Media outlets pushed a false narrative about the number of family members of 9/11 victims who signed a petition targeting Mamdani — and then covered their tracks.
Seems to me this is just another example of the hate that thrives in the United States. The people who promote these false accounts must be a miserable lot. They should take an example from the Mayor, start realizing we are all on the same team, and benefit from living together in peace.
I so agree with you, Celeste. The haters never give up - it is like a cancer inside of them as they can never forgive or never admit they could be incorrect or, most importantly, believe at the heart of things that WE the PEOPLE are all one
Not so much hate, as bald face LYING, to rile up conservative US and US-Israeli voters.
And it all started with a Murdoch rag. Was further amplified by Bari Weiss's CBS, and then thrown out of left field by FOX News. Even *after* said "news" organizations were presented evidence the original lede was horsepuckey.
Give the story a few more days, and FOX/CBS/Post will double down further and be saying that *30,000* 9/11 family members are demanding Mamdani stay away. This is not journalism, it's propaganda.
A 'free press' does not give an outlet the freedom to publish an incorrect story. While the corrections/retractions are welcome, members of the public may not see them or if they do will only remember the first disparaging headline. The New York Post seems to run sensational headlines for stories that are weakly verified. It's their thing. CBS News' outlets should be ashamed. They have become a purveyor of sloppy journalism or just parrot stories from the internet.
*If* a press outlet fabricates a story, and in so doing financially hurts someone, they can be sued for damages. Which is why FOX News had to cough up $750 million or so just a few years ago. But there is no law that requires the media to tell the truth and not make shit up.
But the bar is very high to win a defamation award in court, as intent must be proven. Buying CBS was just pocket change to the Ellisons, who are worth nearly as much $$$ as Elon. Turning CBS into FOX-lite--even if loses them money--is well worth the political clout it gives them. Same was true of Bezos buying WaPo, and Musk buying Twitter. None of these Oligarch appears to care a rat's ass about telling the truth or doing actual journalism.
Headlines sell papers or get clicks. Shoddy, sensational reporting isn't quality journalism. Been that way since man chiseled the first gotcha story I suppose. Monied right-wing news outlet owners get reported on so much probably because of the once-trusted papers and networks they have purchased that they have made over into right-wing outlets. Problem here is too much money in too few of the wrong hands. People commenting here and elsewhere are worried about them. Rightfully so, because of the slanted news and propaganda they report and too many people lap up. I agree that the legal system isn't the shield. Our resistance to it no matter what form it takes is our best defense.
FOX News and its lesser imitators, are essentially a new form of tabloid "journalism." It's a highly profitable medium, because they fire most/all of their journalists--that cost a lot money--and replace them with a few creative writers. Who either make stories up out of whole cloth ("...people are saying."), or take some crazy internet story ("Haitians are eating the dogs and cats.") and cover the shit out of it for dozens or hundreds of cycles.
The oligarchs whose unoccupied mutli-million dollar apartments are about to be hit with substantial taxes have plenty of money and motivation to support such propaganda. Trouble is, the rest of the people of New York (the vast majority) love Mamdani so much that they'll just ignore the crap the oligarchs are pushing. Meanwhile, weasel news will try to convince Trump that there are riots in New York in opposition to Mamdani and that living in the city is akin to the movie "I Am Legend," which Trump and MAGA will be only too happy to believe because it suits their delusions.
As I don’t believe all Jews are responsible for Netanyahu, Duly elected Mayor Mamdani is not responsible for 9/11.
It is correct&appropriate that he be present at the memorial.
The guy who has told a plethora of lies surrounding 9/11. Trump. I would find his presence personally offensive, but some very stupid Americans voted for him, so he is president.
BTW Trump is personally responsible for some needless deaths as well. Covid, Gaza, Iran, women who bled to death or developed sepsis, measles, contaminated water….
I had received a text last week asking ME to sign the position. I have no connection to any of the people who died in the 9/11 attacks. The story is not a story. Thank you, PI for doing the work to expose this!!
It is really unbelievable—or maybe all too believable—that an organization like CBS New York exists in 2026. These haters will not win. The character of Mamdani is bigger than all of them.
CBS News is now run by conservative die-hard Bari Weiss, who has turned the network into FOX-lite. She destroyed CBS flagship 60 Minutes, formerly the Nielson top-rated news show in the country, and has substantially decreased viewership of all CBS affiliates.
Clear explanation of how a story gets amplified by the media, who are primarily interested in clickbait. Seems like CBS is now in the same category as Fox 'News' and the NY Post.
