Shoot First, Verify Later is Not Good...

When I was a working journalist, Brian Ross of NBC News was one of my heros.  A fearless investigative reporter, Ross covered the toughest stories.  He was inspiring.

Now, 25 years later, he works for ABC News and he's done something unthinkable and unforgivable.  He ran a story without verifying it was accurate.  Worse yet, he allowed his personal biases to intrude into his coverage of the news.  Now if he were a commentator and not a reporter, this wouldn't be such a big deal.  But he's not a commentator.

Brian Ross took the horrific shootings in Aurora, CO and used them to advance his personal, political agenda opposing the Tea Party.  He found someone with the same name as the shooter on a Tea Party website and went ahead and reported the shooter was connected to the Tea Party without first making sure it wasn't a case of two different people with the same name.  That's exactly what it was. There is no evidence that the real shooter was ever a member of the Tea Party or that his politics are conservative.

Brian Ross shot first, by leading with the story before all the facts were checked.  He and ABC News have apologized.  That's not good enough.  Brian Ross should be fired.  Or better yet, he should offer his letter of resignation.

Our heros have feet of clay.  One of mine just proved to me that he isn't the man I thought he was.

I will not watch ABC News again until Brian Ross no longer works there.