Twitter Heads Exploded this afternoon when various media outlets such as AP, CNN and Fox reported an "imminent arrest" in the Boston Marathon Bombing. Actually no suspect was in custody. To make matters worse, John King on CNN kept insisting that police were searching for a "dark-skinned male" as if that was part of the crime, while CBS was reporting the search for a caucasion light-skinned subject. Derp.
From Business Insider
According to a source at CNN, the network was the first to report that a suspect had been identified. Anchor John King sent in a report around 1 p.m. that a source "briefed" on the investigation had told King a positive identification had been made. CNN Washington bureau chief Sam Feist approved that report, according to the source.
According to the source, who was reviewing internal email logs, Fran Townsend was the first at the network to say that an arrest had been made.
"As I think everyone knows, we really f—ed up. No way around it," the source said.
The source said that the network's email network went quiet for a 15-minute period shortly after the retraction — "so people [were] either being more cautious or getting yelled at."
Townsend's report came around the same time as other outlets, including the Associated Press and the Boston Globe, also reported an arrest, so it is not clear whether CNN was the first to make the mistake.
Special FBI Smackdown
Contrary to widespread reporting, no arrest has been made in connection with the Boston Marathon attack. Over the past day and a half, there have been a number of press reports based on information from unofficial sources that has been inaccurate. Since these stories often have unintended consequences, we ask the media, particularly at this early stage of the investigation, to exercise caution and attempt to verify information through appropriate official channels before reporting.
John King on CNN - An arrest has been made in the investigation of Boston Marathon bombings
— Anthony De Rosa (@AntDeRosa) April 17, 2013
RT @buzzfeedandrew: CNN: Video was of a suspect dropping off a package and leaving the site of the bombing. Including video of his face.
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) April 17, 2013
Lord and Taylor Dept store video and boston TV station video helped reveal potential subject, CNN is reporting
— Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) April 17, 2013
RT @ap: BREAKING: Law enforcement official: Arrest imminent in Boston Marathon bombing, suspect to be brought to court.
— jennifer bendery (@jbendery) April 17, 2013
BREAKING NEWS: Globe source: An arrest is imminent in the Marathon bombings. AP reporting suspect in custody.
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) April 17, 2013
Boston Globe source reports the suspect is enroute to courthouse this afternoon.
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) April 17, 2013
AP: Arrest imminent in Boston Marathon bombing, suspect to be brought to court | time.com
— TIME.com (@TIME) April 17, 2013
Law enforcement sources: Arrest made in the Boston bombings investigation. on.cnn.com/15fOGEd
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) April 17, 2013
#BREAKING NEWS: FoxNews.com confirms arrest made in deadly #Boston Marathon bombing fxn.ws/YSLNGJ
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 17, 2013
The US Attorney's office in Boston says no arrest has been made, reports @nbcnews on.msnbc.com/Zrvnnj
— msnbc (@msnbc) April 17, 2013
CNN reporting an arrest has been made in Boston Marathon bombing. Each time they show wide shot of John King he's working two phones at once
— Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) April 17, 2013
BREAKING: Schroedinger's Cat may...or may not...have been arrested as a suspect in the Boston marathon bombings.
— Hesiod Theogeny (@Hesiod2k11) April 17, 2013
We all know how good CNN is at fact checking.
— Jim Harper (@JimHarper_ACN) April 17, 2013
By the time the news orgs get their stories straight an arrest *will* have been made. #p2 #CNN #MSNBC #ap #uniteblue
— Hypnotoad (@GoProtege) April 17, 2013
WCVB reporter: Security heightened at federal courthouse, authorities expect someone will be brought in shortly.
— Matthew Keys (@TheMatthewKeys) April 17, 2013
US Attorney's office: There is no marathon bombing suspect in custody and no arrest
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) April 17, 2013
Dramatic change in status of Boston Marathon bombing invstigation: Authorities arenow saying:"No arrest and no one in custody.''
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) April 17, 2013
Homeland Security Chair Michael McCaul (R-TX) said he spoke to the FBI 5-min ago and they "do not have anybody in custody at this time."
— Jansing & Co. (@JansingCo) April 17, 2013
Boston bombing: CNN reports suspect IDed for arrest; MSNBC says no arrest & search for suspect; Fox News trails, reading AP. Any questions?
— Wayne Slater (@WayneSlater) April 17, 2013
BREAKING: #CNN refusing to comment on whether John King is dark-skinned or red-faced.
