News Media Grapples with Reporting False Government Statements in Fatal Shooting Case

No one likes being lied to, especially when it comes from government officials addressing a fatal shooting. This ethical dilemma has sparked intense debate among NPR listeners after federal agents shot and killed Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti on January 24.

Hours after the shooting, U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino held a press conference where he claimed Pretti “approached law enforcement with a weapon,” “violently resisted,” and intended to “massacre law enforcement.” These statements were subsequently repeated across social media and in interviews with multiple news outlets, including NPR.

As bystander videos began circulating online, however, a different narrative emerged—one that contradicted the official government account. This created a journalistic quandary: How should news organizations report official statements that appear increasingly misleading or false?

Many NPR listeners expressed frustration with hearing Bovino’s statements on air. “Why would you play a clip of Bovino lying without forcefully contextualizing his statement with an analysis of the video?” wrote one listener. Another complained, “Please stop reporting what officials from the Department of Homeland Security say as if they are facts. They no longer are.”

NPR’s approach evolved over the critical first 24 hours following the shooting. In initial reports, journalists included Bovino’s statements but added qualifiers, noting it was “not clear” from videos if Pretti had brandished or reached for a weapon. By the next day, reporters more directly stated that the videos “refute that assertion.”

The network’s journalists initially used cautious language like “appear” and “seem” when describing what the videos showed—a practice that frustrated some listeners who wanted more definitive reporting. NPR deputy managing editor Jim Kane explained that this caution was deliberate, citing past media missteps with partial video evidence.

“Just because someone started to press record, that doesn’t mean that’s the beginning of the incident,” said Eric Marrapodi, NPR’s Vice President for News Programming. “As more people were posting different angles, it became really clear that we did have the beginning of the confrontation and could make a more definitive repudiation of what the administration was saying.”

By Sunday afternoon—roughly 24 hours after the shooting—NPR editors issued formal guidance instructing journalists to use stronger language, stating that “video evidence and eyewitness accounts that have surfaced so far refute” the government’s assertions.

The case highlights a broader pattern of government misinformation surrounding the incident. Beyond Bovino’s statements, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed Pretti was “brandishing” a weapon and “reacted violently.” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called him an assassin, while FBI Director Kash Patel incorrectly suggested bringing a loaded weapon to a protest was illegal.

Media ethics experts argue that while false statements shouldn’t be amplified uncritically, the public needs to understand how coordinated the government’s efforts were to shape the narrative. “It’s important for people to actually hear that audio,” Marrapodi said of the official statements. “The fact that they were so strident about it, I thought it was important to the story.”

With federal authorities blocking independent investigations and refusing to identify the officers involved, journalists may be creating the most complete—possibly the only—public record of these killings. This underscores the importance of deliberate, accurate reporting that prioritizes truth over expediency.

The case represents a growing challenge for news organizations in an era where government statements increasingly require verification before reporting, balancing the need to inform the public while avoiding becoming a conduit for misinformation.

NPR has repeatedly requested interviews with officials from the Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, all of which have been declined or ignored.