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

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Tue Nov 12 2002 - 21:34:01 PST

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     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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