AP Continues to Stand By Disputed Iraq Story, Calling Charges 'Wrong' (On Drudge)

Editor & Publisher ^ | December 08, 2006 | E&P Staff

[Fighting Irish]

[snarks_when_bored]

"Questioning their integrity and work ethic is simply offensive," she wrote.

Calling something "offensive" is the non-religious equivalent of calling something "blasphemous", and the intent is the same: to shut the mouths of critics.

[Doc Savage]

" I'm really mad about your assertions and it's not nice and I'm going to take my ball and go home and I'm going to tell my mommy and you better be nice to me or I'll write more lies about you not wearing panties, and oooooohhhhh I'm just so mad at you conservatives. So take that!"

[wdkeller]

OK, AP, listen: it's real simple.

Produce this character. Stand him up at a press conference along side the Iraqi chief of police who will pat him on the head and say, "yep - that's my boy!"

Then we will admit we were wrong.

 

 

[Jeff Chandler]

Charges that The Associated Press...running a false story on six Iraqis who were allegedly set on fire two weeks ago -- and had used as a source a supposedly fictional Iraqi police captain -- have continued to emerge from conservative bloggers and pundits

Every Republican politician should be jumping in front of every available TV camera to condemn AP. The White House should have a "War Room" directing the public outrage. That's how you fight a war on the home front-you stand behind the troops. Instead we get nothing but silence from the republicans.

[tobyhill]

It's very simple, produce their source and let someone in position find out who he/she really are?

[GoLightly]

The same source has been used in their stories for a couple of years.

[ClaireSolt]

This is not the only story. I do wonder why people like Rush haven't said a word, tho O'Reilly put his toe in the water with a Steyn interview this week. Maybe it is because there is a need/biz op for competition in news gathering. I'll bet there is a lot going on in boardrooms.

[GoLightly]

A lot of news organizations used AP as their source. AP is holding fast & as long as it is holding fast, most won't wanna be the big newsie to call them on it without real proof. You wanna be the guy who tries to prove a negative, especially if you don't have people on the ground with sufficient safe mobility to check this story? Besides, the story fits the desired template sooooo well.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi government is talking about passing a law against printing false stories & they've set up an official clearinghouse for information. Course, that sets a bad precedent for a democracy, where a responsible free press acts as a watchdog.

I don't think there is near enough going on in boardrooms, beyond discussion about how to best circle the wagons. Competition would help, but developing one/some takes time & tons of money. Besides, a lot that is broken is the product coming out of journalism schools.

[ClaireSolt]

We will see. I agree with your last statement. I don't se any journalists who are really qualified to comment on politics and world affairs. What they say is so shallow and vapid, you know they did not study history, econ, or poly sci.

[GoLightly]

I'm also concerned about the quality of education in the areas of history, econ & poli sci. Education in the liberal arts doesn't seem to have anything to do with liberalism anymore, at least not in the classical sense.

One of my sons recently graduated with a history major & another is working on a degree in journalism & no, I don't think either of them will become part of the cure. Least they no longer resort to name calling when we get into debates about subjects where we disagree, though I did have one tell me my position on something was "hurtful". ::rolls eyes::

[advertising guy]

reporters do not willy nilly tell the public their magical secrets. That is like you on the football team and on a play your tackle moves early and no flag from a ref,so you rise and point to the tackle and say,hey he moved. Now football ain't a religion but journalism is.

[advertising guy]

spot on..remember we were watching those web cams in Iraq all day and night and Richard Engle was told the nights
activity FROM N. Y. ? And of course he is revered by the media. Brian Williams wanted to give him a Monica.

[kcvl]

"It's awfully easy to take pot shots from the safety of a computer keyboard thousands of miles from the chaos of Baghdad.".........."

Not if the 'reporters' are lying! Who knows if the 'reporters' are sitting safely behind 'a computer keyboard' in Baghdad? It's not if that hasn't happened before. First, they must earn the respect if they want people to respect these 'reporters'.

As if, these 'reporters' RESPECT our military (even when our military are protecting their *sses!).

Cry me a river until you prove these 'reporters' weren't lying!