There is still free speech in this country and that is what Mamdani, right or wrong to do so, did. This other guy, a petition organizer", is a bald faced liar and knowing that, the Post and CBS just keep stumbling into the weeds of disinformation to report on what? What exactly has the liar, and his paper of choice, uncovered? What reporting has anybody done? What fact checking has the Post or CBS done? Without a doubt, one must ask of both entities: Have you no shame? Using the grief of 9/11 families to further your hateful agenda?
USA Today also picked up the story, at least digitally. I saw it on my MSN home page and immediately invoked the option to mark the title as misleading and the story's information as false.
As for CBS saying it altered its reporting on discovering it was untrue: HEY, REPORTING ACCURATELY IS YOUR JOB, or at least it used to be.
Well done, Judd and team! That is why I am a paid subscriber.
Thank you so much for your dogged reporting on this! I used to work with Rich Calder years ago at a small newspaper in NJ. I can no longer consider him a journalist, just a right wing propagandist.
We still have a constitutionally protected free press and they can publish essentially whatever they please. However, there’s no requirement that it be truthful or factual. Understand what you are consuming. A lot of it is just like bar snacks - free, tasty and designed to make you thirsty for more of what they’re selling.
I'm so sick of the constant lies and bigotry from the people in red hats. Mamdani has done more for New York in his short tenure than most have ever done (rent control, city groceries with lower prices, etc). But he could give everyone a million dollars each and they'd say, "He only gave us a million, I need TWO million!" SMDH
Now a standard technique just double or triple down on the false statements… brought to you by the Donald J Trump “if you ain’t lying, you ain’t trying” Grifter School of Scams. “Thank you for your attention to my advice”…DJT
Judd,PI great follow up on lies that continue to deceive & divide USA.
That’s why you don’t hear the name of
Mohammad Salman Hamdani a Muslim who died in the tower’s collapse trying to save people! A NY police cadet and first responder. Hear his name read with a ring of a bell as others. Pat and others great points too.
More great and persistent journalism from you folks. Thanks for doing what you can to keep unethical media personalities’ and outlets’ feet to the fire and trying to bring some kind of balance and fact-based reporting. As a Canadian, I continue to be astounded at how free speech rights in America are intentionally abused by large corporations that care little for truth if it interferes with profit.
Seems to me this is just another example of the hate that thrives in the United States. The people who promote these false accounts must be a miserable lot. They should take an example from the Mayor, start realizing we are all on the same team, and benefit from living together in peace.
I so agree with you, Celeste. The haters never give up - it is like a cancer inside of them as they can never forgive or never admit they could be incorrect or, most importantly, believe at the heart of things that WE the PEOPLE are all one
These Post reporters are like the child with chocolate smeared across his face who keeps denying he's been in the cookie jar.
Not so much hate, as bald face LYING, to rile up conservative US and US-Israeli voters.
And it all started with a Murdoch rag. Was further amplified by Bari Weiss's CBS, and then thrown out of left field by FOX News. Even *after* said "news" organizations were presented evidence the original lede was horsepuckey.
Give the story a few more days, and FOX/CBS/Post will double down further and be saying that *30,000* 9/11 family members are demanding Mamdani stay away. This is not journalism, it's propaganda.
A 'free press' does not give an outlet the freedom to publish an incorrect story. While the corrections/retractions are welcome, members of the public may not see them or if they do will only remember the first disparaging headline. The New York Post seems to run sensational headlines for stories that are weakly verified. It's their thing. CBS News' outlets should be ashamed. They have become a purveyor of sloppy journalism or just parrot stories from the internet.
*If* a press outlet fabricates a story, and in so doing financially hurts someone, they can be sued for damages. Which is why FOX News had to cough up $750 million or so just a few years ago. But there is no law that requires the media to tell the truth and not make shit up.
But the bar is very high to win a defamation award in court, as intent must be proven. Buying CBS was just pocket change to the Ellisons, who are worth nearly as much $$$ as Elon. Turning CBS into FOX-lite--even if loses them money--is well worth the political clout it gives them. Same was true of Bezos buying WaPo, and Musk buying Twitter. None of these Oligarch appears to care a rat's ass about telling the truth or doing actual journalism.
Headlines sell papers or get clicks. Shoddy, sensational reporting isn't quality journalism. Been that way since man chiseled the first gotcha story I suppose. Monied right-wing news outlet owners get reported on so much probably because of the once-trusted papers and networks they have purchased that they have made over into right-wing outlets. Problem here is too much money in too few of the wrong hands. People commenting here and elsewhere are worried about them. Rightfully so, because of the slanted news and propaganda they report and too many people lap up. I agree that the legal system isn't the shield. Our resistance to it no matter what form it takes is our best defense.
FOX News and its lesser imitators, are essentially a new form of tabloid "journalism." It's a highly profitable medium, because they fire most/all of their journalists--that cost a lot money--and replace them with a few creative writers. Who either make stories up out of whole cloth ("...people are saying."), or take some crazy internet story ("Haitians are eating the dogs and cats.") and cover the shit out of it for dozens or hundreds of cycles.
The oligarchs whose unoccupied mutli-million dollar apartments are about to be hit with substantial taxes have plenty of money and motivation to support such propaganda. Trouble is, the rest of the people of New York (the vast majority) love Mamdani so much that they'll just ignore the crap the oligarchs are pushing. Meanwhile, weasel news will try to convince Trump that there are riots in New York in opposition to Mamdani and that living in the city is akin to the movie "I Am Legend," which Trump and MAGA will be only too happy to believe because it suits their delusions.
Mayor Mamdani is the city’s elected mayor and should attend the memorial. The media should retract and apologize for the smears and the cover-ups.
As I don’t believe all Jews are responsible for Netanyahu, Duly elected Mayor Mamdani is not responsible for 9/11.
It is correct&appropriate that he be present at the memorial.
The guy who has told a plethora of lies surrounding 9/11. Trump. I would find his presence personally offensive, but some very stupid Americans voted for him, so he is president.
BTW Trump is personally responsible for some needless deaths as well. Covid, Gaza, Iran, women who bled to death or developed sepsis, measles, contaminated water….
I had received a text last week asking ME to sign the position. I have no connection to any of the people who died in the 9/11 attacks. The story is not a story. Thank you, PI for doing the work to expose this!!
It is really unbelievable—or maybe all too believable—that an organization like CBS New York exists in 2026. These haters will not win. The character of Mamdani is bigger than all of them.
CBS News is now run by conservative die-hard Bari Weiss, who has turned the network into FOX-lite. She destroyed CBS flagship 60 Minutes, formerly the Nielson top-rated news show in the country, and has substantially decreased viewership of all CBS affiliates.
Seen elsewhere on a political cartoon (will edit with link when I find it again):
CBS
stands for
SEE
BS
Clear explanation of how a story gets amplified by the media, who are primarily interested in clickbait. Seems like CBS is now in the same category as Fox 'News' and the NY Post.
I've stopped watching their shows. I hope their viewership is down so that they feel it, but it probably isn't.
There is still free speech in this country and that is what Mamdani, right or wrong to do so, did. This other guy, a petition organizer", is a bald faced liar and knowing that, the Post and CBS just keep stumbling into the weeds of disinformation to report on what? What exactly has the liar, and his paper of choice, uncovered? What reporting has anybody done? What fact checking has the Post or CBS done? Without a doubt, one must ask of both entities: Have you no shame? Using the grief of 9/11 families to further your hateful agenda?
USA Today also picked up the story, at least digitally. I saw it on my MSN home page and immediately invoked the option to mark the title as misleading and the story's information as false.
As for CBS saying it altered its reporting on discovering it was untrue: HEY, REPORTING ACCURATELY IS YOUR JOB, or at least it used to be.
Well done, Judd and team! That is why I am a paid subscriber.
Thank you so much for your dogged reporting on this! I used to work with Rich Calder years ago at a small newspaper in NJ. I can no longer consider him a journalist, just a right wing propagandist.
We still have a constitutionally protected free press and they can publish essentially whatever they please. However, there’s no requirement that it be truthful or factual. Understand what you are consuming. A lot of it is just like bar snacks - free, tasty and designed to make you thirsty for more of what they’re selling.
And that is why cultural literacy is so important to be taught in high schools. What is the source of your information?
I'm so sick of the constant lies and bigotry from the people in red hats. Mamdani has done more for New York in his short tenure than most have ever done (rent control, city groceries with lower prices, etc). But he could give everyone a million dollars each and they'd say, "He only gave us a million, I need TWO million!" SMDH
"I'm so sick of the constant lies and bigotry from the people in red hats."
Say it LOUDER! SMMFGDH
Now a standard technique just double or triple down on the false statements… brought to you by the Donald J Trump “if you ain’t lying, you ain’t trying” Grifter School of Scams. “Thank you for your attention to my advice”…DJT
Judd,PI great follow up on lies that continue to deceive & divide USA.
That’s why you don’t hear the name of
Mohammad Salman Hamdani a Muslim who died in the tower’s collapse trying to save people! A NY police cadet and first responder. Hear his name read with a ring of a bell as others. Pat and others great points too.
America Wake Up!
Sowing division is what these people do. They do not want us to unite, lest we start viewing each other as fellow human beings.
More great and persistent journalism from you folks. Thanks for doing what you can to keep unethical media personalities’ and outlets’ feet to the fire and trying to bring some kind of balance and fact-based reporting. As a Canadian, I continue to be astounded at how free speech rights in America are intentionally abused by large corporations that care little for truth if it interferes with profit.
Thank you PI for documenting this.