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 Schadenfreude  |
Posted on 05/12/2003 11:10:03 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
One of the current errors in the New York Times was their April 12 report that it took only 48 hours for the Baghdad Museum to lose "at least 170,000 artifacts carried away by looters."
Actually the total number of artifacts lost was 25 – a New York Times mistake of 169,975.
Then, there were the more than six dozen Times stories, editorials and columns all dealing with Executive Editor Howell Raines' apparent passion: the Augusta, Ga., National Golf Club's men-only membership policy. The Times-inspired boycott of the Masters tourney at this golf club was one of U.S. history's most spectacular flops.
Hard on the heels of Howell Raines foolishness came the firing (technically, the forced resignation) of Times' reporter Jayson Blair, age 27 – for plagiarism.
In a story the Times published on page 1 on April 26, there was an interview with the family of U.S. Army specialist Edward Anguiano, then missing in action, but since reported dead.
The wording of this story was so extensively similar to the reporting of San Antonio Express news reporter Macarena Hernandez, that this Texas daily's editor, Robert Rivard sent an e-mail complaint to Times Managing Editor Gerald Boyd in New York.
Blair's Times story was datelined "LOS FRESNOS, TEXAS" – although the Anguiano family said they were never interviewed by Mr. Blair.
Rather than reporting this plagiarizing and the termination of Jayson Blair on page 1 – where his stolen story was published – the New York Times ("All The News That's Fit To Print)" backpaged this New York Times scandal.
Not only that, but the Times failed to report what the Washington Post's media critic, Howard Kurtz, reported: Jayson Blair's reporting had to be corrected 50 times.
This led Washington's Weekly Standard magazine to ask: "How many stories do you get to screw up at the Times and still keep your job?"
So, the Weekly Standard ran Jayson Blair and his stories through a Nexus database.
They found that since he began working for the New York Times on June 9, 1998, Blair has 725 bylined stories – 50 of which had to be corrected – 6.9 percent.
So the Standard ran a Nexus check on two of the New York Times most celebrated bylines, to see how many corrections their stories required. The results, since June 9, 1998:
This led the Weekly Standard to conclude that, at the New York Times, "The [executive editor] Howell Raines-era accelerated its reputational tailspin."
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Schadenfreude |
Sloppy Ho-well.
UM launches own probe of ex-reporter's work - N.Y. Times correspondent resigned this month for plagiarism; University to review 30 articles Blair wrote while a student at College Park -*** Blair was a smart person who worked hard to chase stories and develop stories, said Olive Reid, assistant dean of the journalism school. But he also drove himself too hard, she said, not eating enough and picking up a smoking habit. "He was always working so hard to prove himself because he was a bit insecure," said Reid said. "He was always running himself ragged." That drive also made him a polarizing figure, Reid said, a person who sometimes turned people off because of his competitiveness.
Blair discussed it with Reid in a phone conversation the two had last week, after allegations of plagiarism surfaced but before the Times' story Sunday. "The first thing he said was 'I know a lot of people hate me. They're glad it happened and I gave them ammunition. I know they are happy about it,'" she said.
Kunkel said contrary to the Times report, Blair won't be able to return to Maryland to finish his degree. "You're talking about a serial plagiarist and fabulist," he said. "But I do hope he finds a way to finish his college education, because he's going to need it more than ever."***
They found that since he began working for the New York Times on June 9, 1998, Blair has 725 bylined stories – 50 of which had to be corrected – 6.9 percent.
So the Standard ran a Nexus check on two of the New York Times most celebrated bylines, to see how many corrections their stories required. The results, since June 9, 1998:
Washington Bureau Chief Adam Clymer: 400 bylined stories – 35 requiring corrections (9 percent).
Clymer's off-base percentage is 9 to Blair's 6.9? Well, I guess this means Blair is only a Minor League you-know-what.
Neither does the NYT -- until they're caught. Their corrections only include factual errors, such as misspellings, incorrect dates, etc. Errors such as misquotes, erroneous bylines, and fabricated stories are not noted -- until they are outed factually and indisputably, as they were in this case by the San Antonio paper. Considering the media's use of "unnamed sources" to further politically-motivated views, it's virtually impossible to fathom who's telling the biggest whopper.
The problem is that by the time the truth becomes apparent, as in the D.C. sniper reportage, the damage in public perception has already been done -- and that's what the NYT counts on.
Even in the case of gross exaggeration of the looting at the Baghdad museum, all the NYT has to say is that they were simply reporting what museum officials were telling them.
Considering the the NYT is the "paper of record" used by multiple new sources -- including FNC -- each untruth or halftruth is multiplied a thousandfold through a nationwide and worldwide ripple effect.
I'd like to see a lawsuit by Blair airing the NYT dirty laundry, but my guess is that he knows too much and has been paid off handsomely to keep his mouth shut -- not to mention that he shares the same leftist ideology of the Times. Heck, he might even accuse them of secretly supporting the Bush administration!
10. When anything bad happens, front page asks, "Where are you, Spider-Man?"
9. Answer to every clue in Sunday crossword puzzle: Taffy
8. New policy: "We'll print your name in any story for $49.95"
7. Everyone in photographs looks like the publisher in a wig
6. Most stories involve the reporter ending up drunk at a strip club
5. They just endorsed Dukakis
4. Motto "All The News That's Fit To Print" replaced by more trendy "Don't Go There, Girlfriend"
3. Its journalistic integrity is questioned by Geraldo Rivera
2. They believe President Bush's tax cut is a good idea
1. Sports page reports Mets in first place
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