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Oops! Local Fox Affiliate News Anchor Mistakenly Reports ‘President Obama Is Dead’

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» 38 comments

As we reported earlier, Obama/Osama mixups are nothing new, but an anchor for Washington DC Fox affiliate WTTG took the fairly common gaffe to 11 by not just merely mixing up the two names, but declaring that “President Obama, speaking from the East Room of the White House, telling the nation and the world: President Obama is in fact dead.”

The anchor immediately corrects himself, though, saying “I’m sorry. Osama Bin Laden is dead.”

Keith Olbermann, who committed (then corrected) a similar flub earlier on his blog, helpfully pointed out this, and another Fox affiliate’s “Obama bin Laden is Dead” chyron. Oddly, Olbermann attempts to tar Fox News with the Fox affiliates’ gaffes (“you can’t stop them, you can only hope to contain them”), while making no mention of his own gaffe and correction on his blog, effectively sending it down the memory hole. While it’s a coincidence sure to amuse Fox-bashers, lots of people make this mistake. Olbermann should have at least acknowledged that he did.

Here’s a YouTube clip of the gaffe:

Update: NBC News’ Norah O’Donnell also tweeted (and later deleted) an errant announcement of the President’s demise, saying “Obama shot and killed per @JimMiklaszewski” (screengrab from Daily Caller)

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  • Grammie

    Norah O’Donnell of MSNBC tweeted:

    “In an attempt to release the news of Osama bin Laden’s death quickly late Sunday night, MSNBC correspondent Norah O’Donnell accidentally reported on Twitter that “Obama” had been “killed” instead.

    “Obama shot and killed,” Norah O’Donnell posted on Twitter, citing NBC Chief Pentagon Correspondent Jim Miklaszewski as her source.

    Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/05/02/typo-msnbc-correspondent-accidentally-reports-on-twitter-that-obama-killed/#ixzz1LCeiAD9v

    Your point is?????

  • Jaurez

    Tommy, Tommy, Tommy. Why no mention of msnbc doing the same thing last night?It’s a rhetorical question, of course. A Fox News “affiliate?”

    In an attempt to release the news of Osama bin Laden’s death quickly late Sunday night, MSNBC correspondent Norah O’Donnell accidentally reported on Twitter that “Obama” had been “killed” instead.

    “Obama shot and killed,” Norah O’Donnell posted on Twitter, citing NBC Chief Pentagon Correspondent Jim Miklaszewski as her source.

  • THE REAL ROYAL KING

    Grammie said:
    Norah O’Donnell of MSNBC tweeted:

    “In an attempt to release the news of Osama bin Laden’s death quickly late Sunday night, MSNBC correspondent Norah O’Donnell accidentally reported on Twitter that “Obama” had been “killed” instead.

    “Obama shot and killed,” Norah O’Donnell posted on Twitter, citing NBC Chief Pentagon Correspondent Jim Miklaszewski as her source.

    Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/05/02/typo-msnbc-correspondent-accidentally-reports-on-twitter-that-obama-killed/#ixzz1LCeiAD9v

    Your point is?????

    Jaurez said:
    Tommy, Tommy, Tommy. Why no mention of msnbc doing the same thing last night?It’s a rhetorical question, of course. A Fox News “affiliate?”

    In an attempt to release the news of Osama bin Laden’s death quickly late Sunday night, MSNBC correspondent Norah O’Donnell accidentally reported on Twitter that “Obama” had been “killed” instead.

    “Obama shot and killed,” Norah O’Donnell posted on Twitter, citing NBC Chief Pentagon Correspondent Jim Miklaszewski as her source.

    One doesn’t “report” on Twiter, Janet and Ciudad Juárez, I mean Jeff. Given your mindless fealty to Ms. Palin and Mr. Trump, I can understand your mistake, however.

  • jerrybobphil

    Slow down & proof read your tweets. Tons of media in such a rush last night mistakes all around.

  • THE REAL ROYAL KING

    jerrybobphil said:
    Slow down & proof read your tweets. Tons of media in such a rush last night mistakes all around.

    True.

  • Jaurez

    Grammie said:
    Your point is?????

