Newsmax, an American digital media company, faced criticism for incorporating visuals of a building collapse in Davenport, Iowa, into a news report discussing a drone strike in Moscow, Russia. Social media users expressed their dissatisfaction with the company, accusing it of spreading Western media propaganda.
Newsmax Uses U.S. Building Collapse Images to Report a Russian Drone Attack
During a part of "The Record with Greta Van Susteren" on Wednesday, Newsmax aired images of a building collapse in Davenport, Iowa, USA, while reporting on a drone attack in Moscow, Russia.
“A new chapter is unfolding in the Russia-Ukraine war, and it’s disturbing,” Greta Van Susteren said. “This morning in Moscow, a city of 21 million people, there was a pre-dawn attack. Drones struck several buildings. According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, five of eight drones were shot down, the three other drones had their systems jam, causing them to veer off course,” Van Susteren added.
One of the images from Iowa clearly displayed a "tow away" English sign, indicating that it was not footage from Moscow. Multiple images from Iowa were presented until the end of the segment.
Newsmax's Mistake Ignites Social Media Users' Outrage
Twitter users responded to the company's mistake with ridicule and harsh criticism.
A Twitter user accused Newsmax of losing credibility, tweeting, "What is wrong with @NEWSMAX claiming that this picture was the drone attack in Moscow, when it’s REALLY the picture of the Davenport, IOWA building collapse? LOST CREDIBILITY!"
Dmitry Polyanskiy, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, accused the company of being Western media’s propagandist by tweeting, "A perfect example of how #FakeNews is created and promoted by Western Media. In fact the consequences of Zelenskiy regime’s coward drone attack on Moscow were minuscule and are already removed."
Another Twitter user, mocking the company for not noticing the English sign displayed in the video, wrote, "They didn’t even notice that the street signs were in English?"
A Building in Iowa's Residential Complex Faces a Partial Collapse
CNN reported that officials announced on Monday that an additional person, the eighth, had been successfully rescued following the partial collapse of a six-story apartment building in Davenport, Iowa, which occurred on Sunday.
The city issued a news release stating that the building is scheduled to be demolished on Tuesday, and the owners have received a demolition notice.
As of Monday morning, there have been no reported fatalities, and Davenport Fire Chief Mike Carlsten stated that no known individuals are trapped in the building.
The cause of the collapse in Iowa remains undetermined, and Richard Oswald, Davenport's neighborhood services director, mentioned that the building's owners possessed valid permits for exterior wall repairs.
Recent Drone Attack on Moscow, Russia
According to Russia, Ukraine orchestrated a "terrorist drone attack" on Moscow on Tuesday, resulting in damage to multiple buildings. This marks the first time that Moscow has experienced such a concentrated assault. However, Ukraine denies any involvement in carrying out the strikes.
The Russian military claims that eight drones were employed in the attacks. Of these, five were successfully shot down, and three were stopped with signal jamming technology, causing them to veer off course and miss their intended targets.
By examining visual footage, such as distinctive building exteriors and recognizable parks, BBC Verify has been able to confirm the locations of three drone strikes in the southwestern part of Moscow. These include a residential building on the outskirts of the city, a high-rise apartment block where a drone reportedly entered an apartment on the 13th floor, and another high-rise building that was allegedly targeted earlier in the morning.
The New York Times has verified videos that show four drone attacks on Moscow on Tuesday.
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