— Barracks O'Bama (@P0TUS) April 18, 2013
CNN holograms of puppies brought in to comfort John King.
— Andrew Kaczynski (@BuzzFeedAndrew) April 18, 2013
UPDATED: Conflicting reports about arrest in Boston Marathon bombings. bostonglobe.com/2013/04/17/bos…
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) April 17, 2013
Breaking: Media is Broken.
— Micheal Stinson (@Symbolman) April 17, 2013
CNN now apologizing, promise to never again listen to source Joe Sly, Boston Punk Zombie.
— Matt Binder (@MattBinder) April 17, 2013
CNN putting coverage up for Pulitzer... in Fiction.
— Paul Lander (@paul_lander) April 17, 2013
BREAKING @cnn reports #DERP DERP DERP DE DERP DERP #facepalm
— RSheib (@blackenedwisdom) April 17, 2013
Remember - you can't spell FAIL without @cnn.
— Jonathan Jewel (@JonathanJewel) April 17, 2013
Next thing we'll hear is that CNN is now trying to confirm that there were indeed tragic bombings in Boston two days ago.
— Abraham Lincoln (@Mr_Lincoln) April 17, 2013
Suggest that CNN run news stories from 20 years ago, with James Earl Jones voiceover:"This...WAS...CNN"
— Abraham Lincoln (@Mr_Lincoln) April 17, 2013
Suspect now saying there may not be a CNN.
— David Waldman (@KagroX) April 17, 2013
Hey #CNN ~ The suspect is calling fromINSIDE YOUR HOUSE #MediaFail#BostonMarathon
— Jeanne Kimsey (@SnarkAmendment) April 17, 2013
So basically Jeff Zucker managed to break the only thing that CNN was even modestly good at within months of starting. #zuckermentum
— John Whitehouse (@existentialfish) April 17, 2013
@johnkingcnn Dark skin male? Nice. Way to fuel racial discrimination. Idiot. Check your facts.#JournalismIsDead
— Tam Kai Vo (@tamkaivo) April 18, 2013
CNN reporting that a black man some where, some place has been arrested.
— DR (@pollbuster) April 17, 2013
So it's true @johnkingcnn was reading a Fox News twitter
— amsterdamred(@amsterdamred) April 17, 2013
CNN:Arrest in Boston Bombing made.NBC:No Arrest in Boston Bombing made.FOX:Obama's still a Muslim, buy more gold.
— Navy Mom (@USNavyMomPA) April 17, 2013
RT @jaredbkeller: AP, Boston Globe, CNN reporting arrest made; NBC, CBS reporting arrest not made. Keller reporting headache, blurred vision
— WhiteHousePressCorps (@whpresscorps) April 17, 2013
CNN is carefully walking back the "arrested" angle. John King is off camera now.
— Chris Hayes' Bike (@JimmyPrinceton) April 17, 2013
CNN keeps running "Breaking News" logo even when they have no new information. Can't they just make something up again to appease us?
— Alan Sepinwall (@sepinwall) April 17, 2013
Bring back Wolf Blitzer with his stainless steel pressure cooker. Only he can save this segment.
— Chris Hayes' Bike (@JimmyPrinceton) April 17, 2013
Now CNN experts are JohnKingSplaining.
— Chris Hayes' Bike (@JimmyPrinceton) April 17, 2013
FBI Shreds The Media In Scathing Statement Over Conflicting Boston Marathon Reports read.bi/Zy57Vp
— Business Insider (@businessinsider) April 17, 2013
BREAKING: The FBI invites CNN to have a damn seat. fbi.gov/boston/press-r…
— Hubbit Ducreux (@hubbit) April 17, 2013
Apparently @johnkingcnn went to the Geraldo Rivera School of Journalism.
— Roy Ladd (@pahnev) April 18, 2013
National Assoc. of Black Journalists criticized CNN's John King report Boston bombing suspect was "dark skinned male" tampabay.com/blogs/media/mi…
— Eric Deggans (@Deggans) April 18, 2013
haha at John King saying "I want to be careful" and then describing the suspect as a "dark skinned male" hahahaha. Ridic.
— Zerlina Maxwell (@ZerlinaMaxwell) April 17, 2013
CNN's John King is shopping his résumé to The Onion and Funny Or Die?
— Jake (@BruppFWTX) April 18, 2013
Public confusion engulfed the investigation into the Boston Marathon bombing this afternoon b.globe.com/11vJxnd
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) April 17, 2013