    His point was to smear Fox News in any way he possibly could.

  • errxn

    If this doesn’t wrap the hypocritical douchiness of Olbermann into a perfect little package, nothing does.

  • THE REAL ROYAL KING

    Jaurez said:
    #

    Grammie said:
    Your point is?????

    His point was to smear Fox News in any way he possibly could.

    Now, now Ciudad Juárez, I mean Jeff. Don’t be too forlorn. Al Qaeda itself wasn’t wiped out last night. You can still be afraid of men in turbans hiding in bushes.

  • http://www.perceptionasreality.blogspot.com/ skoorbekim

    TC,
    Nora’s Tweet would have been a better story…

    Yet I understand that you are an Apparatchik of the Left… No surpirses here…

  • TfT

    Pathetic Tommy – outright shameful of you; selective outrage at Fox while giving your liberal buddies at MSNBC a pass.

    Dan, if you have any guts whatsoever, you would delete this thread and tell Tommy to STOP for just ONE day.

    A shameful display of FDS.

    Congrats to our troops. to their CINC, and to the intelligence community who for years has been focused on bringing justice to this terrorist.;

    Tommy,. for one day, can you please act like an adult?

  • http://www.mediaite.com/tv/glenn-beck-explains-how-the-unions-are-using-teachers-firefighters-and-co ImNotBlue

    THE REAL ROYAL KING said:
    One doesn’t “report” on Twiter, Janet and Ciudad Juárez, I mean Jeff. Given your mindless fealty to Ms. Palin and Mr. Trump, I can understand your mistake, however.

    That’s interesting. So a reporter does “report” on Twitter… but Palin “reports” on Facebook.

    I’m having real trouble following your ever-changing rules, Royal.

  • skyfet

    Mr. Christopher ought to be ashamed of himself.

  • http://www.sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ sarainitaly

    “President Obama, speaking from the East Room of the White House, telling the nation and the world: President Obama is in fact dead.”

    That’s obviously a stupid slip of the tongue – since he announced Obama would be announcing Obama was dead…

    Norah’s gaffe was worse. Tweeting out that Obama was shot and killed?!

    Wonder why that was added here….maybe he will update the story.

  • writer

    INB, the rules are whatever the King says they are from day to day. Might as well try nailing Jell-O to a tree.

  • THE REAL ROYAL KING

    sarainitaly said:
    “President Obama, speaking from the East Room of the White House, telling the nation and the world: President Obama is in fact dead.”

    That’s obviously a stupid slip of the tongue – since he announced Obama would be announcing Obama was dead…

    Norah’s gaffe was worse. Tweeting out that Obama was shot and killed?!

    Wonder why that was added here….maybe he will update the story.

    When did Tweeting become news reporting, Tumbleweed?

  • http://www.mediaite.com/tv/glenn-beck-explains-how-the-unions-are-using-teachers-firefighters-and-co ImNotBlue

    writer said:
    INB, the rules are whatever the King says they are from day to day. Might as well try nailing Jell-O to a tree.

    What, and hurt a tree… and waste all that Jell-o?

    “It looks like a giant Jell-O mold.”
    “I hate Jell-O.”
    “Oh, come on. There’s always room for Jell-O! “

    _______

    Wanna see something funny? In the effort to point out the “Osama/Obama” gaffe, apparently Tommy made one of his own. Look at the title at the top of your browser window: “Obama Ossama Confusion.”

    Is the “double s” approved spelling? We’ve thus far seen, “Osama” and “Usama.” Is “Ossama” also correct?

  • THE REAL ROYAL KING

    ImNotBlue said:
    THE REAL ROYAL KING said:
    One doesn’t “report” on Twiter, Janet and Ciudad Juárez, I mean Jeff. Given your mindless fealty to Ms. Palin and Mr. Trump, I can understand your mistake, however.

    That’s interesting. So a reporter does “report” on Twitter… but Palin “reports” on Facebook.

    I’m having real trouble following your ever-changing rules, Royal.

    When did the Drop Out Governor become a reporter?

