Sigh.
As Twitchy reported, Howard “Scoop” Kurtz got himself in a bit of hot water over a story on Jason Collins and his coming out. You see, he got it totally wrong. Shockah!
The Daily Beast then gave Kurtz the boot; The irony was delicious.
Is it just me, or is something weird about Tina Brown parting ways with Howard Kurtz over factual errors?
— pcasey44 (@pcasey44) May 5, 2013
Zing!
This morning on CNN’s “Reliable Sources,” journos “grilled” Kurtz and he gave a mea culpa.
For media (and inside baseball) junkies: @davidfolkenflik & @DylanByers will interview @HowardKurtz on CNN's "Reliable Sources" at 11a ET.
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) May 5, 2013
@richarddeitsch Reliable Sources interviewing Howard Kurtz is a bit rich.
— Jonathan Tannenwald (@jtannenwald) May 5, 2013
Here comes @HowardKurtz's mea culpa on Reliable Sources.
— Jeff Jarvis (@jeffjarvis) May 5, 2013
https://twitter.com/ajreeves/status/331095107774320641
To be fair, he did straight-up admit that he “screwed up.”
Some did delight in the spectacle.
This is awesome, watching Howard Kurtz get raked over the coals: http://t.co/9suP2HVNVA
— Patterico (@Patterico) May 5, 2013
Me before watching the Howard Kurtz interview: "Oh god it's 14 minutes" 2 minutes in: "I HOPE THIS LASTS FOREVER"
— Jamie Kilstein (@jamiekilstein) May 5, 2013
They should do this every week! RT @samsteinhp: i'm feeling uncomfortable #reliablesources #kurtz
— Tim Miller (@Timodc) May 5, 2013
And some in the media, along with journalism professor Jay Rosen, swooned madly.
Recommended
Great credit should go to CNN and @HowardKurtz for spending half his program getting grilled by two media reporters. That was extraordinary.
— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) May 5, 2013
Correction to my earlier tweet: Kurtz devoted 15 mins to his grilling by @DylanByers and @davidfolkenflik. That is one quarter of his show.
— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) May 5, 2013
Mediaite has the video: Kurtz is grilled by @DylanByers and @davidfolkenflik. An extraordinary act of accountability: http://t.co/4aY13LhfNh
— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) May 5, 2013
Extraordinary!
https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/331092341081374721
Say what you will about @HowardKurtz, how many people would give their critics this platform on their own show? Good for him.
— Anthony DeRosa ? (@Anthony) May 5, 2013
Who among us wd agree be x-examined about our mistakes live on national TV?Stunned by @HowardKurtz 's transparency, integrity. Unprecedented
— Lisa Bloom (@LisaBloom) May 5, 2013
Unprecedented!
https://twitter.com/eScarry/status/331068453052092416
Kudos to @HowardKurtz – he took his @jasoncollins34 clanger on the chin today like a @MikeTyson right hook. #CNN
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 5, 2013
Oh, Piers.
But others weren’t as impressed.
I found this whole segment bizarre. "Howard Kurtz Gets Grilled On Controversy Over His Erroneous Jason Collins Story" http://t.co/IdHZGMGEue
— Jedediah Bila (@JedediahBila) May 5, 2013
A prescient Twitter user called it the other day:
https://twitter.com/lachlan/status/330044609608695808
Yep. Awkward seems to be the operative word.
Watching Howard Kurtz get grilled on his own show… very awkward
— Stephen Michael Davis (@ScubaMySteve) May 5, 2013
https://twitter.com/MichaelJHaas/status/331061900920102912
This @CNNReliable is so awkward to watch. "Why didn't you have the decency" to apologize to Collins? Asks @davidfolkenflik to @HowardKurtz
— Carlos Lozada (@CarlosLozadaWP) May 5, 2013
Where is everyone? Howard Kurtz being grilled about Jason Collins. Awkward. Wow. @BuzzFeed @BuzzFeedAndrew @BuzzFeedBen
— Kïru Antetokounmpo ???? (@nkirukabee) May 5, 2013
Watching @HowardKurtz being grilled and sorrowfully replying on his own show extremely awkward and uncomfortable. #ReliableSources
— LisaMLas (@LisaMLas) May 5, 2013
Interesting to see Howard Kurtz get asked some awkward questions on his own show. cc: @marisagallagher
— Stewart Scott-Curran (@stewartsc) May 5, 2013
I might have bought the cross examination of @HowardKurtz had the questioners been of greater experience. This just read as awkward theatre.
— Larry Flick (@LarryFlick) May 5, 2013
The @HowardKurtz Question Period moment was extremely awkward, even for the 11 people interested (yes, I am one). Seems now dispensed with.
— (((Rachel Sklar))) ❄️ (@rachelsklar) May 5, 2013
As for the mea culpa itself, most weren’t gushing with praise.
Only his mom saw it RT @DRUDGE_REPORT: CNN'S KURTZ APOLOGIZES FOR ERRORS IN COLLINS STORY… http://t.co/toWDMCXDAh
— Totally Great Grow (@TotallyGreatGro) May 5, 2013
John King forgives you. RT @AP: CNN's Howard Kurtz apologizes for errors in column about gay basketball player Jason Collins.
— David Hinojosa (@hinojosa_david) May 5, 2013
Heh. John King also doesn’t let facts stand in the way!
there are no trombones sad enough for @HowardKurtz
— Giuseppe (@60th_Street) May 5, 2013
https://twitter.com/RileyRebel129/status/331081604367781889
Oooooh Howard kurtz's problem is he just reads TOO FAST! Got it.
— Jamie Kilstein (@jamiekilstein) May 5, 2013
https://twitter.com/djdavidjay/status/331076368567775233
@jayrosen_nyu @howardkurtz Are either of you really even relevant in today's media culture?
— Mysterion3000 (@Mysterion3000) May 5, 2013
Howie Kurtz getting beaten up big time on his own show. Painful to watch and a bit desperate. What next? A pillow case filled with oranges?
— Lucianne Goldberg (@LucianneLinks) May 5, 2013
https://twitter.com/donsurber/status/331084275866804226
@cnn You need to replace Kurtz-his credibility is nil as a media watchdog. This isn't the first example. His show is anything but objective
— Sue (@WDMSue) May 5, 2013
Others pointed out the emetic-quality of having Politico and NPR journalists “grill” about integrity. Stop! Our aching sides!
Tweet o' the day!
RT @RichardGrenell
My favorite part of this CNN crucifixion is hearing NPR media critic talk about balanced media coverage— johnny dollar (@johnnydollar01) May 5, 2013
@johnnydollar01 @RichardGrenell You get the feeling that their biggest problem w Kurtz is that he dares acknowledge "liberal" media?
— LL (@laura_lrnzo) May 5, 2013
https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/331066754459639809
https://twitter.com/scroll/status/331072091862495233
Up next on reliable sources, chastised host asks whether accomplished White House journalist was grandstanding
— Tim Miller (@Timodc) May 5, 2013
Well, we got the the lecture part about how to treat gay relationships from David Folkenflik and Dylan Byers out of the way…
— Jeff Poor (@jeff_poor) May 5, 2013
And an exit question:
Howard Kurtz has often been wrong; why does anyone take him seriously as a journo?
— I Can't Breathe (@Rick_Geissal) May 5, 2013
Why, indeed? But, hey, the Beltway media got some nice smug self-back-pats out of it. So, there’s that.