Right-Wing Media Evokes Controversial Rolling Stone Story To Discredit Senate Torture Report

Conservative media are attempting to discredit the investigation by the Senate Intelligence Committee into the CIA's use of torture on terrorism suspects by comparing it to a controversial Rolling Stone article detailing an alleged rape at the University of Virginia that was criticized for not interviewing students implicated in the assault.

Senate Report Details CIA's Use Of Torture On Terrorism Suspects

Senate Intelligence Committee Released Report On CIA's Harsh Interrogation Techniques. On December 9, the Senate Intelligence Committee released an extensive report detailing the interrogation methods used by the CIA on terrorism suspects.  According to The Washington Post, the report “delivers new allegations of cruelty in a program whose severe tactics have been abundantly documented.”

The report by the Senate Intelligence Committee delivers new allegations of cruelty in a program whose severe tactics have been abundantly documented, revealing that agency medical personnel voiced alarm that waterboarding methods had deteriorated to “a series of near drownings” and that agency employees subjected detainees to “rectal rehydration” and other painful procedures that were never approved. [TheWashington Post12/9/14]

Conservatives Compare Senate Torture Report To Rolling Stone Article 

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough: Senate's Torture Investigation Took “Rolling Stone's Journalistic Approach.” On December 10, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough tweeted his skepticism of Senate's torture report by comparing it to the “journalistic approach” taken by Rolling Stone “on their UVA story” because the “Senate Intel Report investigators refused to interview the accused”:

[Twitter, 12/10/14]

Fox's Brit Hume Compares Torture Report To Rolling Stone Misstep. On the December 9 edition of Fox News' The Kelly File, Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume compared the Senate torture report to Rolling Stone's UVA article, saying that the Senate's report was released “without ever having consulted the people who are basically accused here.” [Fox News, The Kelly File12/9/14]

Fox's Jesse Watters: The Torture Report “Is Kind Of Like How Rolling Stone Does Their Reporting, They Only Get One Side.” On the December 9 edition of Fox News' Outnumbered, guest co-host Jesse Watters complained thatthe investigators into the CIA's use of torture “didn't even interview any of the CIA interrogators to do the report. It's kind of like how Rolling Stone does their reporting, they only get one side.” [Fox News, Outnumbered12/9/14]

Wash. Post's Thiessen: “The Feinstein 'Torture' Report Will Make Rolling Stone's UVA Story Look Reliable.” Washington Post columnist and former Bush official Marc Thiessen tweeted ahead of the release of the Senate report that “The Feinstein ”torture" report will make Rolling Stone's UVA story look reliable..." 

[Twitter.com, 12/9/14]