AP News regrets that they made everyone anxious about World War III.
Breitbart News reports that AP News has officially retracted a story it published stating that a Russian missile had hit territory in Poland killing two Polish citizens. They also fired the reporter.
Poland is a member of NATO, which, if true, would have had severe consequences for Russia as well as the possibility of an escalation of tensions in Ukraine.
From Breitbart News:
Social media was abuzz with concern as people wondered if the story would trigger a Franz Ferdinand-type event that would send the West into full-scale war against a nuclear power. The Associated Press pulled the story down and published an editor’s note stating that the unnamed senior U.S. intelligence officer had relayed incorrect information.
“Subsequent reports showed that the missiles had been made by Russia and most likely fired in defense of a Russian attack by Ukraine,” the editor’s note stated.
Reporters at the Daily Beast give you more context on what’s going on behind-the scenes
John Leicester, who is still at the AP, co-bylined the piece. The article attributed the information to a single senior U.S intelligence official. This is despite the AP’s rule stating that it “routinely seeks out and requires more than one source whenever sourcing is anonymous.”
According to the statement of principles and values, the only exception is when material comes from an authoritative figure who provides detailed information that is so accurate that no doubt can be raised about its accuracy. This situation, however, was not apparent as the report was retracted in full last Wednesday.
Read more at The Daily Beast:
SCOOP: Jim LaPorta was fired by the @AP, who was one of two bylines in a report that claimed Russian missiles had landed in NATO member Poland last week. This report was based on a single anonymous source which is a violation to AP’s policy.
w/@LachCartwright:https://t.co/h5EBwt7TTX
Corbin Bolies (@CorbinBolies November 22, 2022
