Yesterday we told you about one of the biggest fact-check fails of the year. It started with a USA Today fact-checker’s ruling on Gold Star family members who said President Biden kept checking his watch during the dignified transfer ceremony for 13 U.S. service members killed in the attack in Kabul, Afghanistan:
New fact check: A viral photo makes it look like President Biden checked his watch during a ceremony honoring U.S. service members killed in Kabul. But that's misleading. https://t.co/F6bjQFYVbC
— Daniel Funke (@dpfunke) September 1, 2021
Biden checked his watch, but he did so after the ceremony had ended.
Watch the video for yourself: https://t.co/eYFRAtHFHN
— Daniel Funke (@dpfunke) September 1, 2021
After getting called out, that was followed up by this “clarification,” which is in fact a complete reversal on the original “misleading” ruling:
The fact-checker, after a lot of criticism, then played the victim:
It's easy to dunk on journalists when we get things wrong. I get it – to many, we're just another name on a screen. But behind that screen is a person trying to do their best.
— Daniel Funke (@dpfunke) September 3, 2021
An editor of Snopes defended Funke, saying that getting things wrong and then somewhat fixing them later is the mark of an excellent journalist. No, seriously:
Corrections are the hallmark of an exceptional journalist. Corrective action in a newsroom shows readers that they can trust that organization. Anyone who dunks on that needs a hug and a nap.
— Jordan Liles (@jordanliles) September 3, 2021
Legit LOL on that one!
Actually, making consistent mistakes is a sign of being bad at your job. https://t.co/YkFgWzOl5X
— Case in point (@BobBertrandPHD) September 4, 2021
And are they really “mistakes” if they always only fall in one direction?
Accuracy is the hallmark of an exceptional journalist. Corrections are the minimum standard for journalistic competence. https://t.co/I9NmYeKhZR
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) September 4, 2021
Snopes editor expressing solidarity with DNC narrative enforcer who attempted to “fact-check” Gold Star moms in order to defend Biden. https://t.co/88YamiIwyi
— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) September 3, 2021
The hack do stick together, don’t they?
I love when “fact checkers” have the wrong facts.
— Beth Baumann (@eb454) September 4, 2021
Corrective action in newsrooms would result in a lot of firings.
Posting a blurb after the damage is done (and then playing victim) is easy, firing someone for libeling gold star families is hard. https://t.co/vmURFwJHDc
— bartleby (@ElderBartleby) September 4, 2021
Just like Funke, the Snopes editor turned off the replies in the name of exceptional journalism.
This is the response of a lazy journalist. Oh and a coward who turned off the ability to reply to his BS. https://t.co/cZIfCh4hdD
— John W (@txradioguy) September 4, 2021
This is adorable. Especially with comments shut down. https://t.co/CPhNcDCJmB
— Mr. Bad Example (@JohnSGaynor) September 4, 2021
Odd how the errors only go in one direction, no? It’s almost as if..
If I didn’t know better, I might be tempted to think that he’s BIASED. https://t.co/UdWRjRfOqj
— MoreThanThat (@NeverRainsCal) September 4, 2021
Getting caught shilling for the Democrats and then making half-a**ed corrections is a lot of things, but “exceptional journalism” it ain’t.
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