By Nicholas Stix
By Nicholas Stix
[Previously, at WEJB/NSU, on this hoax:
“MSM Promote Fresh, Hot, Hate Crime Hoax Out of Chicago!”]
Dana Gibson Mammoser
I have heard no one who was there back up her story. She could have made it up. Prove it.
4 · 12 December 2015 14:17
Peter Murphy
Here you go NBC. Demonstrate your dedication to the truth, your lack of bias, and your professional skepticism...Journalism 101. Show us that you're better journalists than Rolling Stone. Assign one of your reporters to find and publish the video and inteview the bus driver and any other identifiable witnesses, and this controversy will be settled...one way or the other.
From the CTA's website: "Since 2003: Each bus in CTA's fleet is equipped with multiple surveillance cameras. Today, CTA's buses feature upwards of 12 cameras on each vehicle depending on model."
5 · 12 December 2015 21:39
Jamie Komorek ·
I called BS a couple days ago. I am half Lebanese and have may relatives and friends that look way more middle eastern than her and never in 51 years heard anything of the sort. Did she make a police report? The FB account she posted this to has 0 friends, 0 photos and very little to no activity until recently. Google her name and she claims to be a blogger, writer, creator and story teller. Those I believe, seeking her 15 minutes.
5 · 13 December 2015 10:52
Deborah Ladjevardy-Gries ·
I find the story suspect as well. I am half Iranian and grew up in Chicago and in almost 50 years I also have never experienced anything like this. If true, she should have CTA investigate immediately, certainly something like this should not ever be tolerated. CTA buses have upwards of 12 cameras onboard and it should be relatively easy to review footage and interview the bus driver, who should have filed a report on this.
False accusations are not acceptable either and there is much about this story that raises flags for me. She also has written about Islamophobia for years online. It just seems sketchy to me. I would be happy to be proven wrong.
Is it coincidence that she is a journalist who interned for NBC and worked at another NBC affiliate? Or that she and the author of this piece are both alums of Annenberg TV News and USC journalism school, having both been there durng overlapping years?
2 · 14 December 2015 21:13
Mike Spitulnik ·
You have been taken in by this story as have thousands of others. Some websites have used it for propaganda and probably don't care if it is true or false. Maybe it is true, but there is certainly room for doubt and verification should not be difficult. As an NBC affiliate, your reputation is on the line. The truth matters. Investigate!
4 · 13 December 2015 22:40 · Edited
Michael Furibondo ·
This is a fake story and NBC needs to come out and apologize for publishing it. I wish something could be done about these social medialites who will do anything for followers. The world has enough hatred to go around; we don't need you selfie addicts, "professional" bloggers and wannabe models making things up
5 · 15 December 2015 03:47
Deborah Ladjevardy-Gries ·
I took the liberty of contacting Media Relations and the FOIA Officer at CTA about this incident. The response they sent me is below. I have chosen not to post their email information but their contact information is easily found on CTA's website.
"Good morning. The CTA has received no report of the alleged incident. (You can also check with the Chicago Police Department to see if it received any report). The Facebook post referencing the incident did not have many details, including either the route number, location or time of day.
CTA has reviewed video from buses that ran routes on Michigan Avenue on the date in question, and we found no video that depicts the description in the Facebook post.
Thank you."
NBC5 should either do more investigative work to prove the alleged incident happened or post a retraction.
5 · 15 December 2015 10:35
Mike London
This woman is a LIAR!!!!
1 · 15 December 2015 20:09
Mike London
Shame on you for reporting this without verifying. Yellow journalistic trash is alive and well
3 · 15 December 2015 20:10
Deborah Ladjevardy-Gries ·
Repeated requests to NBC5 and Ms. Kim to verify story have gone unanswered. This story needs verification either way.
4 · 16 December 2015 11:50
Peter Murphy
Ms. Kim. If it's too much effort to write a retraction, Rolling Stone wrote a nice one a few months ago. You could just copy and paste it. Very similar circumstances. A reporter, more interested in advocacy than accuracy, found a story that matched her personal bias and preconceived narrative and printed the "victim's" story without any attempt to corroborate it. No attempt to find witnesses. No attempt to identify or interview the supposed perpetrators. Just cross out "rape culture" and insert Islamaphobia, and you're ready to go.
4 · 16 December 2015 23:13
Deborah Ladjevardy-Gries ·
Pretty distressing to realize that random Facebook posts are now news, no vetting or corraboration required. We are now at day 3 of requests for NBC5 and Katie Kim to validate the story or retract with an apology. Facts apparently not important, only that it fits your agenda.
CTA answered my inquiry in less than 10 minutes. Surely your investigative team can do as much and better.
2 · 17 December 2015 13:54
Chicago guy said...
ReplyDeleteI'm also calling this a hoax. It just doesn't ring true. A guy in a suit on a bus in Chicago? The woman doesn't even look Middle Eastern. As a matter of fact if one walks around in downtown Chicago there's quite a number of Muslim women walking around with head scarves, face masks and even some burkhas, all going around without anyone bothering them. She's a liar trying to gain some notoriety.
Monday, December 21, 2015 at 10:48:00 PM EST