New York Times requests apology from Fox News on an ISIS story

The New York Times has requested an apology from “Fox & Friends” on Sunday, to retract a report that the Times was to blame for the escape of an ISIS leader in 2015. The story was later updated with the letter from the New York Times, according to Politico reports.

Vice President of communications for the Times, Danielle Rhoades Ha, “I am writing on behalf of The New York Times to request an on-air apology and tweet from Fox & Friends in regards to a malicious and inaccurate segment ‘NY Times leak allowed ISIS leader to slip away.

According to Politico, The “Fox & Friends” report, which aired Saturday, apparently spurred a tweet by President Donald Trump: “The Failing New York Times foiled U.S. attempt to kill the single most wanted terrorist, al-Baghdadi,” the president wrote later Saturday. “Their sick agenda over National Security”. Rhoades Ha added: “Neither the staff at Fox & Friends, nor the writers of a related story on Foxnews.com, appeared to make any attempt to confirm relevant facts, nor did they reach out to The New York Times for comment.”

Fox responded later on Sunday, in a statement: “The FoxNews.com story was already updated online and Fox & Friends will also provide an updated story to viewers tomorrow morning based on theFoxNews.com report. For all of their concern about accuracy, the New York Times didn’t reach out to anyone at Fox News until Sunday afternoon for a story that ran Friday night.”

Abu Sayyaf , a close associate of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in May 2015 and his wife captured as well along with documents and laptops. Fox and Friend’s claim that the Times article sabotaged the efforts of the U.S. military efforts with its reporting originated with a statement from Gen. Tony Thomas, who told Fox that the report caused intel about the ISIS leader location go dry. “That was a very good lead. Unfortunately, it was leaked in a prominent national newspaper about a week later and that lead went dead,” said Thomas, who leads the U.S. Special Operations Command.

A Fox News executive said in a statement; “NYT PR VP Danielle Rhoades Ha did not contact Fox News until Sunday afternoon — a day and a half AFTER the FoxNews.com story was published. She sent a letter to the reporter on the story — Catherine Herridge — at 3:30 pm on Sunday while being too cute by half and sending it to the press simultaneously — likely bcc’ing reporters,” the executive said. “Herridge interviewed General Thomas at the Aspen Security Forum on Friday and did a wrap-up story on the panel for FoxNews.com, which was published on Friday night. Seems like an awfully long time to wait to correct something if they were so concerned about accuracy. And Ha did not reach out to Fox & Friends until 2 p.m. on Sunday for a story that aired Saturday morning. … Why did it take them so long to reach out?”

Rhoades Ha responded to this saying she initially emailed the “Fox & Friends” weekend executive producer at 12:53 on Sunday, and requested for 3 p.m. Rhoades Ha also said she “sent a separate request to Catherine Herridge and her co-author to update their story, which I would have done with or without the Fox & Friends segment. I did not ask Catherine for an apology. She responded and updated her story.”

“We asked them for an apology because the entire premise of their segment is false,” Rhoades Ha said. “I find it curious they are focusing on the timing of my emails instead of whether or not they’re reporting if false”, Rhoades Ha said.

Itunuoluwa

Tags: apology, fox news, ISIS Leader, new york times, retraction