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StinkyJournalism Media Picks
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White House Calls Out AP for Bad Fact Checking
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| by Siobhan Dixon, StinkyJournalism.org |
March 20, 2010 11:07 am EST
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| This photo from the White House Web site shows President Barack Obama at a meeting on Feb. 25, 2010, discussing health insurance reform. A report by the CBO sparked a recent tiff between the Associated Press and the Democrats over fact checking accuracy. (Credit: Chuck Kennedy) |
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The Democrats took to the blogosphere to blast the Associated Press for poor fact checking in a recent story that alleged health insurance premiums will increase if Congress passes President Obama’s proposed health care reform.
The March 17 article by AP writer Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar’s boldly warned readers, “Buyers, beware: President Barack Obama says his health care overhaul will lower premiums by double digits, but check the fine...Go to full story
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The Skinny on the Murder-for-fat Hoax: MSM Need to Update Stories
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| by Danielle Elliot, Stinkyjournalism.org |
December 14, 2009 06:10 am EST
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| Many news outlets used this image along with the original story on, what turned out to be, the murder-for-fat hoax. It shows police officers with "evidence" from the fake "crime scene." |
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When a story catches international attention, but turns out to be a hoax, should media update and clarify original stories or simply post new stories covering the on-going investigation?
Take the case of the Peruvian police fabricating a mass murder story in late November, a story that spread like wildfire around the globe.
As Sky News reports, “[Peruvian police] said victims' bodies were held above candles while the melted fat dripped into...Go to full story
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Move Over Balloon Boy, Remember Monster Pig Hoax? : Forced Perspective Photo Tricks on Flickr
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| by Molika Ashford, Stinkyjournalism.org |
October 23, 2009 08:21 am EST
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| STINKYJOURNALISM EXCLUSIVE: This new image is based on a scientific analysis done for StinkyJournalism by retired New York University physicist Dr. Richard Brandt. Brandt's analysis of the perspective geometry in the photo shows that the boy only appears to be directly behind the pig. He was actually about 5.5 feet further away, cuing the optical illusion that the boy is smaller than he is and the pig is huge in the foreground. This image illustrates how the forced perspective technique was used to create the infamous Monster Pig photo. See our Photo Gallery below that shows a collection of forced perspective trick photos from Flickr. (Credit: Robert Slawinski, StinkyJournalism) |
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Before the Colorado "Balloon Boy" hoax, there was the "Monster Pig" publicity stunt, which much like "Balloon Boy" involved the exploitation of a young boy and generated press attention around the world.
The 2007 photo distributed by the Associated Press (AP) featured an 11-year-old Alabama boy hunter holding a large handgun from behind--what only appeared to be--a wild 1051-pound beast. The image turned out to be fake, created...Go to full story
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AP is Watching YOU : New meta-tag "beacons" track copyright violators
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| by Rhonda Roland Shearer, StinkyJournalism.org |
July 28, 2009 11:55 am EST
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| AP's new meta-tag beacons will allow the news organization to track and demand payments from all who use AP words. Usage of as few as 5 to 25 words from an AP report can generate a billing of $12.50. The AP press release says the news tracking system will provide "detailed metrics" and "enforcement support" for targeting copyright violators. |
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Journalism.co.uk reports the Associated Press has just announced its Big Brother-like "news registry."
It's a "new system" that embeds meta-tags into AP articles that act as "beacons." The beacons will track any use of AP words and lead right back to any web site or blog. If they find that you have quoted any AP text--even 5 words--the tracking system can generate a demand for payment of $12.50 for the 5-25 words, according to...Go to full story
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AP Fake News Holiday Treat: Elephants vs. Humans Eating Contest
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| by Rhonda Roland Shearer, StinkyJournalism.org |
July 04, 2009
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| AP's fake news and holiday filler--the "first-ever" Elephants vs. Humans Eating Contest--generated tons of web traffic (and corresponding profits) for news companies. |
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It was a shameless publicity stunt and cross-marketing bonanza. The problem was Associated Press went along for ride (or should I say web clicks?).
The Major League Eating and Ringling Bros.and Barnum & Bailey circus--three elephants vs. three humans--hot dog bun-eating contest was covered by AP as if it were legitimate news. I mean, was there ever any doubt of who would win?
The AP photo caption reads (I bolded the companies promoted)...Go to full story
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Media Fails to Fact Check Skewed Stats in Palestinian Conflict Death Toll
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| by Danielle Mastropiero, StinkyJournalism.com |
April 07, 2009
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| Gaza image published by CNN to illustrate their story that uses dubious stats. |
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It's bad enough when TMZ and other seedy celebrity rags use "unnamed sources," but when the mainstream media incorporates them regularly as primary sources for war reporting it's clear the public has lost the battle for good journalism.
National Review Online's Stephanie Gutmann penned a recent article exploring the credibility of statistics that have poured in from the Middle East. Gutmann points out that an AP article listed the Palestine death toll as 900...Go to full story
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Profiling is Alive and Well in the Dog World
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| by Danielle Mastropiero, StinkyJournalism.org |
January 16, 2009
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| DO THESE TWO DOGS LOOK ALIKE? AP falsely reported that a "pit bull" killed a man in California. See the dog on the left. It is a Neapolitan Mastiff. A generic pit bull is on the right. An animal control officer told Stinky Journalism that it was a "Neapolitan Mastiff" that attacked the man--not a pit bull. Inaccurate reports, such as this one by the AP, distort the public's perception about the pit bull breed. The real risks to the public are lost in the sensational headlines. |
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Once again, pit bulls are the target of slow news day filler. On December 19, Gerald Adelmund, 60, of Riverside, California was reported by the Associated Press (AP) to have been mauled to death by his two "pit bulls." Several details of the case went unreported.
For starters, StinkyJournalism.org was told only one dog attacked. According to the Riverside County Animal Control office, it was "a Neapolitan Mastiff" not a pit bull or pit bull... Go to full story
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AP's new "Accountabilty Journalism":
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| Means junk science about global warming |
| by Rhonda Roland Shearer, StinkyJournalism.org |
December 17, 2008
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| Polar bears aside, a scientist and expert in oceans and climate told Fox News,that "sea level changes" are a "major scare tactic used by the global warming people." |
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Fox News reported "In the article, Obama Left with Little Time to Curb Global Warming, Associated Press (AP) Science Writer Seth Borenstein wrote that global warming is 'a ticking time bomb that President-elect Barack Obama can't avoid,' and that 'global warming is accelerating.' "
Fox News interviewed multiple scientists that disagreed with the Dec 14th AP report and cited blatant factual errors. So why were no dissenting views presented in...Go to full story
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AP, TV organizations pull questioned video
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| by San Francisco Chronicle |
July 21, 2008
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| "The image at left is from a manipulated video, purporting to be of a twister that briefly touched down Saturday afternoon July 5, 2008 near Valentine, Neb. The image at right shows a twister in Rock, Kansas that the anonymous tornado chaser says he filmed on June 12, 2004." |
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"The Associated Press and video services operated by CBS and NBC have pulled video allegedly taken of a tornado in Nebraska last weekend after questions were raised about its authenticity. A tornado chaser has claimed that the video was a doctored version of pictures he had taken of a twister that touched down four years ago in Rock,... Go to full story
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