"The story is a lie," Sean "Diddy" Combs fumed when he heard about last week’s new investigative report on Tupac Shakur’s 1994 shooting. "I am shocked that the Los Angeles Times wouldbe so irresponsible as to publish such a baseless and completely untruestory." Well, of course he was shocked. The L.A. Times had just accused his buddies of carrying out the (initial non-fatal) shooting, and claimed FBI reports proved that Diddy and the Notorious B.I.G. knew of the attack in advance — pretty serious allegations to wake up to one morning 14 years after the fact! Still, the Times wouldn’t have run such an explosive story if they didn’t have rock-solid evidence, right? Right?
Except, apparently, they did just that. Yesterday, The Smoking Gun posted an eviscerating takedown saying that the Times had been duped by a notorious forger who’d fabricated those FBI reports out of whole cloth. And the paper has now posted an apology that more or less concedes the point: "In relying on documents that I now believe were fake, I failed to domy job," acknowledges Pulitzer-winning journalist Chuck Philips. Ouch.
As a reporter, this whole unfortunate incident obviously gives me pause. (Note to self:Kill that breaking-news post I wrote for tomorrow about the Xeroxed CIA files proving Elvis is still alive.) Yet I can’t help wondering what else this reveals about our culture. The L.A. Times is a respected institution, not some random gossip rag. Would this story have passed their editorial muster if it was about someone other than Tupac Shakur? Are we too quick to believe sensationalized tales of violence and conspiracy when they involve rappers? Then again, isn’t that partially because Biggie and ‘Pac spent their entire careers spinning exaggerated myths of their own criminal prowess? You tell me…
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If you think the LATimes still believes in “journalism”, then you obviously haven’t read it in a while. Same goes for the talking heads on your evening news.
If it walks, talks, and looks like a duck……
The LA Times is a respectable institution? Hasn’t it been a rag since the Chandlers founded it?
I wouldn’t put the LA Times on the same pedestal as the Washingonpost or the New York Times. And heck, even the NY Times got in trouble for fabricating a story a few years ago, and they caught a lot of flack for claiming that McCain slept with a lobbyist.
IMHO, reporters are people. They are just as apt as anyone else to get excited when a hot scoop comes before them, and there’s even more pressure to be the one who breaks the story. That needs to be balanced with journalistic integrity and personal responsibility.
On the other hand,what’s puffy got his Panties all bunched up for? He’s been front page news for the first time in a decade. There’s no bad publicity,is there?
i understand that these are unresolved deaths – that the family probably wants to find out the killer. but at this point, can’t we just let them rest in peace?
No one should get a pass for shoddy journalism because the subjects were less than stellar. Careful with that line of thinking or you’ll soon be called racist.
Chuck Philips = Scott Templeton
For the record, I don’t think what you wrote is racist, but fair warning that others might.
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