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Photo of the day: Peoria is Iraq, according to Fox

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Illinois

* Check out the Fox News headline and photo…

* If that doesn’t look like Illinois to you, then you’re not alone. The Peoria Pundit is not amused…

It’s a story about Peoria firefighters and police officers who were attacked by professional bottle rockets while responding to a dumpster fire at Taft Homes the other night. Notice the photo? It portrayed a vehicle destroyed by explosives amid a street that is littered with debris. It has nothing to do with what happened in Peoria. Nothing. It’s odd, because the photograph that ran in the Journal Star was pretty dramatic in its own right.

The headline screams “mortar shells” were lobbed at firefighters, but the article says that “mortar-style fireworks” was used.

Whatever. It’s Fox News. The entire organization has only a casual relationship with the truth.

* From the real story…

A large-scale illegal fireworks display in a housing complex adjacent to the state’s largest Fourth of July celebration turned into what police termed a near-riot Monday as tens of thousands of revelers tried to filter out of Downtown.

As the grand finale of the Red, White and Boom! event exploded over the Illinois River, emergency responders were called at 9:46 p.m. to a trash bin fire in nearby Taft Homes, where commercial-grade fireworks had been shooting into the sky since before the riverfront show began.

A fire engine and two Peoria police officers responded, but encountered what police described as a crowd of hundreds of people and an impassable Hancock Street choked with trash and fireworks — both live and spent. The debris blocked access to the burning trash bin.

Police at that point began ordering the crowds to disperse, and firefighters hosed down the live fireworks and smoldering remnants of spent shells. That’s when mortar-type fireworks began firing toward and exploding near the officers and firefighters. Some people also hurled bottles and rocks, according to police.

At least three shells exploded on the engine, causing burn marks, and one hit a firefighter in the shoulder, charring his heat-resistant gear and temporarily initiating hearing loss. Division Chief Gary Van Voorhis said Tuesday the firefighter declined medical attention at the scene and remained on duty.

* Police video…

Emergency responders on the 4th of July

* Semi-related…

* The Drudge Report, Flash Mobs, and Race

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 10:33 am

Comments

Apparently some “News of the World” ex-employees have found their way to the intertube department.

Comment by Vote Quimby! Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 10:52 am
The Chicago Magazine story neatly summed up what I’ve been feeling for some time, although I might go further than the writer did. I don’t think Drudge is a Rorschach test, I think it’s intentional meme-setting for partisan purposes.

“Scary black people” is as much a theme on Drudge as shark attacks and anti-climate change stories. It’s pretty ominous, and there are a lot of people who fall into his trap.

Somebody should analyze his content now and compare it to Bush, then to Clinton. I think that would make Drudge’s motivation more transparent.

Although, if news consumers would actually think just a little bit for themselves, Drudge wouldn’t have a market. But nobody likes to think for themselves anymore. Too much work I guess.

Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 11:02 am
I read the comments on the Fox site. While not suprising, it was apparent most if not all didn’t care/understand that Peoria isn’t actually in the middle of the desert. Nor that any jeeps were left burning during the incident.

Comment by How Ironic Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 11:16 am
=== Whatever. It’s Fox News. The entire organization has only a casual relationship with the truth. ===

Actually, it was more of a one night stand.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 11:18 am
They don’t call it Faux News for nothing. If I were a serious journalist I’d be embarrassed to work there. They should stop trying to present themselves as an unbiased news organization and instead present themselves for what they are: a propaganda machine designed to fool people into voting against their own self interests.

What other major news organization can you think of that is repeatedly caught “accidentally” using the wrong picture or file footage? Funny that none of those accidents paint the hard right in a bad light. Jeez.

Comment by TwoFeetThick Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 11:21 am
3:17
smoothest bike heist ever.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 11:41 am
It seems Fox is trying to horn in on The Onion’s territory. Sadly, it seems that most Fox viewers aren’t getting the joke.

Comment by Deep South Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 11:47 am
Rich, thanks for bringing this to our attention. Fox News is becomming far to influential and making in roads into exposing the progressive gains that have be made over the years. At every turn we need to discredit them, otherwise the rebulicans will be in charge. Good Grief!

Comment by Flaming Liberal Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 11:56 am
The mobs thing is really interesting. I live in Streeterville. The night that people were attacked on Chicago Ave., I was there. For about a week, it was a major concern.

And then what happened? Nothing. No mobs in Streeterville. Some crime of course. It is a nice area, but not perfectly safe. But no mobs. Literally every day I go for long walks in the area. I’ve never seen anything remotely similar. Water Tower Place has been a hang out for gang members for a while. That hasn’t changed. And gang members still pass through the area. Again nothing new.

Which bring me to the point, which the Chicago Mag piece hinted at: Who has something to gain with these stories? Are they just to drive traffic to the websites? Does the Tea Party think that any bad news about Chicago is good news, even if it means scaring the heck out of people so they don’t come into the City? Seems like a combination. But in any case, the connection between the panic and reality is non-existent.

Comment by Skeeter Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 12:08 pm
===smoothest bike heist ever. ===

Hilarious.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 12:15 pm
The same thing happened in Alton last year or the year before. A dumpster was set on fire and then a bunch of people shot fireworks at the fire department when they showed up to put the fire out.

