Associated Press Report Inaccurate

Here's an example of how inaccurate reporting can completely mislead the reader. At issue is former weapons inspector David Kay's testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee regarding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The AP reported:

. . . David Kay, who has said that U.S. intelligence was "almost all wrong" about Saddam's arms . . .

This statement indicates that David Kay assigns culpability directly to the US intelligence community for being wrong about WMDs in Iraq. But, it's not what David Kay actually said. According to the transcript, Mr. Kay stated:

Let me begin by saying, we were almost all wrong, and I certainly include myself here.

Kay then mentions the French and the Germans as being included in his definition of who was wrong.

David Kay's assertion that everyone was wrong in assessing Iraq's WMDs is not translated into the AP report. Instead, readers are told that the US intelligence community bears the responsibility.

As to whether the inaccuracy in reporting was through intent or incompetence is not known. However, given that the elite media has a reputation for being generally anti-American and consistently anti-Bush, it would be hard to dispute the contention that this is just one more example of the insidiously stealthy manner that a bias is inserted into a presumed objective news story.

Hat tip: Low Earth Orbit