FC: Flap over FBI-bugs-library-computer claim in Hartford Courant

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

From JIM ROMENESKO'S MEDIA NEWS

Ombud: Courant's credibility was hurt with bogus library bugging story
(http://www.ctnow.com/news/opinion/columnists/hc-hunter1110.artnov10,0,6354989.column)
A Hartford Courant freelance columnist reported last Sunday that his
sources said the FBI had bugged Hartford Public Library computers to search
for information that might lead to terrorists. Not true, the FBI and
library said after the column was published. Courant Editor Brian Toolan
tells ombud Karen Hunter: "The anonymity of the sources wasn't the root
cause of the problem. The sources' information was wrong. We failed to
journalistically challenge their contentions." Hunter writes: "If there had
been more discussion about the column, it's possible the unreliability of
the information might have been sorted out. Clearly, the folks at the FBI
weren't happy about the bad information
(http://www.ctnow.com/news/local/hc-fbiolds1107.artnov07.story), and The
Courant's credibility took the hit." (Toolan tells
(http://www.editorandpublisher.com/editorandpublisher/headlines/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1758016)
E&P: "We screwed up and we're going to fix it.") (Hartford Courant) Other
ombud columns: 




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