Journalism and lies.

[Pure]

The revelations about Mike Daisey and Foxconn (factory in China making parts for Apple), reminds me of some other notable howlers--and their defense as journalistic or artistic license: Janet Cooke, and James Frey (of Oprah's show)

Is there a problem, or is journalistic 'truth' somewhat fungible?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chels...etraction_b_1355983.html?ref=canada&ir=Canada

Busted: Mike Daisey Caught Red-handed
Posted: 03/18/2012 3:28 pm

Friday night, public radio program "This American Life" posted a retraction to their January 6 episode, which featured excerpts from Mike Daisey's critically acclaimed show The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs. Host Ira Glass stated that the monologue, based on Daisey's trip to visit the Foxconn factory in China, contained "significant fabrications" and Daisey lied to the show's staff during their fact-checking process. Although the details of Daisey's story seemed to check out at the time, Glass took full responsibility for airing the narrative and repeatedly apologized to his viewers throughout Friday's broadcast. Unfortunately, Mike Daisey's apology wasn't quite as convincing.


jimmy's world.
http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/markport/lit/litjour/spg2002/cooke.htm
JIMMY'S WORLD
Janet Cooke, Washington Post Staff Writer
September 28, 1980; Page A1

Correction: The following article is not factually correct and is a fabrication by the author. For a detailed account of how it came to be published by The Washington Post, please see the article by Bill Green, then the newspaper's reader ombudsman, published in The Post on April 19, 1981.

Jimmy is 8 years old and a third-generation heroin addict, a precocious little boy with sandy hair, velvety brown eyes and needle marks freckling the baby-smooth skin of his thin brown arms.
He nestles in a large, beige reclining chair in the living room of his comfortably furnished home in Southeast Washington. There is an almost cherubic expression on his small, round face as he talks about life -- clothes, money, the Baltimore Orioles and heroin. He has been an addict since the age of 5. His hands are clasped behind his head, fancy running shoes adorn his feet, and a striped Izod T-shirt hangs over his thin frame. "Bad, ain't it," he boasts to a reporter visiting recently. "I got me six of these."



a million little pieces (million little lies)



http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/celebrity/million-little-lies


[frey's account in 'a million little pieces']

As I was driving up, I saw her standing out front with a few of her friends. I was staring at her and not paying attention to the road and I drove up onto a sidewalk and hit a Cop who was standing there. I didn't hit him hard because I was only going about five miles an hour, but I hit him. The Cop called for backup and I sat in the car and stared at her and waited. The backup came and they approached the car and asked me to get out and I said you want me out, then get me out, you fucking Pigs. They opened the door, I started swinging, and they beat my ass with billy clubs and arrested me. As they hauled me away kicking and screaming, I tried to get the crowd to attack them and free me, which didn't happen.

After a night in jail, Frey was arraigned the following morning and released after a friend posted his bail with a credit card. He was, the book noted, hit with an imposing set of criminal charges: "Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Assaulting an Officer of the Law, Felony DUI, Disturbing the Peace, Resisting Arrest, Driving Without a License, Driving Without Insurance, Attempted Incitement of a Riot, Possession of a Narcotic with Intent to Distribute, and Felony Mayhem." The only count Frey took issue with was the drug charge (for possession of a "bag of crack cocaine"): "That was bullshit because I intended to use it, not distribute it.

 

[Pure]

Question

Ever write a story, in the first person, about one of your 'real', i.e actual, incidents? Did you say "This is a true story"? Was it in fact true, or did you embellish, like Mr. Frey (see OP)?

 

[TxRad]

What part of no one cares didn't you get.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Reading a book about FDR and World War 2. The author dissects how America's liberals and FDR twisted facts into pretzels to make Stalin seem like a sweet guy. And when Stalin joined Hitler to invade Poland, 20,000 libs massed in Times Square to demonstrate against Poland.

Usual Suspects always get their facts from the fiction stacks.

 

[ishtat]

Reading a book about FDR and World War 2. The author dissects how America's liberals and FDR twisted facts into pretzels to make Stalin seem like a sweet guy. And when Stalin joined Hitler to invade Poland, 20,000 libs massed in Times Square to demonstrate against Poland.

Usual Suspects always get their facts from the fiction stacks.

Stalin did not join Hitler to invade Poland. Hitler did the invading and 17 days later when the Poles were almost completely beaten, Stalin joined in the mopping up to maximise his territorial gains in the east. The Soviet and German troops met after only two days fighting by the Soviets.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Stalin did not join Hitler to invade Poland. Hitler did the invading and 17 days later when the Poles were almost completely beaten, Stalin joined in the mopping up to maximise his territorial gains in the east. The Soviet and German troops met after only two days fighting by the Soviets.

My statement stands. Stalin was an accomplis before and after the fact.

 

[Pure]

War journalism

As the stories of more recent wars attest, journalists covering wars, if they
don't make up facts, select those they report. Or pass along propaganda.

I remember the stories about Iraqis taking Kuwaiti babies out of incubators.

There are a few brave and honest souls, but sometimes their lifespan, at least as a reporter, is brief.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

As the stories of more recent wars attest, journalists covering wars, if they
don't make up facts, select those they report. Or pass along propaganda.

I remember the stories about Iraqis taking Kuwaiti babies out of incubators.

There are a few brave and honest souls, but sometimes their lifespan, at least as a reporter, is brief.

And, too, many reporters discover that its a lot safer to stay in the hotel with a drink and make it up. Mencken and Kenneth Roberts were reporters, and both confirm that their best journalism was done in a bar far from the action.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ishtat
Stalin did not join Hitler to invade Poland. Hitler did the invading and 17 days later when the Poles were almost completely beaten, Stalin joined in the mopping up to maximise his territorial gains in the east. The Soviet and German troops met after only two days fighting by the Soviets.

My statement stands. Stalin was an accomplis before and after the fact.

And, at the time of his brief and successful incursion into Poland, Stalin invaded Finland and moved to take over Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. I really hope there are apologists for the man here.