The far-right news channel Newsmax was called out after it erroneously displayed images of an apartment collapse in Davenport, Iowa while reporting on an alleged drone strike in Moscow.
Host Greta Van Susteren described the incident as "disturbing" and showcased dramatic photos of the Iowa collapse alongside footage of the supposed attack in the Russian capital.
The mix-up quickly drew attention.
Viewers were puzzled by the presence of an English "Tow Away Zone" sign in one of the photos, hinting at the glaring error. Newsmax has yet to respond to HuffPost's request for comment regarding the incident.
You can see footage of the Iowa apartment collapse below.
You can see Newsmax's report—and the glaring error—below.
Contrary to Newsmax's misleading coverage, the drone strike in Moscow was relatively "insignificant."
The mayor of Moscow confirmed that the unmanned aircraft caused only minimal damage, and Russian defenses successfully shot down five of the drones, while three others had their signals jammed.
Only two people sustained injuries, which did not require hospitalization. Russia pointed fingers at Ukraine, accusing them of carrying out the attack, but Ukraine vehemently denied any involvement, as reported by the BBC.
The fake news story gathered even more attention after it was spotlighted by Mike Sington, a senior executive at NBC Universal.
\u201cTalk about fake news. Newsmax uses images of Iowa building collapse while reporting on drone strike in Russia. (Video: Newsmax)\u201d— Mike Sington (@Mike Sington) 1685558411
Newsmax was swiftly mocked and called out for broadcasting blatant disinformation.
\u201c@greta and @NEWSMAX are just propaganda spreading LIARS!!! This building that was "hit by a drone strike" in the video is an apartment building that collapsed here where I live in Davenport, IA... And you wonder why nobody trusts the media...\u201d— 2023 Offseason National Champs #GBR (@2023 Offseason National Champs #GBR) 1685498340
\u201cI know everyone is freaking out that Newsmax/Greta Von Sweatstain tried to play off a building collapse in Iowa as a drone strike in Russia... \n\nBut isn't the real story Michael Jackson's wigless ghost showing up to random disaster sites?\u201d— Adam "Tex" Davis (@Adam "Tex" Davis) 1685639665
\u201cHey @NEWSMAX why is she talking about a drone strike in Russia with a picture of the collapsed apartment building in Iowa?\u201d— Kimberly Burling (@Kimberly Burling) 1685628992
\u201cNewsmax uses images of Iowa building collapse while reporting on drone strike in Russia. Newsmax knows their viewers will ever notice the sign in English and, if they do, they will just somehow think everyone in the world speaks English.\u201d— Nita Cosby (@Nita Cosby) 1685571280
\u201cWow. As pointed out by others, NewsMax was reporting on drone strikes in Russia and used a video of a collapsed building in Davenport, Iowa.\n\nWhat a joke.\ud83d\udc47\u201d— Chris Mowrey (@Chris Mowrey) 1685542405
\u201cNewsmax uses images of lowa building collapse whilereporting on drone strike in Russia.\u3001\n\nNewsmax is news for MAGA morons.\n#ProudBlue #Dems4Rights #DemVoice1\u201d— Rogers Tina (@Rogers Tina) 1685622060
Misleading news coverage like the "story" promoted by Newsmax not only misinform the public but can also perpetuate misinformation and confusion on a global scale. In an era where news travels fast and misinformation spreads even faster.
Of course, Newsmax is no stranger to misleading coverage about the war in Ukraine and has continued to undermine the war effort since the war broke out in February 2022.
Last year for instance, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shut down a Newsmax reporter who attempted to suggest Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine would not have happened if former Republican President Donald Trump were still in office.
When asked by Newsmax's Rob Schmitt whether "different American leadership...Western leadership, may have prevented this aggression," Zelenskyy countered he is grateful for the help his country has received from Democratic President Joe Biden and his administration.
Moreover, Zelenskyy pointed out the most important thing for Ukraine at this moment is support from the American public, regardless of who is in office.
