CNN on Thursday erroneously labeled Alabama as Mississippi during its coverage of Hurricane Dorian — an embarrassing error that earned the partisan news network mockery from White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham.
The network presented the graphic as part of a segment regarding Dorian’s path as it inches up the United States’ East Coast. The hurricane, which killed at least 20 people in the Bahamas in recent days, is presently lashing the Carolinas as a Category 2 storm.
Grisham pointed out CNN’s error on Twitter, writing: “Hi @CNN, I know you guys are busy analyzing lines on a map, but perhaps you use your time to study up on U.S. geography?”
CNN responded directly to Grisham’s taunt, saying: “Thanks, Stephanie. Yes, we made a mistake (which we fixed in less than 30 seconds). And now we are admitting it. You all should try it sometime.”
Thanks, Stephanie. Yes, we made a mistake (which we fixed in less than 30 seconds). And now we are admitting it. You all should try it sometime.
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) September 5, 2019
The back and forth comes as President Donald Trump repeated his claim that “certain models strongly suggested” that Hurricane Dorian could hit Alabama. On Wednesday, the president showed reporters a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) map in the Oval Office with semicircle seemingly drawn with a black marker to show Alabama is in the storm’s path.
“Alabama was going to be hit or grazed, and then Hurricane Dorian took a different path (up along the East Coast). The Fake News knows this very well. That’s why they’re the Fake News!” President Trump wrote earlier Thursday of his previous prediction.
Alabama was going to be hit or grazed, and then Hurricane Dorian took a different path (up along the East Coast). The Fake News knows this very well. That’s why they’re the Fake News!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2019
Story cited here.