about the 100,000 migrant children currently in U.S. detention centers, according to the U.N.:
#BREAKING More than 100,000 children in migration-related US detention: UN pic.twitter.com/67PEWc4KFi
— AFP news agency (@AFP) November 18, 2019
Also breaking: That number reaches all the way back to 2015 when President Obama was in office and putting kids in cages:
AFP is withdrawing this story.
The author of the report has clarified that his figures do not represent the number of children currently in migration-related US detention, but the total number of children in migration-related US detention in 2015.
We will delete the story. https://t.co/p30UjEWl7u
— AFP news agency (@AFP) November 19, 2019
But we were assured it was President Trump putting kids in cages and that there were no scandals during the Obama administration:
T
A
N— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) November 19, 2019
i screencapped the entire story so it's now safe to delete it
— Ryan (@chasinghumility) November 19, 2019
Thanks, Ryan. Let’s have a look:
Huh …Manfred Nowak, lead author of the United Nations Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty, said, “Separating children, as was done by the Trump administration … constitutes inhuman treatment of both the parent and the children.”
Hmmm … 2015 …
— Stevan Porter (@Porter4Us) November 19, 2019
So who was the President in 2015?
— Sonia Surija (@Sonia_Rose1) November 19, 2019
We’re deleting the story because how it makes the last president look.
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) November 19, 2019
oof, can't let any news get out there that may make President Obama's administration look bad. This was a close call, guys!! #ZeroScandals
— Shane Styles (@shaner5000) November 19, 2019
Let's withdraw this, because it happened in 2015, when Obama was President and Biden was Vice President.
Sounds fair?♂️
— Politically Incorrect (@xizzhu) November 19, 2019
— Richard Steenvoorden ? (@Reezyard) November 19, 2019
Holy shit you almost told the truth. Close call.
— Dan ?? (@danieltobin) November 19, 2019
It’s okay to say his name, ya know. Maybe even publish a selfie or six to go with it? pic.twitter.com/Yu7ISO0TKO
— CL ⚾️??? (@LibertyBelleCJL) November 19, 2019
SAY HIS NAME. pic.twitter.com/5N5i6lkhMv
— Kevin on Earth (@kfgravy) November 19, 2019
Why would you delete the story and not just say these are the number of children in migration-related US detention WHEN BARAK OBAMA WAS PRESIDENT?????
— AtlantaSportsFanFeelBadlyforme (@FrankMarro) November 19, 2019
Rather than delete it, why not just add at the end of the title “in 2015?” It’s almost as if it doesn’t fit the narrative, so now you’re deleting.
— Dane Harbour (@DaneHarbour) November 19, 2019
— jish lokens (@jish_lokens) November 19, 2019
Actually, amend the story to reflect it happened under the last administration, then run it again. Then ask tough questions about why, who allowed it, outcomes, etc. You know, journalism 101 stuff….
— Robert (@RRangel4JC) November 19, 2019
AFP: "Delete the story. We can't have Obama looking bad. Gotta protect the precious."
— Kuixote (@TheRealKuixote) November 19, 2019
— Josh (@JoshsBurnerAcct) November 19, 2019
Whew! Good thing it was from 2015. I was almost afraid that something bad had happened.
— Papa Libertarius II (@AaronCuffman) November 19, 2019
So these children were held during the Obama presidency… Nice to hear about it now!
— Jeremy Bell (@thejeremybell) November 19, 2019
No wonder they pulled the story
— (((Charlie Martin))) (@chasrmartin) November 19, 2019
When the story doesn’t fit the narrative:
1. Change the narrative
2. Change/delete the story details— The Doctor (@TennantRob) November 19, 2019
Please link us to the story you ran on the subject, when equally outraged, in 2015.
— Jim (@Ifitsthisname) November 19, 2019
Whew! Almost had a scandal there from 2008-2016.
— Joe (B) [for Bastard] (@Josef_Lemonovic) November 19, 2019
Happened under Obama, didnt it ? 2009-2016, the era where everyone is suppose to think everything was just amazing because we had the cool guy in the WH who was a smooth talker who was just AWESOME !!!!!
— Shane Flannagan (@shaneflannagan) November 19, 2019
Why would you delete the story? Isn’t that statistic still legitimate news, just in a different year? Wouldn’t you just continue to report on the significant number of children in migration-related custody under President Obama? Or is it somehow not news anymore? What changed?
— *You’re (@ArthurBachNY) November 19, 2019
Or you could just replace every occurrence of “Trump” with “Obama” and start harassing the former president instead.
— Sound the Dread Alarm (@_ThisJustin_) November 19, 2019
Why didn't you do the story in 2015? Never mind….we know.
— Jerry Brown (@sebastianjer) November 19, 2019
If you can’t attack a Republican, it’s not a story……..
— Howard Prime (@BluishCheckMark) November 19, 2019
As we said, the story would be easy enough to correct if the whole thing didn’t hinge on painting President Trump as cruel. They’d have to find someone to criticize the Obama administration on record, and it’s just easier to pull the whole thing.
Related:
'That is a bald-faced lie'! Joe Biden says Obama administration 'didn't lock people up in cages' and even CNN's calling BS https://t.co/yj8leW3neg
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 13, 2019
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