The Occasional Observer

Back to the Times you know and love. The Anchoress has it covered.

Here's the skinny: a freelance reporter submits a story to the Times stating that a woman in El Salvador received a jail sentence of 30 years for having an illegal abortion. Only problem is, the testimony in court was that she had actually strangled her infant to death, after she'd given birth.

Never willing to let the facts get in the way of a good political action line, the Times ran to press with the story anyway. After getting a flood of reader complaints pointing out the inaccuracy of the story, the managing editors responded with a letter to the complainers, telling them to drink a nice warm glass of shut the heck up.

Finally, their own ombudsman, Byron Calame, had to condemn the reporting and editing. He offered up this little gem: "Accuracy and fairness were not pursued with the vigor Times readers have a right to expect."

Don't worry, Mr. Calame, it absolutely met my expectations.