Saturday, February 21, 2004
The New York Times in the crosshairs
Instapundit nails the Times. Two quotations from the same South Carolinian, two weeks apart:
The first:
"I don't think I could vote for George Bush again when I think of the 500 people killed in Iraq and what's happened to the economy in this country," said George Meagher, an independent, who runs the American Military Museum in Charleston and said he now favors Mr. Kerry.
The second, two weeks later:
George Meagher, a Republican who founded and now runs the American Military Museum in Charleston, S.C., said he threw his "heart and soul" into the Bush campaign four years ago. . . . "People like me, we're all choking a bit at not supporting the president. But when I think about 500 people killed and what we've done to Iraq."
Emphasis added.
So did the Times go back to the same random Joe to get the quotes it wanted for two different stories, or did it rewrite the original quote for a subsequent story, changing the guy's party affiliation to suit the story?
It is hard to decide whether this is offensive or incompetent. There is no third explanation (except perhaps the nano-possibility that there are two George Meaghers in Charleston, each contacted by the Times for separate stories).
The blogosphere is going to go wild over this one.
The first:
"I don't think I could vote for George Bush again when I think of the 500 people killed in Iraq and what's happened to the economy in this country," said George Meagher, an independent, who runs the American Military Museum in Charleston and said he now favors Mr. Kerry.
The second, two weeks later:
George Meagher, a Republican who founded and now runs the American Military Museum in Charleston, S.C., said he threw his "heart and soul" into the Bush campaign four years ago. . . . "People like me, we're all choking a bit at not supporting the president. But when I think about 500 people killed and what we've done to Iraq."
Emphasis added.
So did the Times go back to the same random Joe to get the quotes it wanted for two different stories, or did it rewrite the original quote for a subsequent story, changing the guy's party affiliation to suit the story?
It is hard to decide whether this is offensive or incompetent. There is no third explanation (except perhaps the nano-possibility that there are two George Meaghers in Charleston, each contacted by the Times for separate stories).
The blogosphere is going to go wild over this one.
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