Gordon of 'NYT,' Criticized for Using Unnamed Sources on Iran Story, Returns With More of Same

[133724]

NEW YORK If you wrote an extremely high-profile article for the most influential newspaper in the land that subsequently was widely criticized for its utter reliance on anonymous sources, would you produce a follow up five days later, also based on unnamed sources?

That’s what Michael R. Gordon did today in The New York Times.

<snip>

Gordon opened his story today with this: “One of the questions posed by skeptics about the Bush administration assertions about Iran’s meddling in Iraq is why the charges are coming to light only now, when American officials say the shipment of lethal weapons from Iran to Shiite militias was first detected several years ago.”

Gordon then aimed to quiet the skeptics, citing only the following sources: “American officials”…. “one military official”…”military officials” …”American officials”…”American military officials.”

<snip>

In September 2002, Gordon co-authored with Judith Miller the single most influential (and inaccurate) story of all the WMD missteps in the run-up to the Iraq invasion: the infamous “aluminum tubes/mushroom cloud” epic from September 2002. It, too, was based on unnamed sources.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003546497

I honestly think that these people want to go to jail.

[depakid]

1. As far as reporting on either war goes

The NY Times has lost ALL credibility in my book.

I won't even bother reading their stories anymore, unless I know IN ADVANCE that the author has credibility.

[StClone]

2. The NYT is cutting back to only four pages

Cartoons will be added to the crossword page, Obituaries page, and the Editorial, LTE and OP-ED will consume two pages. The unnamed sources will remain unnamed and unprinted.

[NNN0LHI]

3. Same here n/t

[C_U_L8R]

4. Shouldn't the NY Freakin Times have a policy

against straw men arguments.
Where are your freakin' editors?
Carnivale ????

[frylock]

5. michael r. gordon is a FUCKING VOICE ACTIVATED RECORDER!!!

jesus christ monkeyballs!! Why oh why is the NYT given any CREDIBILTY whatsoever?!! They're just another agency of disinformation.

New York Times Reveals "Reporter" Michael Gordon Actually Voice-Activated Tape Recorder
NEW YORK—New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller today announced that the paper's longtime staff writer Michael Gordon is not an actual person, but rather a voice-activated tape recorder.

"I'm not sure why everyone didn't figure this out before now," said Keller, pointing to the fact that, in Gordon's 26-year career, all of "his" stories have consisted entirely of transcribed statements by anonymous government officials.

According to Jill Abramson, the paper's Managing Editor, Gordon was purchased for $27.95 at a Radio Shack on West 43rd Street. Describing the situation as "a prank" that had "gotten slightly out of hand," Abramson said the paper had decided to acknowledge Gordon's identity because—after the tape recorder's front page story today, "Deadliest Bomb in Iraq Is Made by Iran, U.S. Says"—there "was no place left to take the joke."

http://www.tinyrevolution.com/mt/archives/001315.html