  • http://www.mediaite.com/tv/glenn-beck-explains-how-the-unions-are-using-teachers-firefighters-and-co ImNotBlue

    THE REAL ROYAL KING said:
    When did Tweeting become news reporting, Tumbleweed?

    Great point. That’s why no news networks use Twitter to disseminate information, and only a handful of journalists uses the service.

    Riiight.

  • http://www.mediaite.com/tv/glenn-beck-explains-how-the-unions-are-using-teachers-firefighters-and-co ImNotBlue

    THE REAL ROYAL KING said:
    When did the Drop Out Governor become a reporter?

    Didn’t she have a career as a journalist for a while? Well, either way… doesn’t matter.

    When did what a private citizen says on Facebook become worthy of leftwing scrutiny?

  • http://www.sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ sarainitaly

    THE REAL ROYAL KING said:
    When did Tweeting become news reporting, Tumbleweed?

    where did i say it was, tweedledork?

    Although, many, if not all, reporters Tweet. And they even tweet out *gasp* news! (or in O’Donnell’s case – major gaffes)

    Yea! Tommy added it!

  • Barack Must Go

    Well he was half right according to the recent poll numbers regarding Baraq’s political life going forward.

  • THE REAL ROYAL KING

    ImNotBlue said:
    Didn’t she have a career as a journalist for a while? Well, either way… doesn’t matter.

    When did what a private citizen says on Facebook become worthy of leftwing scrutiny?

    Wasn’t she just a “weather girl” as we use to say?

  • lonestar77

    If Tommy had known about O’Donnell’s gaffe, he never would have written this little story. He just wanted to write another, “everyone who works for anything related to Fox sucks” piece. Unfortunately for him, he’s too busy hanging on Keith Olbermann”s every word to have known about O’Donnell’s gaffe.

    Sucks to write a snarky story about someone screwing up while completely screwing up yourself. Oopsie.

  • http://www.mediaite.com/tv/glenn-beck-explains-how-the-unions-are-using-teachers-firefighters-and-co ImNotBlue

    THE REAL ROYAL KING said:
    Wasn’t she just a “weather girl” as we use to say?

    Does it matter?

  • writer

    Everything about Palin matters to the King. Even the size of ‘Brisket’s’ thighs. But he’s not obsessed.

  • Tommy Christopher

    Jaurez said:
    Tommy, Tommy, Tommy. Why no mention of msnbc doing the same thing last night?It’s a rhetorical question, of course. A Fox News “affiliate?”

    The answer is simply that I hadn’t seen O’Donnell’s tweet, and have added it now, but for all of you who have tried to imply that I was attempting to smear Fox, can any of you people read? Seriously, the entire point of this, and my earlier post on the same subject, in which I pointed out that Ted Kennedy did the same thing when he was alive, and that Olbermann did, too, was that it is a common, yet embarrassing, error, and I have now twice called out Olbermann for making the same gaffe, and failing to be transparent about his correction, and for attempting to do the very thing you’re accusing me of.

    Please get someone smart to re-read this article to you.

  • puck30

    writer said:
    Everything about Palin matters to the King. Even the size of ‘Brisket’s’ thighs. But he’s not obsessed.

    Palin, Brisket, OSusteren, SarainItaly, Michelle in Utah,

    Do I sense a pattern here?

  • puck30

    Tommy Christopher said:
    The answer is simply that I hadn’t seen O’Donnell’s tweet, and have added it now

    I have a feeling before the day is out you might add a few more, Tommy would you not agree that today’s ‘Tweet’ could be considered yesterday’s ‘Bulletin’?

    That said, a good reporter should proof read what they send out. What is it 140 letters at the most on twitter?

  • lonestar77

    Tommy Christopher said:
    The answer is simply that I hadn’t seen O’Donnell’s tweet, and have added it now, but for all of you who have tried to imply that I was attempting to smear Fox, can any of you people read? Seriously, the entire point of this, and my earlier post on the same subject, in which I pointed out that Ted Kennedy did the same thing when he was alive, and that Olbermann did, too, was that it is a common, yet embarrassing, error, and I have now twice called out Olbermann for making the same gaffe, and failing to be transparent about his correction, and for attempting to do the very thing you’re accusing me of.

