Columbia Journalism Review weighs in on Leopold and truthout

[kstewart33]

Jason Leopold Caught Sourceless Again
Paul McLeary

We wonder if the folks over at Truthout.org are rethinking their affiliation with reporter and serial fabulist Jason Leopold. Leopold, you may recall, is the freelance reporter who was caught making stuff up in a 2002 Salon.com article, self-admittedly "getting it completely wrong" in pieces for Dow Jones, and had his own memoir cancelled because of concerns over the accuracy of quotations.


Leopold's latest addition to his application for membership in the Stephen Glass school of journalism came on May 12 of this year, when he got what appeared to be the scoop of a lifetime. Now writing for Truthout.org, Leopold reported that Karl Rove "told President Bush and Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten, as well as a few other high level administration officials," that he was about to be indicted in the Valerie Plame CIA leak case, "according to people knowledgeable about these discussions."


Leopold claimed that multiple sources "confirmed Rove's indictment is imminent. These individuals requested anonymity saying they were not authorized to speak publicly about Rove's situation."

http://www.cjrdaily.org/politics/jason_leopold_caught_sourceles.php

[Sammy Pepys]

1. "Serial fabulist"

I must admit I like that phrase. Not necessarily because it's being applied to Leopold...I just like the way it sounds.

[Snivi Yllom]

13. "Faith Based News"

.

[peacebird]

2. Judith Miller - serial fabulist!

[greatauntoftriplets]

3. CJR is highly respected.

Obviously they are well acquainted with Leopold.

[REP]

4. I Trust CJR

CJR has always taken a dim view of liars, plagarists and other "serial fabulists." The picture painted of Leopold is not pretty.

[warrens]

5. I've stayed out of this

But being wrong on a story is not a crime. However, Leopold handled this very badly, and the need to beat the competition seems to have overcome appropriate caution. I doubt he made it up, but since we have no idea who his sources are, there ain't a lot there to defend him with.

Perhaps he was set up, perhaps he just has really bad sources, perhaps the story isn't over yet. But the rush to get into print first without nailing down the story, which clearly did not happen, is the reason why newspapers have editors. Online, the attitude seems to be, we got it first, put it out there.

[KittyWampus]

6. My Issue- The Editor at TO knew Leopold's sources... and those sources

had been reliable in the past and the Editor agreed to stand behind them.

So according to good Journalism, what did Leopold do wrong?

And dredging up Leopold's admittedly colorful past doesn't address my Issue.

[Techno Dog]

7. Did you not

see the part in the article that mentions several times the incredible shrinking source list?

Did you listen to Leopold on Schultz, he basically said what he exactly wrote doesn't matter it's all about the what ifs that could make his story true.

He listed off several impossibilities that even if true debunked his original story.

Ed finally got fed up and said see ya later.

[kstewart33]

15. If it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck, and has a very colorful past

as a duck, then it's most probably a duck.

Or... leopards don't change their colors.

[high density]

8. I think Leopold should go work for Karl Rove or at least the GOP

I dunno why a guy who can't stop lying insists on being a "reporter."

[Techno Dog]

9. Because

the first person serial liars lie to is themselves.

[WI_DEM]

10. If Leopold really has this storied of a past why would Truthout

take him on? I have to be honest I don't know alot about the guy.

[deaniac21]

12. It think it's called not checking your references.

[Snivi Yllom]

14. there is another word

unprofessional

[Sammy Pepys]

16. Great question....n/t

....

[DisgustedTX]

11. KNR!

:rofl:

[RandomKoolzip]

17. He may be a serial liar, but he's a LIBERAL serial liar.

Therefore, we all must "stand with" him.

Y'all who are trashing Leopold: you just want to see Karl Rove go free.

:sarcasm: