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So much for credibility ... nice work USA Today

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Ira_Schoffel, Jun 30, 2006.

  1. Ira_Schoffel

    Ira_Schoffel Member

    So, USA Today writes that big expose a few months back on how all the phone companies are giving our records to W's White House to spy on us.

    Then it comes out that the main reporter, Leslie Cauley, has been a donor for a Democrat. Now, USA Today is backing down on the BASIC PREMISE of the entire story. But instead of standing up tall and admitting their shortcomings, this is the story and "note to the readers" that they run.

    http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-06-30-nsa_x.htm

    They could have just saved some space and said, "Hey, we were wrong. But there's still some bad stuff going on. And by the way, other papers reported stuff like this too. So leave us alone."

    Everybody's going to make mistakes. Being misled by sources is a time-honored tradition in D.C. But you have to fall on your sword when it blows up ... it's the only way to not appear that you have an agenda.
     
  2. 85bears

    85bears Member

    Why the hell would any journalist donate to one political party or another? How stupid can you get?
     
  3. Ira_Schoffel

    Ira_Schoffel Member

    Good question.

    Another one is how you let that same reporter -- whose credibility has been questioned because of that contribution and who was apparently wrong on one of the year's biggest stories -- then turn around and work on the follow-up clarification story?

    Boggles the mind.
     
  4. SockPuppet

    SockPuppet Active Member

    Jeeeeezzzzz. Thanks, Gannett, for helping out the industry.
     
  5. Chi City 81

    Chi City 81 Guest

    Do you expect anything less from the McPaper?
     
  6. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member

    Ask Dan Rather.
     
  7. tyler durden 71351

    tyler durden 71351 Active Member

    Great...this will give ammo to the knuckle-draggers who are biased against the press. F'n Gannett.
     
  8. DyePack

    DyePack New Member

    Not much from the Poynterbots so far.
     
  9. Chi City 81

    Chi City 81 Guest

    Can we expect an update from Wenalway?
     
  10. DyePack

    DyePack New Member

    [​IMG]

    But of course.
     
  11. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    FWIW, USA Today is to Gannett as Vatican City is to Italy.

    Kind of a nation unto itself.
     
  12. BillySixty

    BillySixty Member

    I'm not sure if this has been posted before, but Roscoe Nance's Mock Draft for USA Today didn't include Rudy Gay.
     
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