1998.06.07 Tailwind
CNN/Time Magazine Falsely Reports the U.S. military used nerve gas in a mission to kill American defectors in Laos during the Vietnam War -- head of CNN’s military affairs (Perry Smith) resigned in protest of their own reporting, and CNN had to offer a 54 page retraction about everything they got wrong.
Stunningly bad
You'd think that they'd have fact checkers before accusing the U.S. Forces of War Crimes. Just one person on staff that said, "are you sure?" But instead they ran something where there was "insufficient evidence that sarin or any other deadly gas was used", nor that "American defectors were targeted" or even "at the camp" they accused them of gassing. They defended their processes that failed to fact check or prevent this shit-show from going live. Two producers were fired, one resigned, and Arnett was reprimanded and eventually left.