AP: What the F'ing F??

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2918751


AP's Wednesday night update on the Benoit murder-suicide case:

If I'm running the desk, and somebody files a story on this subject using an attorney for WWE as its primary quoted source, I tell the reporter to a) get another source, or b) get another job.

Jeebus Fracken Keeripes.

 

I'm always puzzeled by source choices. Countdown ran an NBC report about the iPhone going on sale and they quoted by name two "average customers" one was a publicist, the other someone in public relations. Kind of wierd. the other average guy mentioned was Greg Packer who is a quote whore who just happens to always be first in line at media events.

 

Makes for a great one-sided story though. If a reporter wants to write a story slanted his way, all he/she has to do is call up someone who he knows will give him a quote on the side the reporter wants to take. Sadly you see these kind of stories out there. I'm not saying the AP writer did this, but some stories I've read are very obviously slanted.

 

The only sources for this story at this point should have been from the police/investigators.

 

Bingo, thank you.

And, needless to say, NOT a paid mouthpiece from an organization synonymous with utter fabrication, which obviously has a huge incentive to spin the story in such a way to utterly absolve itself from any responsibility. Not to say it should in fact bear responsibility for the incident, but the immediate panicked leap to "steroids were not and could not be related" should set anybody's bullshit meter screaming off the charts.

 

But isn't this no different than saying an attorney for Pac Man Jones or Mike Vick? I know it's slanted, but doesn't a story need to attempt balance?

 

Yes, Lion_Woods, but in the Pac Man Jones and Vick stories, there also were sources for the prosecution. ... The Benoit story should have included a doctor's opinion on the chances of steroids being involved so the reader could weigh that against what a fake wrestling association's attorney says.

 

What's the problem here? If the lede said Benoit's rampage could not have been caused by steroids and used this to back it up, that would be a problem. But this is not the primary source for the story. Far from it. This story says steroids were found in Benoit's home and authorities are investigating a link between steroids and the incident. It also has quotes about his prior steroid use from his doctor and mentions an investigation about the place that might have supplied him. All this quote does is set up WWE's position on the matter. Now if they find steroids played a part, WWE can be called on the carpet with a direct quote. Plus, there's a decent little nugget in there -- WWE says Benoit tested negative on April 10.

I have no issue with the use of this quote. As a primary source, it would be terrible journalism. That's not the case here.

 

In another case of what the f'ing f, I present this:

The AP sent a correction on the following photo:
http://news.yahoo.com/photo/070629/483/f7c061c8990547a0a5bf326aa77cd6ba

The correction reads: ** CORRECTS TO MATT KENSETH STED JEFF GORDON ** Matt Kenseth waits in his garage during the first practice session for the NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 300 in Loudon, N.H., Friday, June 29, 2007. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)

In case you're thinking about running this photo and don't know a thing about NASCAR, this is NOT Matt Kenseth. It is, in fact, Jeff Gordon.

EDIT to say that AP is aware of it. (And for those of you wondering, the guy in NY that I talked to was very cool, and he was pretty stunned by this as well.)

 

That is hysterical.

 

In the 4th Lead on the AL Caps:

Eds: FIXES typo in 25th graf.

Thanks for the help.