A Jezebel story which was called out for being enormously misleading as to the reason Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker sought to remove from the state budget language to delete certain sections related rape reporting requirements was quickly spread by other outlets.
The founding editor of the blog Wonkette initially promoted the story but soon after acknowledged that it was in error, and said she’d be deleting tweets pushing the false angle:
It looks like I screwed up accusing Walker of trying to downplay campus rape reporting. I am deleting those tweets. http://t.co/go6Tj2lg5A
— ana marie c?x (@anamariecox) February 28, 2015
National Journal’s Ron Fournier asked her about it:
@anamariecox Serious question: Having screwed up myself on twitter and corrected. Why delete the bad tweets? I thought ethic was no deletes
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) February 28, 2015
@anamariecox (understanding that the clear and honest correction is the main thing to do. Yours is an admirable example).
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) February 28, 2015
The answer:
@ron_fournier I don't want people to be able RT with no context. I'd leave them up (like a blog post) if I could add a link to correx.
— ana marie c?x (@anamariecox) February 28, 2015
@anamariecox thanks. Make sense. We've had discussion on this at NJ. Will fold this in
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) February 28, 2015
@ron_fournier uncontextualized RT s might give someone who isn't paying attention the impression I endorse the now-wrong sentiment.
— ana marie c?x (@anamariecox) February 28, 2015
@anamariecox thanks. Makes sense.
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) February 28, 2015
Speaking of “ethic”:
Why is this debunked 'Rape' hit on Walker still up @thedailybeast?
— John Ocasio-Nolte (@NolteNC) February 28, 2015
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