Comment by Ryan from Carrollton Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 12:25 pm
A new low in truthiness. But Rupert gives the yabbos what they want, and he is making a fortune on it.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 12:32 pm
Drudges seemingly focusing on race is not quite as bad as the major media ignoring basic 5W? about these stories. When I was a young wumpus, we always knew the race of the offender. If she/he was minority, they tended to show him. Now it seems to be the opposite.

Bash Fox, love Eason Jordan

Comment by Wumpus Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 12:50 pm
===When I was a young wumpus, we always knew the race of the offender. ===

And this mattered why?

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 1:09 pm
Faux News!

I’m fairly conservative and can’t believe anyone turns Fox as a reliable source.

Comment by Regular Reader Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 1:21 pm
radio stations are periodically up for renewal, with public comment on how they are serving the community are large.

Is there a comparable TV license? If so, shouldn’t Faux have to defend itself and acknowledge that it is a pure propogandistic station for the conservative wing of the Republican Party, and not a news station at all?

By the way, have you noticed that they are saying “Fair and Balanced” less, and saying “We report, you decide” more? How can viewers decide if they are given such garbage as news and political reporting?

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 1:52 pm
—It’s Fox News. The entire organization has only a casual relationship with the truth.—

Does anyone think that today’s news -from any cable or network source - is reliable and unbiased? If you do, you are nuts. The only thing available on TV today that is close to “real news” is the BBC.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 2:13 pm
Anon @ 2:13 is me. Entered the moniker, but it did not take.

Comment by Slick Willy Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 2:16 pm
I find the utter silence on this post from our commenters on the right interesting. Hello? Anyone? Hello? Bueller?

Comment by TwoFeetThick Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 2:44 pm
==Is there a comparable TV license? If so, shouldn’t Faux have to defend itself and acknowledge that it is a pure propogandistic station for the conservative wing of the Republican Party, and not a news station at all?==

They’ll do that right after MSNBC is forced to defend itself and acknowledge that it is a pure “propogandistic station” for the liberal wing of the Democrat Party

Comment by ANON Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 2:46 pm
===a pure “propogandistic station” for the liberal wing====

Apparently, you’ve never watched MSNBC in the morning.

The network covers both ends of the propaganda game.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 2:51 pm
—Apparently, you’ve never watched MSNBC in the morning. The network covers both ends of the propaganda game.—

Maybe so, but how do you defend the likes of Olberman, Maddow, Schultz and Matthews that are clearly partisan and on for the remaining 20 or so hours of the day?

Comment by Slick Willy Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 3:19 pm
I know that Olberman left, but that was just recently.

Comment by Slick Willy Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 3:21 pm
Where was Congressman Schock??
Why didn’t he swoop in and save the day. He could have frozen the top layer of Peoria Lake with his frost breath, picked it up with his super strength and then flown it over the Taft Homes and put out the illegal fireworks that threatened our first responders.

Why have you forsaken us Congressman? Why?

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 3:22 pm
First, there’s no “maybe” about it, SW. Secondly, I’m not defending anybody. A pox on all of them is the position I’ve held for quite a long time.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 3:32 pm
Even the BBC or C-SPAN Rich?

Comment by Publius Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 3:36 pm
At least we agree on the second part. Can we throw in some frogs and locust too?

Comment by Slick Willy Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 3:53 pm
Seriously, you’ve never heard of Joe Scarborough? Really?

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 4:00 pm
Regardless of who spins what in whatever manner; the ‘attacks’ [pardon the word] on responders is pretty troubling.

Comment by sal-says Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 4:07 pm
Though MSNBC, admittedly, generally aims left, its programming is not on par with what Fox does. All news organizations make occasional mistakes, as does MSNBC. Fox, on the other hand, has a long history of presenting, um, less-than-factual information that either presents Republicans in a favorable light, and/or the Dems unfavorably. When called out about it, they mumble something about a staffer loading the wrong footage or it being a simple mistake, and then move on to the next less-than-factual item. This cycle is repeated ad nauseum. That is why their viewers are more likely to be uninformed/misinformed (use the Google). They are either: a) really bad at reporting the news accurately, or b) intentionally misrepresenting the news/making it up.

If the Fairness Doctrine still existed, Fox News wouldn’t, at least not in its current form. I’m all for bringing it back. A country where a significant portion of the population believes things that have no basis in fact is in a dangerous place. But, those on the right got rid of it, and they’ll continue to fight like mad to keep it gone because, without it, Fox, Rush, Hannity et al. can continue spewing falsehoods unchallenged to people who don’t get their news from anywhere else.

There’s nothing wrong with being conservative. But there’s no debate to be had when one side is often so completely misinformed as to what reality is.

Comment by TwoFeetThick Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 4:24 pm
Slick Willy -

You are comparing opinion shows to news. Olbermann et al are opinion. As are Hannity, Beck and O’Reilly. Their biases are clearly stated and expected.

We are talking about news here. There is no opinion about what the picture is. That is a fact. Saying Fox News can get facts wrong because MSNBC has biased opinion hosts is a false equivalency.

Comment by late to the party Friday, Jul 8, 11 @ 4:48 pm