    Please get someone smart to re-read this article to you.

    We’re all just aware of your tactics by now, Tommy. Would you have written this story had you seen O’Donnell’s gaffe & not the Fox guy’s? Methinks not.

  • TfT

    Tommy, Tommy, Tommy:

    read your own headline and then come back and explain why you singled out Fox while your article included others. You can’t have it both ways – sorry, it only works that way in a total lefty world. Had you been honest, you would have elminated any association with Fox in your headline and it would have read:

    Oops! Multiple News Anchor Mistakenly Reports ‘President Obama Is Dead’

    That would have been an honest headline and you wouldn’t have been questioned as to your purposes, but since you singled out Fox, you brought the deserved criticism on ourself.

    And, why was it that you didn’t know about Norah’s tweet? Her gaffe was out there from the very start.

  • Dem4Ever

    Osama…oops…I mean Obama will get a temporary bump in the polls, but then he’ll start to tank again. Hmmm…it is easy to get those two guys confused.

  • Tommy Christopher

    TfT said:
    read your own headline and then come back and explain why you singled out Fox while your article included others. You can’t have it both ways – sorry, it only works that way in a total lefty world. Had you been honest, you would have elminated any association with Fox in your headline and it would have read:

    Can you read? I wrote a SEPARATE article earlier about other similar gaffes, and I hadn’t seen the O’Donnell thing, so your headline would have made no sense. Besides, if the body of the article is fair, then what difference does it make?

    If you don’t agree with/like me, that’s fine, that’s more than fine, but don’t call me a liar.

  • Tommy Christopher

    lonestar77 said:
    We’re all just aware of your tactics by now, Tommy. Would you have written this story had you seen O’Donnell’s gaffe & not the Fox guy’s? Methinks not.

    What “Fox” guy? You mean the guy who I took great pains to point out is NOT a Fox News guy, but rather an anchor for an affiliate? The guy I took pains to point out made an honest fucking mistake? That “Fox guy?”

    Yes, any time I see any TV reporter/anchor report that President Obama is dead, I am going to write about it. Hell, if Keith Olbermann himself…oh, wait.

    If you have a problem with this ultra-super-duper fair article that DEFENDS the “Fox guy,” then maybe this isn’t the website for you. Seriously.

  • troi

    Tommy Christopher said:
    Can you read? I wrote a SEPARATE article earlier about other similar gaffes, and I hadn’t seen the O’Donnell thing, so your headline would have made no sense. Besides, if the body of the article is fair, then what difference does it make?

    If you don’t agree with/like me, that’s fine, that’s more than fine, but don’t call me a liar.

    the question is why would you write a special article just about this one guy? Why not just update the other article with the new gaffe?

  • http://politicallyincorrectlibertarian.wordpress.com PoliticallyIncorrectLibertarian

    God forbid! You think I want an airport named after Obama? No sir! I want Obama to be a one term president like Jimmy Carter and then fade into obscurity. Let Obama be remember as the Marxist that almost ruined this country.
    http://libertarians4freedom.blogspot.com/

  • http://www.sarainitalyblog.blogspot.com/ sarainitaly

    Here is another group of reporters calling Osama Obama:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzKp43RC9Dk&feature=player_embedded

  • J R D

    O’Reilly is fading fast — as is FOX, except for Hannity…………………..see O’Reilly’s love for Obama in a new video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROsLAKq1xBs
    HA! So FUNNNNNY!

  • http://www.squidoo.com/lauriebethsgrotto Laurie Beth

    TfT said:
    Tommy, Tommy, Tommy:

    read your own headline and then come back and explain why you singled out Fox while your article included others.

    Maybe because there’s quite a difference–again, possibly only to literate people–between the one-letter flub that almost everybody in broadcasting made this week, and actually stating, “President Obama is in fact dead” as a complete sentence. Only one person did that, and he didn’t immediately realize the mistake; it took a horrified whisper from his co-anchor before he even realized he’d made one at all.

    TC, I don’t know why you bother with these trolls.

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