Journalism

Thou Shalt Not Anger The Times

Today's New York Times includes a letter I wrote to ombudsman Daniel Okrent about his decision to out a reader who sent a violently hostile e-mail to political reporter Adam Nagourney: I was disappointed by your decision to reveal the name of the offensive e-mail correspondent. The easiest thing for any newspaper columnist to do is to quote his most abusive critics. It's a win-win: no one would be persuaded by the person's horrendous comments, and it builds sympathy for the columnist. On the ... (read more)

2004/10/24

AP Reporter Fabricates 45 Sources

The Associated Press has issued a huge correction after one of its reporters, Christopher Newton, quoted more than 45 fictitious sources in his stories. Newton was incredibly brazen, making up numerous professors, researchers, and public policy organizations. Some of the sources were placed at real institutions such as the University of Texas, the National Organization for Women, and Consumer Reports magazine, but he wasn't caught for several years. Matt Drudge got away with something similar ... (read more)

2002/10/24