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Writer Fabricated Boston Globe Story on Seal Hunt
EFL:Cue up Inspector Reynaud's picture please...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. Wow. Can ya believe that... 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 seasonal hunt for baby seals off Newfoundland -- a hunt, it turns out, had not taken place. Wow. Can you believe that... The story datelined Halifax, Nova Scotia 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. Well, it might not have ever happened, but that's probably what it would've looked like if the Globe was actually there to witness what never happened. Even if it wasn't there, that's what they'd think it'd look like. Can't alienate that core constituency... Stewart could not immediately be reached for comment. The newspaper, which received a complaint from the Canadian government, said 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? Damn! They'll get you every time! They should've learned that the first six or seven times this happened to them... "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," it added. The Globe's "Journalistic standard" is, I believe, "Don't get caught." It's over the doors on Morrissey Blvd. Canadian Fisheries Minister Geoff Regan said his officials had called the paper to point out the error. Oh....ummmmmmmmm...gee. Thanks, minister... Officials with the newspaper were not immediately available for further comment. Probably out drinking early today after this broke... Posted by: tu3031 2005-04-15 |
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