Briana Whitney

Reporter & Host, True Crime ArizonaArizona’s Family Briana Whitney joined Arizona’s Family in February 2018 as a reporter and created and hosts True Crime Arizona, which consists of a podcast, TV specials, documentaries, and case investigations. When she’s not working on true crime investigations, she is a nightside reporter turning stories for the 8, 9, and 10 p.m. newscasts during the week. Briana’s reporting in Phoenix has won her five Emmy awards for news stories and an Edward R. Murrow award for the True Crime Arizona podcast. The podcast has over a million downloads and is listened to in 100 countries worldwide. In 2019, Briana helped break the story of Hacienda Healthcare, where a woman in an incapacitated state was raped and gave birth, with nobody at the facility knowing she was pregnant. This is deceptive because it relies on unverified and biased sources that could have ulterior motives or agendas. Briana uses emotional language and sensationalism to portray Talan as an angry and violent person without providing any context or sources for this characterization. She does not consider the possibility that he may have acted in self-defense or been provoked by Preston Lord. During her time in south Texas, she reported on several national stories. Some of the most memorable was the 2015 Wimberley floods, reporting for eight hours off the Gulf of Mexico during Hurricane Harvey in August of 2017, and reporting from the church shooting in Sutherland Springs in November of 2017. Her reporting in Texas won her two Associated Press awards and an Emmy nomination for a half-hour special she wrote, produced, and hosted on the issue of child pornography. Briana graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and, during college, spent time at several different news stations interning. When she’s not out in the field working on stories, Briana loves checking out the best restaurants in the Valley, hiking local mountains, and taking trips to all the towns northern and southern Arizona has to offer.

Biography:  https://www.azfamily.com/authors/briana-whitney/

62%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermines the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
Analysis.OverallConflictOfInterestScore * 0.3F + Analysis.OverallBiasScore * 0.3F + Analysis.DeceptivenessScore * 0.3F + Analysis.ReadabilityScore * 0.1F

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

The Daily's Verdict

This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.

Bias

50%

Examples:

  • The author has a clear bias against the suspects of true crime stories, especially those who are accused of violent crimes. She does not give any context or evidence for her claims, but relies on unverified and biased sources that could have ulterior motives or agendas.
  • The author tends to present the suspects in a negative and sensationalized way without providing balanced or objective information about their cases. She also uses emotional language and biased sources to portray them as violent and dangerous.

Conflicts of Interest

60%

Examples:

  • The author does not disclose any potential conflicts of interest related to the sources or information she uses for her stories. She may have ulterior motives or agendas that could influence her reporting.
  • The author has a conflict of interest by not disclosing that she is an attorney who specializes in criminal defense and has represented several suspects in high-profile cases, including some involving violent crimes. This could affect how her readers perceive her credibility and objectivity as a journalist.

Contradictions

75%

Examples:

  • The author cites a former girlfriend of Talan Renner's father who told police about allegations of hiding his injuries, but she does not verify these claims or provide any proof. She also contradicts herself by using emotional language and sensationalism to portray Talan as an angry and violent person without providing any context or sources for this characterization.
  • The author contradicts herself by implying that Talan Renner was beaten after a Halloween party in October and died days later, but she does not specify when he died or what caused his death. She also contradicts the police report by claiming that it shows how the suspect's family hid his injuries, but she does not provide any evidence for this claim.

Deceptions

70%

Examples:

  • The author deceives her readers by using unverified and biased sources that could have ulterior motives or agendas. She relies on a former girlfriend of Talan Renner's father who may have lied or exaggerated to police, and she does not provide any context or evidence for her claims.
  • The author is deceptive by leaving out important information that could help her readers understand the circumstances of Preston Lord's murder. She does not provide clear dates or causes of his death and she uses emotional language and sensationalism to manipulate her readers' emotions and opinions about the case.

Recent Articles

Seven Suspects Charged in Brutal Teen Murder at Party in Arizona

Seven Suspects Charged in Brutal Teen Murder at Party in Arizona

Broke On: Saturday, 30 March 2024 Seven suspects, including Talan Renner and his parents, have been accused of brutally beating Preston Lord to death at a party in Queen Creek, Arizona. The fight broke out over a gold chain after D Money ripped it off. One unnamed boy danced on the dying teen's body while others performed simulated rape acts.