Immediately after the Decision: Confusion

The Wall Street Journal: In Moments After Decision, Confusion
The first word President Barack Obama received of the ruling on his signature legislative achievement was that he had lost. It took mere seconds for erroneous reports by a pair of cable news channels, CNN and Fox News, to set off a flurry of confusion among lawmakers, candidates and even the president, all of whom had carefully prepared multiple responses for the moment, based on different potential outcomes (Lee and Lippman, 6/28).

Reuters: Chaos, Confusion Mark Cable TV Reports On Supreme Court Ruling
Sometimes, breaking news requires a little fixing. The antique traditions of the U.S. Supreme Court collided with the now-now-now news media on Thursday, resulting in chaos and chagrin as two U.S. cable television networks wrongly reported that the heart of President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law had been overturned by the nation's highest court (Jacobs, 6/28).

Reuters: Obama Hears Health Law Overturned; Moments Later, Thumbs-Up
President Barack Obama was standing outside the Oval Office when he saw the news on television just after 10 a.m. Two networks, CNN and Fox News, were reporting the Supreme Court had struck down the centerpiece of his landmark healthcare law. He looked quizzically at the TV screen. Moments later, his face brightened. White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler walked in and flashed him two thumbs-up. The court had in fact upheld the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The TV networks had reported it wrong (Mason, 6/28).