The “big three” networks of ABC, CBS, and NBC neglected to inform their viewers on Wednesday night that FBI Director James Comey announced earlier in the day that his agency is investigating the attempted execution of a Philadelphia police officer on January 7 by a convert to Islam as terrorism.
In a visit to the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, Comey explained that his agency is “investigating that as a terrorist attack, and trying to understand, as we do in all these cases, what were the motivations, and often it's a tangled web we have to untangle, who directed or inspired the individual, if anyone, and who else might have been involved.”
With the networks out to lunch and hyping the massive Powerball jackpot instead (more on that in a moment), CNN’s Situation Room interrupted host Wolf Blitzer’s interview with Republican Senator James Risch (Id.) to feature a short soundbite from Justice correspondent Pamela Brown reporting on the new development:
Well, the FBI Director James Comey said today in Pittsburgh while he met with the field office for the first time that this was a terrorist attack. This attack against the police officer in Philadelphia by this suspect Edward Archer who walked up and shot at that officer 13 times in the name of ISIS, according to officials. That attack is exactly what the terrorist group has been encouraging and it comes a month after San Bernardino, the terrorist attack there.
As for that Powerball obsession, the network evening newscasts of ABC’s World News Tonight, the CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News devoted a whopping nine minutes and 43 seconds over the course of five segments cheering the mania ahead of the $1.5 billion draw around 11:00 p.m. Eastern.
Such a seemingly insane media obsession with no coverage on issues such as the attack on a police officer was the prevailing argument by FNC’s Megyn Kelly in the lead segment of Monday’s Kelly File.
The relevant portion of the transcript from CNN’s The Situation Room on January 13 can be found below.
CNN’s The Situation Room
January 13, 2016
5:16 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Breaking News; FBI Investigating Philly Cop Ambush as Terrorism]
WOLF BLITZER: There's breaking news we're following. The FBI now investigating the ambush shooting of a Philadelphia police officer as a terrorist attack. Our justice correspondent Pamela Brown is following the story for us. What's the new information, Pamela? What's the latest?
PAMELA BROWN: Well, the FBI Director James Comey said today in Pittsburgh while he met with the field office for the first time that this was a terrorist attack. This attack against the police officer in Philadelphia by this suspect Edward Archer who walked up and shot at that officer 13 times in the name of ISIS, according to officials. That attack is exactly what the terrorist group has been encouraging and it comes a month after San Bernardino, the terrorist attack there.
