Posted on 04/17/2005 9:30:18 PM PDT by Grampa Dave
Writer Fabricated Boston Globe Story on Seal Hunt
Fri Apr 15, 6:54 PM ET
By Greg Frost
BOSTON (Reuters) - A Boston Globe freelance writer fabricated large chunks of a story published this week, the newspaper said on Friday in the latest incident to embarrass the U.S. media.
The Globe, which is owned by The New York Times Co., said it stopped using writer Barbara Stewart because of a story that ran on Wednesday about a seal hunt off Newfoundland -- a hunt, it turns out, that had not taken place.
The Halifax, Nova Scotia-datelined article described in graphic detail how the seal hunt began on Tuesday, with water turning red as hunters on some 300 boats shot harp seal cubs "by the hundreds."
The problem, however, was that the hunt did not begin on Tuesday; it was delayed by bad weather and was scheduled to start on Friday, weather permitting, the Globe said in an editor's note.
Stewart could not immediately be reached for comment.
The newspaper, which first learned of the problem when the Canadian government called to complain, said in an editor's note it should not have published the story and should have insisted on attribution for details because the writer was not reporting from the scene.
"Details included the number of hunters, a description of the scene, and the approximate age of the cubs. The author's failure to accurately report the status of the hunt and her fabrication of details at the scene are clear violations of the Globe's journalistic standards," the paper said.
'NEVER ASSUME'
Globe Foreign Editor James Smith said that the newspaper knew Stewart was not at the seal hunt and was doing her reporting from Halifax.
"What she told us -- and we did check during the day -- was that she had confirmed with one of the fishermen in the story that it was going ahead," Smith said, adding that in retrospect the paper should have worked harder to clarify this.
"The point is, never assume," he told Reuters.
He added that Globe staffers have since reviewed two other stories Stewart wrote for the paper, but found no inaccuracies or other problems with them.
Canada is extremely sensitive about the hunt, during which hundreds of thousands of seals are beaten to death or shot for their pelts every year. U.S. activists, who says the seals are killed inhumanely, are urging consumers to shun Canadian seafood until the hunt is stopped.
Canadian Fisheries Minister Geoff Regan said his officials had called the paper to point out the error.
"We've been trying to get the facts out about the seal harvest, the fact that the herd is very healthy ... that in 98 percent of cases it (the hunt) is done in a humane way," he told Reuters in a telephone interview.
Officials with the newspaper were not immediately available for further comment.
U.S. media organizations have been hit with a series of high-profile cases involving plagiarism or fabrication.
In 2003, The New York Times' top two editors, Howell Raines and Gerald Boyd, left the paper after it was disclosed that reporter Jayson Blair had fabricated and plagiarized material.
CBS News, The Washington Post, NBC News, CNN, the New Republic magazine and USA Today have also been caught up in celebrated flaps over inaccurate reporting.
(additional reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa)
Fake but accurate. There should be a law.
"U.S. media organizations have been hit with a series of high-profile cases involving plagiarism or fabrication."
"In 2003, The New York Times' top two editors, Howell Raines and Gerald Boyd, left the paper after it was disclosed that reporter Jayson Blair had fabricated and plagiarized material."
"CBS News, The Washington Post, NBC News, CNN, the New Republic magazine and USA Today have also been caught up in celebrated flaps over inaccurate reporting."
The fabrication of news and the lying about news continues it great tradition across our nation with the MSM.
But what the heck, this could have, might have or may be true, so her intent was good.
The Slimes and Glob .. like peas in a pod Bump
"Fake but accurate!"
The new byline of the MSM mediots.
The "reporter" obviously has no bias. She was just under such huge pressure to get a story, she was forced to do anything necessary to have one. And we are supposed to blame the reporter? Gosh people, don't you have any sympathy?
Just thought mentioning the New York Times as it relates to ANY "fabricated and plagerized material" should be mandatory at FR.
The Slimes and the Glob are worthless when it comes to reporting the real news.
when it comes to reporting the real news.
Well, Heck, then they'll just have to make something up .;-)
Maybe 60 minutes will do a special on why so many journalists are compelled to just make stuff up? cough
It appears that the editors sent her out to fake this story from her hotel room to rile up their readers re the "slaughter of the innocent seal pups!"
This is right out of chapter one of the Jayson Blair manual of how to get whacked out and write a sensational story in your hotel room.
"In 2003, The New York Times' top two editors, Howell Raines and Gerald Boyd, left the paper after it was disclosed that reporter Jayson Blair had fabricated and plagiarized material."
""Just thought mentioning the New York Times as it relates to ANY "fabricated and plagerized material" should be mandatory at FR.""
I never miss the opportunity to lump these bs stories in with the Slimes.
"Baby Seal goes into a bar...bartender says "what'll ya have"...seal says, "Canadian Club, on the rocks..."
You should send that the Glob's editor.
"Maybe 60 minutes will do a special on why so many journalists are compelled to just make stuff up? cough"
Mapes and Blather and a few other former CBS liars have nothing else to do. So they could fake a story on why so called journalists make stuff up and pass it on as news.
"I'm sure she could see the ocean from her hotel room. And the water does often turn a reddish hue at sunset. Anyone could have made the same mistake."
Makes one wonder what drugs or combination with booze makes the ocean turn red to the whacked out one. Maybe she just saw her eyes in the mirror while creating this whopper.
Yep, we have no sympathy for lying reporters.
FYI.
The lying and fabrication of news marches on.
Don't be surprised to see the Globe claim that they caught their own error.
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