News organizations initially reported cautiously on the shooting incident at Donald Trump's rally, focusing on confirmed facts to avoid spreading misinformation. This approach, while responsible, drew significant criticism on social media for being slow and inadequate.
Several news outlets, including USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN, faced accusations of misreporting or downplaying the event. These organizations defended their approach, emphasizing the importance of accuracy and responsible journalism in breaking news situations. The New York Times' spokesperson highlighted that guesswork is not journalism and that reporting hard facts is paramount.
The article points out the role of social media in amplifying initial reports, even after corrections and updates. The persistence of early, less precise tweets and posts contributed to the negative reaction. News organizations’ reluctance to delete these posts, fearing deception accusations, further fueled the controversy.
The incident fueled existing political divisions. Some Republican politicians blamed the media for creating a climate that encouraged violence, while others defended the cautious reporting approach. The article notes Trump’s own history of animosity towards the media, and that some of his supporters directly blamed journalists at the scene.
In contrast to the online criticism, the print editions of major newspapers received less criticism, suggesting that the concise and factual headlines accurately reflected the event.