In the
latest example why the “mainstream media” is facing a historic
crisis of confidence among its readership, facing unprecedented
blowback following Craig Timberg November 24 Washington Post story
“Russian propaganda effort helped spread ‘fake news’ during
election, experts say“, on Wednesday a lengthy editor’s note
appeared on top of the original article in which the editor not only
distances the WaPo from the “experts” quoted in the original
article whose “work” served as the basis for the entire article
(and which became the most read WaPo story the day it was published)
but also admits the Post could not “vouch for the validity of
PropOrNot’s finding regarding any individual media outlet”, in
effect admitting the entire story may have been, drumroll “fake
news” and conceding the Bezos-owned publication may have engaged in
defamation by smearing numerous websites – Anti-Media included –
with patently false and unsubstantiated allegations.
It was the
closest the Washington Post would come to formally retracting the
story, which has now been thoroughly discredited not only by outside
commentators, but by its own editor.
The apended
note in question:
Editor’s
Note: The Washington Post on Nov. 24 published a story on the work of
four sets of researchers who have examined what they say are Russian
propaganda efforts to undermine American democracy and interests. One
of them was PropOrNot, a group that insists on public anonymity,
which issued a report identifying more than 200 websites that, in its
view, wittingly or unwittingly published or echoed Russian
propaganda. A number of those sites have objected to being included
on PropOrNot’s list, and some of the sites, as well as others not
on the list, have publicly challenged the group’s methodology and
conclusions. The Post, which did not name any of the sites, does not
itself vouch for the validity of PropOrNot’s findings regarding any
individual media outlet, nor did the article purport to do so. Since
publication of The Post’s story, PropOrNot has removed some sites
from its list.
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