Skip to main content

Brian Ross, who aired erroneous Trump report, to leave ABC News

Brian Ross, the veteran ABC News investigative correspondent who embarrassed the network late last year with an on-air report suggesting former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn had been told by President Donald Trump to make contact with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign for the Oval Office, is leaving the network, along with Rhonda Schwartz, who served as the chief investigative producer for Ross’ team.

“After more than two decades at ABC News, Brian Ross and Rhonda Schwartz have decided to leave the company,” ABC News President James Goldston said in a memo to staffers Monday. “Over the years they have built a team of the best investigative journalists in our industry, and they leave behind an outstanding group that will continue to break stories for many years to come.”

But Ross’ reputation was sorely tested in December after he took to ABC in a special report and told viewers erroneously that Trump had directed Flynn when he was a candidate to make Russian contacts. The report prompted the Dow Jones Industrial Average to fall more than 300 points and a tweet about it was reposted on Twitter tens of thousands of times before ABC clarified on “World News Tonight” that Trump’s instruction came after he was elected.

Ross was suspended for four weeks, and ABC News said at the time that the information had not been properly vetted and fact-checked before it was aired. When he returned, he and Schwartz were given positions at Lincoln Square Productions, ABC News in-house production unit.

“After a great run of 24 years, we have decided to pack up and move on from ABC News, an organization that has meant so much to us,” Ross and Schwartz said in a statement. “While we are signing off from ABC News, we are hardly leaving investigative journalism. There is much more to do.”

Their departure spotlights the intense pressure on many news outlets seeking to report on the Trump administration. A cadre of mainstream news outlets ranging from print outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post to TV-news standbys like CNN and NBC News, have utilized digital media to break stories faster and more immediately than a newspaper or TV program would normally allow.

But with speed comes risk. Many of the news outlets have been forced at times to correct erroneous information that might have been avoided in a less speedy news cycle.

Ross and Schwartz have won many awards over the years for their work. ABC News’ Goldston listed “four George Polk awards, four Peabody awards, four duPonts, five Murrows, 17 News and Documentary Emmys and the Harvard Goldsmith Prize, in 2014, for the single best investigative report in print or broadcast.”

Ross had been with ABC News since 1994, examining everything from the dangers of nuclear smuggling to investigations of various U.S. politicians.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CJN Tanko unveils panel to hear Atiku’s appeal against Buhari

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed is presiding over the 7-man panel that will hear the appeals filed by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari at the February 23 poll. Other members of the panel are Bode Rhodes-Vivour, Amiru Sanusi, Uwani Abaji, Ejembi Eko, John Inyang Okoro and Olukayode Ariwoola. Atiku and his party are challenging the September 11 judgment of the Justice Mohammed Garba-led Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal which affirmed President Buhari’s victory at the polls. The appeals hearing has generated some controversies especially due to the silence of the Supreme Court on the justices that would constitute the panel, with the Coalition of United Progressives Party (CUPP) demanding the use of seniority in selecting them. A senior member of Atiku’s legal team, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), told reporters that they considered it strange that as at
Post a Comment
Read more

NNL: Sanni dumps Saraki Boys

Tunde Sanni, head coach of the Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS) FC of Ilorin has resigned, Coordinator of the team, Idris Musa, said on Monday. Musa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin that Sanni had turned in his resignation letter later after a meeting with the team’s Director of Football, Alloy Chukwuemeka. After the meeting, Chukwuemeka and Sanni refused to comment on the matter. The club’s U-15 coach, Taofeeq Babatunde, has been drafted to assist the Assistant Coach, Suleiman Quadri, pending when a substantive manager will be appointed. His resignation may be due to recent results, which were not in favour of the Saraki Boys. The team lost to Kebbi United 3-2 on penalties after 1-1 draw during regulation time in the round of 64 encounter of the Aiteo Cup in Minna. The Saraki Boys also lost 3-0 to Mighty Jets of Jos and drew 0-0 with the Jos-based side in the return leg on Wednesday in Ilorin at Bet9ja Nigeria National League’s (NNL), Match Day 10 encounter.
Post a Comment
Read more

Chechnya leader makes Mo Salah honorary citizen

Chechnya leader Ramzan Kadyrov has made Egypt’s talismanic striker Mohamed Salah an honorary citizen of the southern Russian region at a farewell banquet held for the eliminated World Cup side. Rights groups and Western governments allege that authorities in Chechnya repress their political opponents, discriminate against women and persecute sexual minorities, all allegations that Chechnya’s leaders deny. Chechnya has been hosting the Egyptian team’s World Cup training camp and Kremlin-backed Kadyrov has seized on opportunities to appear alongside Salah. Sarah’s goalscoring exploits for Liverpool and Egypt have made him an international superstar. “Mohamed Salah is an honorary citizen of the Chechen Republic. “Yes, that’s right! Tonight I signed a decree conferring this high award on the great footballer and member of the Egypt and Liverpool teams,” Kadyrov wrote on Telegram. Salah was presented with a badge and a copy of the decree at the dinner, Kadyrov said. The Egy
Post a Comment
Read more