Over the past few days, CNN and MSNBC anchors have repeatedly issued disclaimers after airing live footage of President Donald Trump’s remarks, clarifying that many things the president had said simply weren’t true. While these quick turnaround fact checks and acknowledgement of the president’s lies are a step in the right direction, it raises the question: If the purpose of the news is to inform viewers, why keep airing Trump's constant misinformation live in the first place?
On September 25, cable news outlets aired Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. After broadcasting Trump's remarks, both CNN and MSNBC noted that what viewers had just heard was full of misinformation. CNN’s Brooke Baldwin stated, “We just need to note before we analyze all of this that, you know, everything he said about the Bidens is 100% wrong.” Likewise, on MSNBC, Katy Tur informed viewers: “It’s important to underscore, once again, that the president has offered absolutely no proof for any of his allegations.”
Cable networks had to fact-check the president again later that day when they aired Trump’s press conference at the U.N. General Assembly. MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace decided to cut away as Trump was speaking, noting, “We hate to do this, really. But the president isn't telling the truth.” CNN waited until after Trump’s remarks to state, “First of all, we should just note that he said a lot of things that were not true.”
