Thread: AP Fires Reporter Behind Bogus Russian Missiles Story That Almost Got Us Into WWIII

AP Fires Reporter Behind Bogus Russian Missiles Story That Almost Got Us Into WWIII

By Cristina Laila
Published November 21, 2022 at 8:35pm
224 Comments


The Associated Press on Monday fired James LaPorta, the journalist who reported that Russian missiles hit Poland, a member of NATO.
The reporter, citing a “US Intelligence source,” last Tuesday claimed two Russian missiles hit a Poland border town with Ukraine.

Far-left reporters shouted “Article 5!” and immediately began cheering for WWIII.
It turned out that Ukraine actually fired the missiles.

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Replying to @APThree U.S. officials told the @AP that preliminary assessments indicate the missile that struck Poland had been fired by Ukrainian forces at an incoming Russian missile.



apnews.com
Poland: Russian-made missile fell on our country, killing 2
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland said early Wednesday that a Russian-made missile fell in the country’s east, killing two people, though U.S. President Joe Biden said it was “unlikely” it was fired from...

12:12 AM · Nov 16, 2022

AP quickly retracted the story after nearly dragging the US into WWIII.
“The new assessment contradicts information earlier Tuesday from a senior U.S. intelligence official who told the AP that Russian missiles crossed into Poland.” AP said last Wednesday.




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Replying to @APThe new assessment contradicts information earlier Tuesday from a senior U.S. intelligence official who told the AP that Russian missiles crossed into Poland.



apnews.com
Poland: Russian-made missile fell on our country, killing 2
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland said early Wednesday that a Russian-made missile fell in the country’s east, killing two people, though U.S. President Joe Biden said it was “unlikely” it was fired from...

12:12 AM · Nov 16, 2022

The AP reporter was fired on Wednesday, according to the Daily Beast.

The Associated Press scared much of the world last Tuesday when it alerted readers that “a senior U.S. intelligence official” said “Russian missiles crossed into NATO member Poland, killing two people.”
That report, which was widely cited across the internet and on cable news, was taken offline the following day and replaced with an editor’s note admitting the single source was wrong and that “subsequent reporting showed that the missiles were Russian-made and most likely fired by Ukraine in defense against a Russian attack.”
On Monday, the AP fired James LaPorta, the investigative reporter responsible for that story, Confider has learned.
The piece, which was originally co-bylined with John Leicester (who is still working at the AP), attributed the information to a single “senior U.S. intelligence official,” despite the AP’s rule that it “routinely seeks and requires more than one source when sourcing is anonymous.”

When reached for comment, an AP spokesperson did not comment on LaPorta’s ouster but instead wrote: “The rigorous editorial standards and practices of The Associated Press are critical to AP’s mission as an independent news organization. To ensure our reporting is accurate, fair and fact-based, we abide by and enforce these standards, including around the use of anonymous sources.”

AP Fires Reporter Behind Bogus Russian Missiles Story That Almost Got Us Into WWIII (thegatewaypundit.com)

Crackhead could have started WWIII with Nukes flying

AP Fires Reporter Who Risked Triggering WWIII With Polish Missile Misinformation

MONDAY, NOV 21, 2022 - 11:40 PM

Five days after the Associated Press cited an anonymous 'senior US intelligence official' in a story that claimed a Russian missile killed two Polish civilians, one of the two reporters behind the story was fired.

James LaPorta (Twitter)Reporters James LaPorta (fired) and John Leichester (not fired) share the byline on the now-retracted report, which sparked an entire news cycle that included talk of invoking 'Article 5' - the mutual defense agreement between NATO members - and which would have obligated other members to engage in collective defense, aka WWIII.
As the day went on, President Biden popped out of a NATO / G7 briefing, and mumbled that "it's unlikely" the projectile was fired from Russia. NATO then chimed in, saying it was more likely that the missile was fired by Ukrainian forces in self-defense (or was it?).
AP later retracted the story, and issued the following correction which pinned blame on the anonymous intelligence official;

In earlier versions of a story published November 15, 2022, The Associated Press reported erroneously, based on information from a senior American intelligence official who spoke on condition of anonymity, that Russian missiles had crossed into Poland and killed two people. Subsequent reporting showed that the missiles were Russian-made and most likely fired by Ukraine in defense against a Russian attack.

According to Mediaite, AP requires two sources for confirmation on this type of reporting when both are anonymous. No word on who edited the piece or what their fate might be.
On Monday, the Daily Beast reported that LaPorta had been sacked for erroneous reporting, while Leicester has, as of this writing, kept his job with the wire service.
Remember when AP cited anonymous US intelligence officials to suggest that ZeroHedge was spreading Russian disinformation? Same energy, and wouldn't be the first time 'anonymous officials' turned out to be bullshit.
Meanwhile on James LaPorta's Twitter feed...

AP Fires Reporter Who Risked Triggering WWIII With Polish Missile Misinformation | ZeroHedge