CNN Statement Regarding Morning Coast Guard Scare
EmailIt was a tense morning in Washington, D.C. CNN has now released a statement about their coverage this morning of what turned out to be a Coast Guard training exercise:
CNN STATEMENT:
CNN staff were monitoring law enforcement activity this morning given the 9/11 anniversary.
After hearing a U.S. Coast Guard radio transmission that a boat had breached a security zone on the Potomac River a short distance from the Pentagon where the President had just attended a 9/11 anniversary ceremony, CNN contacted the Coast Guard public affairs office at the agency's headquarters. The Coast Guard spokeswoman said she was unaware of any activity taking place on the Potomac River.
After hearing a further radio transmission about 10 rounds being expended, and after reviewing video of rapid movement by Coast Guard vessels as the President's motorcade crossed the Memorial Bridge, CNN reported the story. Simultaneously, during a second phone call, the Coast Guard spokeswoman informed us that its National Command Center and other command posts knew nothing about any activity in the area.
Given the circumstances, it would have been irresponsible not to report on what we were hearing and seeing. As with any breaking news story, information is often fluid and CNN updated the story with the official explanation from the Coast Guard as soon as it was provided.
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Below is a transcript of the radio transmission CNN heard.
This is the excerpted radio scan that was heard in the newsroom.
:24 you're approaching a coast guard security zone
:50 you're in a coast guard security zone
1:50 If you don't stop your vessel you will be fired upon. stop your vessel immediately
2:00 If you don't slow down and stop your vessel, and leave our zone you will be fired upon.
2:18 still in the zone, still in the zone
2:25 someone saying: bang, bang, bang
2:35 we have expended ten rounds, the vessel is operating at stern. we're going to reassess the situation.
3:20 this is the coast guard, have everyone go to the stern, place your engine in neutral
3:35 _____ out of play, _____ out of play, break scenario, break scenario, break
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What seems irresponsible is to report a story before you have all the facts.
Did anyone from CNN even make an attempt to personally observe what was going on, and perhaps interview the people involved?
Seems like today, so called ‘journalists’ can’t be bothered to haul their fat behinds out from behind their desks to actually go out and get the story firsthand.
Posted by: calvin | September 11, 2009, 4:29 pm 4:29 pm
“The Coast Guard spokeswoman said she was unaware of any activity taking place on the Potomac River.
…
during a second phone call, the Coast Guard spokeswoman informed us that its National Command Center and other command posts knew nothing about any activity in the area.”
Perhaps CNN should have taken pause for a moment that that the Coast Guard had said nothing was going on. Nothing but dead standard, several times a week drills.
“Next up on CNN: Firefighters seen washing trucks! Officials say nothing is going on. It must be a bioterror attack! RUN!”
Posted by: jhw539 | September 11, 2009, 4:40 pm 4:40 pm
Shouldn’t the words, “out of play, break scenario” have meant anything to them? Did the video they “reviewed” show anything that looked like a vessel firing on another one? What an unbelievable rush to not only report an unconfirmed story, but to actually become a part of the story. CNN journalism gone wild. And, yes it also was very dumb for the Coast Guard to plan an exercise that close to the President and on the anniversary of the 9/11/2001 event.
Posted by: bkm | September 11, 2009, 4:49 pm 4:49 pm
I am not rushing to criticize CNN. When CNN acted responsibility and called the Coast Guard, why didn’t the official tell CNN they were training exercises? When the Coast Guard said they were not aware of any activity, how should CNN have interpreted the radio transmission that clearly described highly unusual activity? Wasn’t the Coast Guard’s official aware of the training activity? Clearly, the Coast Guard knows CNN monitors their radios, so why didn’t the Coast Guard take preventive action and inform the media, especially on an emotionally charged day like today? History is filled with examples (read Tuchman’s March of Folly) of individuals being aware of approaching disasters and doing absolutely nothing about it. Stay alert CNN.
Posted by: dataman | September 11, 2009, 9:16 pm 9:16 pm
There should be no military type training without everyone notified of the situation. That is why those why 911 happened. No one knew anything about what was going on. I had a right to be suprised at what I was seeing, but our leaders from one end of the country to the other knew nothing. If you are having a training excerise, let the people and powers know. dud
Posted by: rosey smith | September 12, 2009, 12:33 am 12:33 am
This is one more example of this country failing to communicate. Recently a White House person was terminated for flying AF1 over for a photo op.
Should not some person(s) be terminated for this issue that has raised national concern?
Posted by: rovernh | September 12, 2009, 12:25 pm 12:25 pm
Shame on CNN. this is irresponsible – sensationalism. Anything to get the public’s attention, even scare tactics. The “break scenario” is such a strong signal that this was acting… The news media causes problems by rushing to report rather than checking the facts. Not everyone at the Coast Guard is aware of everything. We don’t even know WHO they spoke to at the Coast Guard – a receptionist ?????
Posted by: Norma Biggs | September 13, 2009, 4:59 pm 4:59 pm
CNN is a great news organization but the entire staff should stand down for one day, analyze the problem (trust me – it WILL happen again at CNN) and send folks to J-school rather than charm school for basic training.
This was a serious breach and CNN is defending it rather than acknowledging a problem in their ranks.
Posted by: John McGrath | September 14, 2009, 2:33 pm 2:33 pm