12 Times the News Got It Completely Wrong
Here's a roundup of epic moments when trusted media outlets completely missed the mark — and everyone noticed.
- Chris Graciano
- 3 min read
The news is supposed to inform. But sometimes it hilariously (or dangerously) misses the truth. From epic prediction fails to major misquotes, these are the headline blunders that aged like milk. Here are 12 unforgettable moments when the media absolutely dropped the ball.
1. “Dewey Defeats Truman” (1948)
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One of the most infamous front-page blunders in U.S. history. The Chicago Tribune printed this headline before final results were in — only for Truman to win.
2. CNN and Fox News Call Obamacare Decision Wrong (2012)
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Both networks rushed to report that the Supreme Court had ruled to overturn the Affordable Care Act. Turns out — it hadn’t. Minutes later, they backtracked, but the damage was done.
3. Y2K Panic Reporting
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The media stoked fears that computers would fail when the year 2000 hit. Predictions included plane crashes, nuclear meltdowns, and financial chaos.
4. Balloon Boy Hoax (2009)
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News channels aired live footage of a boy supposedly trapped in a homemade flying balloon. Hours of coverage later, he was found hiding in his attic — safe and unharmed.
5. Rolling Stone’s Discredited Campus Story (2014)
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A sensational story about assault at a college went viral — until it unraveled. Investigators found it was based on false claims and lacked fact-checking. The fallout was massive, and the magazine faced lawsuits.
6. “Mission Accomplished” Banner (2003)
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President George W. Bush’s speech aboard a U.S. Navy ship declared the end of major combat in Iraq. Media outlets echoed the sentiment. However, the war dragged on for years.
7. BBC Reports Death of Queen Elizabeth—While She Was Alive (2020)
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A staff training glitch led to live tweets announcing the Queen’s death. She was very much alive. The posts were quickly deleted, but the screenshots remained.
8. “Apple Is Doomed” Headlines (1990s–2000s)
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Tech journalists repeatedly predicted that Apple would fail, especially before the iPod was released. Over and over, the company was declared dead in the water. Then came iPhones, iPads, and a trillion-dollar turnaround.
9. MSNBC’s Boston Marathon Bombing Suspect Mistake (2013)
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During the manhunt, several media outlets named the wrong suspect. One photo spread rapidly online and on air of an innocent person. The mistake put an entire family in danger.
10. “The Internet Is a Fad” Claims
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In the ’90s, several outlets dismissed the internet as a passing trend. Some predicted it would be gone in a few years. The digital revolution that followed proved otherwise.
11. Tom Brokaw Wrongly Reports Gore Win in 2000 Election
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During the nail-biting Bush vs. Gore election, NBC projected Gore had won Florida. Other networks followed suit. Hours later, the state flipped. One of the messiest nights in election coverage history.
12. New York Times Misreports WMDs in Iraq (2002–2003)
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Credible sources, high stakes — and still, the coverage fueled a war based on weapons that didn’t exist. The Times later issued a massive correction. It was one of the most consequential media missteps of the century.