The bombing at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta soon had the media, citing investigative sources, reporting that security guard Richard Jewell was a suspect. That reporting turned out to be untrue, and Tom Brokaw, who was the anchor of the NBC Evening News at the time, had this to say:
re richard jewell. 24 hours after the bombing i talked at length with a sr fbi official – who did not wave me off jewel as a suspect.
i reported that and speculated why. but my last line was for now he’s just a person of interest.
when the truth emerged i apologized.— Tom Brokaw (@tombrokaw) December 25, 2019
nbc made a substantial $ payment to the family without going through contentious negotiaton.
richard and his mother went through a painful time which i deeply regret. i hope we all learned a lesson, includjng the FBI which was my principal source— Tom Brokaw (@tombrokaw) December 25, 2019
It looks like a certain television journalist might have seen “Richard Jewell”:
I assume he saw the movie…….. https://t.co/s9Vpg0KeaF
— Joel Wood (@joelkwood) December 26, 2019
At the time, Brokaw was among those in the media who took the “report first and make sure it’s accurate later” approach:
“The speculation is that the FBI is close to ‘making the case’, in their language. They probably have enough to arrest him right now, probably enough to prosecute him, but you always want to have enough to convict him as well. There are still some holes in this case.” – Brokaw https://t.co/r8OOVispAS
— Jimmy (@JimmyPrinceton) December 26, 2019
https://t.co/zWPPkFtaAH pic.twitter.com/DJCp3VP59c
— Jimmy (@JimmyPrinceton) December 26, 2019
Tom Brokaw- "They probably have enough to arrest [Jewell] right now, probably enough to prosecute him, but you always want to have enough to convict him as well." https://t.co/H99jsymqjj
— Fionnbharr (@FSuilleabhain) December 26, 2019
So, did the media really learn a lesson from coverage of the Richard Jewell story? Many sure don’t think so:
Narrator: Nobody learned a lesson
— You Should Have Voted For Gary (@colorblindk1d) December 26, 2019
Narrator: neither the media nor the FBI have learned anything.
— RangerSyl (@RangerSyl) December 26, 2019
The #FBI and #Media have learned nothing and together make a powerful team that destroy lives.
— City Girl (@ConservCityGirl) December 26, 2019
This is a nice illustration of the problem… The media blindly trusts the govt bureaucracy. Half the country does not. https://t.co/kbnCSN7Zyc
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) December 26, 2019
Feeling guilty for ruining a man's life? https://t.co/6oBEqA33m7
— Jesting Jodi – The Cam Edwards Stan Account? (@IMissRWReagan) December 26, 2019
So much journalisming even back then… https://t.co/ki2zfY6t3d
— Texas Darlin' ? (@TexitDarling) December 26, 2019
The Media will never learn, it's narrative not news, see how your network and others handled the Covington Catholic kids
— Glenn Amurgis (@gamurgis) December 26, 2019
I remember watching you and thinking, “he wouldn’t say this if he wasn’t certain”. I was a teen at the time, and now I know better. You should have too.
— SecretCynic (@Novar_bk) December 26, 2019
Unfortunately, a few whispered words from the media cans do more damage than 1 million I’m sorries shouted to the heavens can repair. The callousness that media employs to meet deadlines and beat the competition is revolting. #JournalismIsDead and big media killed it.
— The Doctor (@TennantRob) December 26, 2019
Using a very recent example, it sure doesn’t look like the media (or even parts of the FBI) learned any lessons. It might even be getting worse.
Update: People are pointing out inconsistencies in Brokaw’s tweets:
This is a lie. The NBC legal settlement specifically noted there was NO apology nor admission of any guilt or liability. https://t.co/7DjpPy5qat
— EducatëdHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) December 26, 2019
In that thread Brokaw says he apologized. I’d be curious to know when that happened because I’m having trouble finding it. The news reports of the settlement and NBC’s statement at the time say there was no public apology.
— Jimmy (@JimmyPrinceton) December 26, 2019