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A Disputed A.P. Source Turns Up, but Bloggers Are Not Appeased
NYTIMES ^ | 1/9/07 | Maria Aspen

Posted on 01/08/2007 11:44:37 PM PST by pissant

After weathering six weeks of criticism for quoting an Iraqi police captain whose existence had been called into question, The Associated Press had some relief last week when Iraq changed its story and acknowledged that, yes, Jamil Hussein did work there.

Iraq’s interior ministry confirmed Thursday that Mr. Hussein was an active member of the police force, assigned to the Khadra station, according to The A.P. Mr. Hussein had been a source for an article in November about six Sunnis being doused in kerosene and burned alive by Shiite attackers — a report that the ministry, among others, had denied.

The confirmation did not halt the mud fight between conservative bloggers and the wire service. Bloggers had accused the news agency of gullibly quoting a dubious source, or even fabricating one, to exaggerate the violence in Iraq. This week, unmollified, they shifted their criticism to the fact that The A.P. itself was the source of the article acknowledging Mr. Hussein.

Linda Wagner, an A.P. spokeswoman, said that the confirmation from the interior ministry vindicated the reporting methods and standards of traditional news organizations. In a reference to a memorable swipe that Jonathan Klein, CNN’s head of domestic operations, once took at bloggers who work from their living rooms, Ms. Wagner wrote in an e-mail message: “Our reporters are not ‘pajamas media.’ ”

She added, “Our reporters tell what they’ve seen and heard to editors who ask tougher questions than many of these bloggers might imagine.”

Far from retracting their accusations, though, some Web critics continued the attack. The Flopping Aces blog (www.floppingaces.net) accused The A.P. of “whining” and wrote, “I would settle for some confirmation that this guy exists from someone OTHER then The A.P. at this point.”

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption
KEYWORDS: fakebutaccurate
This is the tip of a very large iceberg....
1 posted on 01/08/2007 11:44:38 PM PST by pissant
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To: pissant

Where is this going? Does this Jamil guy exist or not? Why is this the tip of the iceberg?


2 posted on 01/08/2007 11:49:23 PM PST by MovementConservative (The US will win in Iraq. Thank you all US troops.)
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To: MovementConservative

IF he exists or not, the AP is caught using him for 61 stories, most of which he would know zilch about. Plus they already retracted the story of 4 mosques being burned down...from Jamil


3 posted on 01/08/2007 11:51:31 PM PST by pissant
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To: pissant

The enemedia is starting to squirm, it'll be interesting to see if they can come up with any new excuses.


4 posted on 01/08/2007 11:55:06 PM PST by jazusamo (http://warchronicle.com/TheyAreNotKillers/DefendOurMarines.htm)
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To: jazusamo

Indeed!

Why are you up so late?


5 posted on 01/08/2007 11:55:48 PM PST by pissant
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To: pissant

LOL! The screens getting blurry and it's about that time. Posted a thread earlier and I'm starting a new Sowell list.


6 posted on 01/08/2007 11:57:47 PM PST by jazusamo (http://warchronicle.com/TheyAreNotKillers/DefendOurMarines.htm)
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To: jazusamo

Good reason!


7 posted on 01/08/2007 11:59:01 PM PST by pissant
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To: pissant

Thank you for posting, but does Eason Jordan know about this?


8 posted on 01/09/2007 1:10:16 AM PST by tanuki
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To: pissant

... and I don't believe THIS story either.


9 posted on 01/09/2007 4:39:02 AM PST by jmaroneps37 (Millions of Democrat babies aborted in 1988 or earlier did not vote this year.)
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To: pissant
I get the feeling that the New York Times has to defend AP and Reuters because they are the source of so many of NYT's articles.

They really ought to change their title to Reuters/AP Dispatch, since those are the companies doing all the work.

10 posted on 01/09/2007 6:45:36 AM PST by Schnucki ("When a mullah calls, an undertaker is sure to follow." -- old Persian saying)
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To: pissant
“Our reporters tell what they’ve seen and heard to editors who ask tougher questions than many of these bloggers might imagine.”

For example, "Can you prove that you have at least six months' experience of using Photoshop?"

11 posted on 01/09/2007 6:49:40 AM PST by Alouette (Psalms of the Day: 90-96)
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To: pissant

"according to The A.P."

Well now, that answers that, eh? Like I am going to believe this based on past activities of the AP...unlikely.


12 posted on 01/09/2007 9:30:36 AM PST by ASOC (The phrase "What if" or "If only" are for children.)
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