CNN Reporter Bernie Gores Was Not Executed by the Taliban
The Claim
A CNN journalist named Bernie Gores was executed by the Taliban in Kabul.
News posted on
Emerging story
The claim went viral in August 2021.
Misbar’s Analysis
MENA: We found no evidence that a journalist named Bernie Gores was executed by the Taliban. This story began when three Twitter accounts claiming to be Afghanistan divisions of BBC, CNN, and MSNBC tweeted news of the supposed execution. These accounts were unverified and were subsequently suspended. The three accounts were not associated with any major media organizations.
CNN’s website lists all of the journalists that are currently employed with the network. We found that there is not a journalist named Bernie Gores working for CNN.
This isn’t the first time that social media users claimed that someone named Bernie Gores was tragically killed. In 2020, several posts using the same image claimed that Bernie Gores went missing during the explosion in Beirut.
The image of the supposed CNN reporter is actually a photo of American Twitch streamer Jordie Jordan. Jordan, who goes by WingsOfRedemption on Twitch, also has a popular YouTube channel.
