AP reporter, editor fired over error

Punishment for sure fit the crime. It would have been reasonable for McAuliffe's people to bring suit against the AP, especially if the error was discovered that quickly after breaking the story.

To echo a few others here, I am curious what evidence the reporter had to begin with that prompted the editor to green light the story. If it was only "TM shares the same initials as Terry McAuliffe" and "his opponent seems to think this is him," then for sure getting fired was justifiable.

 

Memo to all: LET'S BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!!!!!

 

I saw somewhere when this first came out that McAuliffe was identified as TM in one part of the indictment. Sorry if I'm mistaken

 

Other than McAuliffe being quoted saying he did not know about the allegations, how do we know for sure that the "T.M." referenced is NOT McAuliffe?

From the linked story: "In a bulletin that night killing the story about 90 minutes after it was first posted, AP said 'the indictment did not identify McAuliffe as the ‘T.M.’ who allegedly lied to investigators.' "

OK, so who DID the indictment identify as the T.M. if it wasn't McAuliffe? Based on my interpretation of what's reported here, something is still missing. I don't see the indisputable evidence that the AP reporter and editor are wrong. Sorry, but McAuliffe's quote that he didn't know of the allegation isn't good enough for me.

 

No big deal. Just make sure you get the story out there first, tweet about it, like it, and do a video blog for the web site. After that, when you come back from your furlough, do some checking to see if there is any truth to the story. If it's wrong, we can just take it down.

 

Are you suggesting that The Associated Press retracted a huge and perfectly true story within 90 minutes of publication, and fired three people for writing or editing it, for no good reason at all?

 

According to this TV station's comprehensive account, there are two TMs in the indictment. One set of TMs is definitely McAuliffe but either the other one is a different person with the TM initials, or there is a typo in the non-McAuliffe TM.

http://blogs.nbc12.com/decisionvirginia/2013/10/how-tm-became-terry-mcauliffe.html

 

P, we know, is Porter.

 

An excerpt from the Virginia Press Association newsletter:

It didn't take long for former Associated Press Political Reporter Bob Lewis to find new employment.

Lewis this morning announced on Twitter that he was joining McGuireWoods, where he will head the firm's communications team.

Lewis, who has worked as a journalist for 35 years including the last 13 as a Richmond-based politics and government correspondent, was one of three AP staffers fired last month because of the handling of an erroneous Oct. 9 story about Terry McAuliffe, who was elected Virginia's governor last night.

At McGuireWoods, Lewis will implement internal and external media strategies in support of its more than 900 lawyers in 19 offices world wide and its public affairs subsidiary, McGuireWoods Consulting.

 

Good for Bob.

 

Didn't want this to get lost or unappreciated. Well played, sir.