Ping for the Truth!
Hugh also notes the following re Drudge coverage of Globe fiasco:
If I was Boston Globe reporter Michael Kranish, I'd sue Drudge for libel. Drudge slammed Kranish today, stating flatly that "BOSTON GLOBE 'REPORTER' COMMISSIONED TO WRITE CAMPAIGN BOOK FORWARD -- WHILE COVERING KERRY." Boston Globe editor Martin Baron put out a statement today stating that "[i]t is completely untrue that Boston Globe reporter Michael Kranish ever contracted to write for a Kerry campaign publication. Earlier this summer, Mr. Kranish worked with Public Affairs, the publisher of the Boston Globe biography of Kerry...to write a short introduction to a second project: an independent, unauthorized review of publicly available documents dealing with the platform and policy statements of Kerry and Edwards. When Public Affairs subsequently struck anagreement with the Kerry campaign to do an official book, Kranish's relationship with the project immediately ended." I believe Baron though I have been highly critical of him over the years, and appreciate how harmful the Drudge accusation is to the reputation of a reporter. I was ready to spend part of a show blasting the Globe and Kranish when we checked with Kranish and quickly got the real story. If I could do it, why didn't Drudge?
Kranish is undoubtedly a public figure, so the libel standard would be knowing or reckless disregard for the truth, but the damage done to his repuation via this Drudge hit is huge --notice that Drudge used quotation marks around the word "reporter"-- and probably impossible to ever fully repair. Millions of people will think he was in the tank for Kerry in his writing of the swift boat stories and will never get the correction, and the test for libel is damage done to reputation in the community. Drudge would be well-advised to apologize immediately and profusely for his indefensible error.