KHQA Renounces Its Nov. 5 Story, But Reported Obama-Blago Meeting as a Fact on Nov. 8

News Busters ^ | 12-10-08 | Tom Blumer

[STARWISE]

This is entering into the realm of the bizarre -- from the web site of KHQA TV (HT LGF),

http://www.connecttristates.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=233822

regarding a story I have saved at my web host from November 5 (bold is mine):

http://www.bizzyblog.com/BlagoObamaToMeetPerKHQA110508.html

KHQA TV wishes to offer clarification regarding a story that appeared last month on our website ConnectTristates.com. The story, which discussed the appointment of a replacement for President Elect Obama in the U.S. Senate, became the subject of much discussion on talk radio and on blog sites Wednesday.

The story housed in our website archive was on the morning of November 5, 2008. It suggested that a meeting was scheduled later that day between President Elect Obama and Illinois Governor Blagojevich. KHQA has no knowledge that any meeting ever took place. Governor Blagojevich did appear at a news conference in Chicago on that date.

That's fine, except for the fact that the KHQA story in my NewsBusters/BizzyBlog post earlier today

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tom-blumer/2008/12/10/obama-busted-his-no-contact-statement-oh-i-think-so

was from November 8 -- three days later (link again is to a file saved at my web host, obtained from Google cache shortly before it disappeared). It (obviously) talked about the meeting in the past tense (bold is mine):

http://www.bizzyblog.com/DuckworthOnBlagoObama110808.html

Story Continues Below Ad ↓

Now that Barack Obama will be moving to the White House, his seat in the U.S. Senate representing Illinois will have to be filled.

