After erroneously featuring a photo of singer Patti LaBelle in a video tribute to Aretha Franklin,
Fox News released a statement apologizing for the mistake. After further review of the photo and the network’s explanation, though, it is evident the statement
also contains incorrect information, thereby failing to explain the error adequately.
On Thursday morning amidst reports that the
Queen of Soul had died, Fox News broadcast a lengthy video memorial featuring interviews and performances with the singer. However, viewers quickly began calling out an error in a graphic around the 3-minute 30-second mark,
which features a photograph of Patti LaBelle in the background of a larger, more prominent photo of Franklin, as well as her name, and her birth and death years.
In a statement to EW, Fox News executive Jessica Santostefano explained the error. “We sincerely apologize to Aretha Franklin’s family and friends. Our intention was to honor the icon using a secondary image of her performing with Patti LaBelle in the full screen graphic, but the image of Ms. Franklin was obscured in that process, which we deeply regret,” the statement read.
However, upon review of the photo in question of LaBelle, EW was unable to find any instance of her and Aretha Franklin performing or appearing together on stage at the
“Women of Soul: In Performance at the White House” special hosted by President Obama in 2014, which
aired on PBS.
