On August 7, 2005, on Fox News' "Inside Scoop with John Loftus" he gave out the home address of an Orange County CA home, claiming it was the residence of a known terrorist.
Predictably, the home has been the target of vandalism, threats and entire web sites sprang up dedicated to photographs of and maps to the home.
Aside from the lynch mob mentality involved in such an operation, there's the simple fact that the residents of the home have no known ties to terrorism.
As a matter of fact, the "suspected" terrorist moved out of the home three years before the broadcast.
As of this writing, FOX news has offered a one line apology in one on line publication, Loftus has posted an apology to his web site, and he's sent an e-mail apologizing for his actions to the family.
FOX news has not published or aired a retraction or apology that even comes to the kind of exposure the original threat received.
Because of his reckless and dangerous behavior, I'm encouraging others to get the word out, and convince the media to stop giving this dangerous and highly unstable man a forum.
Track down any references to John Loftus, contact the publications using him as a source or reporter, and tell them what you think.
An example e-mail would be:
I recently came across an article in which your site used John Loftus as a source. I thought you might like to know that Mr. Loftus' credibility and ethical standing has come under scrutiny.
Specifically, he gave the home address of a Southern California couple, claiming that it was the residence of a terrorist.
The couple, who have no known ties to terrorism, have been harassed and their home vandalized. The local police have stationed a squad car outside their home to protect them 24 /7.
John Loftus has demonstrated a singular disregard for accuracy and public safety. His actions seemed geared towards inciting mob violence and the public lynching of innocent people.
I would avoid him in the future, as his lack of ethical standards and inability to distinguish truth from fiction will mar any article in which he is used as a source. His name will bring your own accuracy and credibility into question.
John's National Radio Broadcast Schedule, according to his web site
Call Sign | Frequency | City | State | Time |
WABC-AM | 770 | New York | NY | M-F (10p-1a) |
KIXW-AM | 960 | Apple Valley (Los Angeles) | CA | M-F 7P-10P |
KSFO-AM | 560 | San Francisco | CA | M-F 3a-5a |
WGAW-AM | 1340 | Gardner (Boston) | MA | M-F (10p-1a) |
WRKO-AM | 680 | Boston | MA | M-F (10p-1a) |
WMAL-AM | 630 | Washington | DC | M-F (9p-1a) |
WWBA-AM | 1040 | Tampa | FL | M-F Mid-3a as of 5/2/2004 |
WLVU-AM | 1470 | Tampa | FL | M-F Mid-3a as of 5/4/2004 (Simulcast of WWBA in overnights) |
WXCE-AM | 1260 | Amery (Minneapolis) | WI | M-F 9p-midnight |
KXL-AM | 950 | Portland | OR | M-F (10p-1a) |
WKMI-AM | 1360 | Kalamazoo (Grand Rapids) | MI | M-F 10p-Midnight Clearing all 3 hour spots |
WPEP-AM | 1570 | Tauton (Providence) | MA | M-F 10p-1a |
WWSC-AM | 1450 | Glens Falls (Albany) | NY | M-F 10p-1a |
KYOS-AM | 1480 | Merced (Fresno) | CA | M-F 7P-10P |
WHON-AM | 930 | Centerville (Dayton) | IN | M-F (10p-1a) |
WPFB-AM | 910 | Dayton | OH | M-F (10p-1a) sat 9p-1a |
KNSS-AM | 1240 | Wichita | KS | M-F (10p-1a) |
WINK-AM | 1200 | Ft. Myers | FL | M-F (10p-1a) |
KXLY-AM | 920 | Spokane | WA | M-F (10p-1a) |
WBCF-AM | 1240 | Florence (Huntsville) | AL | M-F (10p-11p) |
WBAC-AM | 1340 | Chattanooga | TN | M-F (10p-1a) |
WTRC-AM | 1340 | Elkhart (South Bend) | IN | M-F 1a-4a |
KXIC-AM | 800 | Iowa City (Cedar Rapids) | IA | M-F 9p-midnight |
WVMC-AM | 1360 | Mount Carmel (Evansville) | IN | M-F (10p-1a) |
KION-AM | 1460 | Salinas (Monterrey) | CA | M-F (8p-10p) |
KSLI-AM | 1280 | Abilene | TX | M-F (9p-12a) |