Obama met with Governor Rod Blagojevich earlier this week to discuss it. Illinois law states that the governor chooses that replacement. There's already been speculation about his selection...from Congressman Jesse Jackson, Junior to Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth.

`````

So KHQA is saying it "has no knowledge" that an Obama-Blagojevich meeting it thought in its November 5 story would occur actually did occur.

I suppose the station will also tell us at some point that it "has no knowledge" as to whether the meeting it definitively reported HAD occurred in its November 8 story really DID occur.

Are we having fun yet?

[STARWISE]

I called to speak to the reporter, Carol Sowers. Was told she was out today; then got connected to one of the assignment editors, Jim Whitfield .. his phone was on voicemail. Got connected to another assignment editor, Jim Robeski.

I explained that I was from a concerned citizen and was curious why the article by Sowers from Nov. 5 was now gone from their web site and archives.

I asked if they were asked to remove the story, and he stuttered a bit but said he didn't know .. it was outside his realm.

Original story screencap

[STARWISE]

This is entering into the realm of the bizarre — from the web site of KHQA TV (HT LGF),

http://www.connecttristates.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=233822

regarding a story I have saved at my web host from November 5 (bold is mine):

http://www.bizzyblog.com/BlagoObamaToMeetPerKHQA110508.html

KHQA TV wishes to offer clarification regarding a story that appeared last month on our website ConnectTristates.com. The story, which discussed the appointment of a replacement for President Elect Obama in the U.S. Senate, became the subject of much discussion on talk radio and on blog sites Wednesday.

The story housed in our website archive was on the morning of November 5, 2008. It suggested that a meeting was scheduled later that day between President Elect Obama and Illinois Governor Blagojevich. KHQA has no knowledge that any meeting ever took place. Governor Blagojevich did appear at a news conference in Chicago on that date.

That’s fine, except for the fact that the KHQA story in my NewsBusters/BizzyBlog post earlier today

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tom-blumer/2008/12/10/obama-busted-his-no-contact-statement-oh-i-think-so

was from November 8 — three days later (link again is to a file saved at my web host, obtained from Google cache shortly before it disappeared). It (obviously) talked about the meeting in the past tense (bold is mine):

http://www.bizzyblog.com/DuckworthOnBlagoObama110808.html

[Tarpon]

Pravda was always doing this.

[Stentor]

[fhayek]

We have always been at war with Eurasia.

[STARWISE]

Thank you.

[bergmeid]

Send this material to Rush, Sean, Drudge, Michelle Malkin, and especially Fitz. Some of them may be on vacation but send it anyway.

[dascallie]

ok, Twilight zone....I had just put up a vanity—or two—about very issue about 2 hours ago...

I wrote it seemed these news articles had been shoved out of sight...did you see my post or is this “new news?

Thanks

[STARWISE]

I’ve seen yours and posts from others and have posted
about it myself. This is not new news.

[pissant]

Excellent post. Smoking out the rodents.

[Aliska]

I remember that afternoon; three in a row disappeared in about an hour, it's archived here someplace just when they were yanked, but FReepers had screen shots, the KHQA (didn't know it was in CT), the Quincy IL one, and was it the youtube video of Axelrod? Can't remember.

It is possible the meeting didn't take place; no sources were given for the info IIRC; the reporters were some distant from Chicago.

It is possible the meeting did take place; no sources again, but then somebody high up got them to spike them.

On the basis of your information; Fitz could subpoena the reporters, would that be another Times' fiasco where the woman went to jail rather than reveal her source?

Otherwise, nobody is going to admit to anything, and the whole thing will blow over or become another wingnut conspiracy.

Still it wouldn't have been reported for no reason. Usually they issue an errata or retraction. So it's weird.

I've got the screen shots of the CT Tristates and Quincy.

What's wandtv 17? I've got a 3-part screen capture of that. Headline was "Blagojevich to meet with Obama, other governors about budget concerns." Posted Nov 30, 08; 12:00 PM CST, saved on December 10; 9:31 PM. Can't read it w/o opening it in PS. That one they were going to meet "Monday" and "Tuesday" in Philadelphia, so if it took place, it should have been fairly high profile, probably didn't happen in light of the charges, don't have the chronology of all this in my head.

[STARWISE]

[seekthetruth]

Great save! I would keep asking them what happened to it and send them a copy! :)

[seekthetruth]

“Send this material to Rush, Sean, Drudge, Michelle Malkin, and especially Fitz. Some of them may be on vacation but send it anyway.”

Sending factual information to any of the above does nothing. They are not going to touch the issue or anything about the SC cases concerning Obama’s lack of qualifications to hold the office of President. Even Mark Levin who always professes to be a true supporter of the Constitution! He doesn't care either!

And forget the MSM of course. Provda on line prints more of the truth than any of our MSM or talk show big wigs! Here are some real interesting articles.

Articles From Mark McGrew..Soon to be a host on Plains!
More articles to come along with upcoming schedule of Mark’s program on Plains Radio Network.

Obama The Chicken - Pravda
http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/106642-3/

Obama Has NOT Been Elected President - Pravda
http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/106684-3/

Barack, The Amazing Mr. Obama - Pravda
http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/02-12-2008/106778-Amazing_Obama-0

Obama Conspiracy Theory Nuts - Pravda
http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/09-12-2008/106807-Obama_Conspiracy_Theory_Nuts-0

The Mysterious Shadow Code Name Obama - Pravda
http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/18-12-2008/106848-Code_Name_Obama-0

Obama’s Hope For The World - Pravda Dec. 24
http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/24-12-2008/106866-Obama_Hope_World-0

AND DON’T FORGET TO VISIT HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION!:
http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/

[DrC]

“Still it wouldn’t have been reported for no reason. Usually they issue an errata or retraction.”

This KHQA story IS the retraction. It’s certainly possible the station is hiding something, but you really have to ask why NO other media stories reported this alleged meeting. I think what happened is that either the reporter got it wrong on the first story—e.g., inferring a meeting was planned when in fact that wasn’t the case—or perhaps the prediction was correct, but plans got changed by Obama or Blago. If the latter occurred, they were under no obligation to try and hunt down every press account that predicted a meeting, so KHQA was never aware the predicted meeting didn’t take place. Trust me, the struggling MSM don’t have time to have “fact-checkers” to double-check that every predicted future event announced in the papers actually comes off as predicted.

Thus, the second story—which also was from KHQA—was obviously a reporter in a hurry who checked the KHQA archives (or perhaps just remembered the prediction) and used it as “supporting evidence” for the storyline being told on December 8. A conscientious reporter never would rely on a prediction of a meeting as prove it had happened, but the information that the meeting had happened was just “filler:” it wasn’t the central part of the 12/8 story, so the reporter never bothered to confirm from the campaign or other media sources that this meeting had indeed happened.

Thus, one can believe in a conspiracy to cover up a meeting or one can accept a more plausible explanation: reporters are human, hence sometimes sloppy in how they execute their assignments. In broadcast media especially, I think it’s fair to say that deadlines are probably tighter than in print media. Thus, caution is in order when confronted with an apparent contradiction of this sort. As I say, this would be far harder to explain away had multiple sources posted similar contradictory accounts.

[Aliska]

This KHQA story IS the retraction.

True enough, was tired when I wrote all that. That was a reasonable response, Occam's Razor is how I'll choose view it unless subsequent information is forthcoming.

As to the three items disappearing so fast, they were all being hotly talked about on talk radio at the time, so that could explain the why of that at least in part.

[GOPJ]

bttt