The Propaganda FilesFox Hosts Push Doctored-Email Claim That CNN Scripted a Parkland Student
Fox News coverage, including segments by Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity, presented a Parkland survivor's claim that CNN forced a scripted question on him at its gun town hall.
The error served a narrative that CNN stage-managed its anti-gun town hall.
What was reported
Fox News coverage, including segments by Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity, presented a Parkland survivor's claim that CNN forced a scripted question on him at its gun town hall.
What actually happened
Colton Haab and his father said CNN had scripted Colton's question and blocked one about armed guards, and shared emails with media outlets. CNN showed the emails had been altered, and Glenn Haab admitted words were omitted, which changed the meaning of the producer's note that his planned remarks were too long. On Feb. 27 Carlson said there was no evidence CNN scripted a question, Hannity said Fox wanted to correct the record, and FoxNews.com added an editor's note.
The proof
Glenn Haab's admission that he removed words from the forwarded email, and Fox's own on-air corrections and editor's note.
The receipt. Copy this and paste it anywhere:
Fox Hosts Push Doctored-Email Claim That CNN Scripted a Parkland Student — Retracted. Glenn Haab's admission that he removed words from the forwarded email, and Fox's own on-air corrections and editor's note. Full file: https://www.thepropagandafiles.com/case/fox-haab-cnn-scripted-question/
Original reporting
- PolitiFact: School shooting survivor claims CNN asked him to read script (secondary)https://www.politifact.com/article/2018/feb/23/school-shooting-survivor-claims-cnn-asked-him-read/
Corrections, findings & records
- iMediaEthics: Hannity, Carlson, FoxNews.com update on CNN scripting claimshttps://www.imediaethics.org/sean-hannity-tucker-carlson-foxnews-com-update-cnn-scripting-claims-haab-e-mails-no-evidence/
- TheWrap: Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity retract claim CNN gave scripted questionhttps://www.thewrap.com/tucker-carlson-sean-hannity-retract-claim-cnn-gave-scripted-question-shooting-survivor/
- Local10: Father altered emails to smear CNN, network sayshttps://www.local10.com/news/2018/02/24/father-of-stoneman-douglas-student-altered-emails-to-smear-cnn-network-says/
Archived copies
Stories get edited after publication. These open the Internet Archive's earliest saved copy of each original.
- Archived copy: PolitiFact: School shooting survivor claims CNN asked him to read script (secondary)https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://www.politifact.com/article/2018/feb/23/school-shooting-survivor-claims-cnn-asked-him-read/