Media top headlines November 22
In media news today, Winsome Sears and CNN spar over critical race theory, CBS' Face the Nation' continues to claim Rittenhouse crossed state lines 'armed for battle,' and The Associated Press accuses Republicans of using Rittenhouse case 'to exploit national divide' on race
CBS' "Face the Nation" had to issue a correction after a reporter claimed on Sunday that Kyle Rittenhouse crossed state lines "armed for battle" ahead of his deadly encounter in Kenosha, Wis.
In the initial report, reporter Mark Strassman suggested Rittenhouse crossed state lines, from Illinois into Wisconsin, with a gun in his possession. However, court testimony and police interviews revealed that the Smith & Wesson M&P 15 rifle Rittenhouse used during the Kenosha riots was already in the city ahead of his trip.
"Lots to unpack here, this country’s ongoing moment of racial reckoning, vigilantism, and self-defense claims from armed people who deputize themselves," Strassman added.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - NOVEMBER 20: Hundreds are gathered at the Federal Plaza and take streets to protest after Kyle Rittenhouse verdict in Chicago, Illinois, United States on November 20, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
CBS' FACE THE NATION CLAIMS RITTENHOUSE CROSSED STATE LINES ‘ARMED FOR BATTLE’
A day after Fox News Digital reached out to "Face the Nation" to flag Strassman's misleading narrative, the show responded to say it added an editor's note to Sunday's transcript: "Coverage during ‘Face the Nation’ today of the protests following the verdict in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse stated Rittenhouse ‘drove in from Illinois armed for battle.’ Kyle Rittenhouse testified that he did not drive to Kenosha with a weapon. It was not illegal for Rittenhouse to posses that particular weapon. We apologize for this oversight in language."
Several outlets have repeated the same claim, despite court documentation. The media have often misconstrued the events in Kenosha, or declared Rittenhouse a guilty man even before the defense presented its case. Liberal media pundits and Democratic politicians, meanwhile, have called Rittenhouse a "White supremacist."
Kyle Rittenhouse puts his hand over his face after he is found not guilt on all counts at the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wis., on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. The jury came back with its verdict afer close to 3 1/2 days of deliberation. (Sean Krajacic/The Kenosha News via AP, Pool) (Sean Krajacic/The Kenosha News via AP, Pool)
Defense lawyer Mark Richards recently sounded off on the reporting that took place during the trial.
"That’s wrong," he told "Banfield" host Ashleigh Banfield on Sunday. "When I hear some guest host on Joy Reid say my client drove four hours to go to a riot with his AR, that’s wrong. It’s false."
RITTENHOUSE LAWYER RIPS CNN, MSNBC FOR FALSE REPORTING, BOTCHING ‘BASIC FACTS’
Insider reported the notion that Rittenhouse travelled from Illinois to Wisconsin with the rifle in his possession was one of the top "myths" surrounding the case.
Rittenhouse claimed in court he was acting in self-defense at the Kenosha riots in August 2020 when he shot and killed two men, Joseph Rosenbaum, and Anthony Huber, and injured a third man, Gaige Grosskreutz.
Kyle Rittenhouse, third from left, stands with his legal team, from left, Mark Richards, Corey Chirafisi and Natalie Wisco as the jury leaves the room for the day at the Kenosha County Courthouse on November 5, 2021 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Photo by Sean Krajacic - Pool/Getty Images) (Sean Krajacic - Pool/Getty Images)
The 18-year-old was found not guilty on all five charges against him last Friday, including first-degree reckless homicide, two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment. His mother, Wendy Rittenhouse, told Fox News it was "not about winning or losing" in this case, as the incident left multiple families grieving, adding that her son felt "remorse" for what transpired.
