CNN debunked a viral video circulating on social media claiming correspondent Clarissa Ward’s reporting in Israel was staged.
“The audio in the video posted and shared on X is fabricated, inaccurate and irresponsibly distorts the reality of the moment that was covered live on CNN, which people should watch in full for themselves on a trusted platform,” a CNN spokesperson told The Post Friday.
The footage in question depicted Ward and her crew, running for cover and hitting the ground when they heard a barrage of rockets nearby during an attack near the Israel-Gaza border.
The footage depicted the journalist laying on out of fear with her face to the ground in the live show on Monday.
A man with Ward’s team then mentioned that the rockets were coming from the Iron Dome, Israel’s defense system. “That’s the Iron Dome,” he said, reassuring Ward and the crew of their safety.
A fabricated version circulated widely on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a fake audio track of someone directing the action.
“CNN Busted FAKING Attack In Israel For The Camera!,” The Quartering posted on X.
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The manipulated video was then reposted by other accounts and had been viewed millions of times, with many users replying that they believied the audio was genuine.
Twitter owner Elon Musk even responded to one of the posts from The Quartering with a laughing with tears emoji.
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The Quartering also posted the phony video on YouTube, promoted the false claim that Ward and the other members of her team were acting for the camera.
The fake video was disproven on Snopes on Wednesday.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
