by 
Did you hear that Gov. Sarah Palin thought that Africa was a country?
If you answered yes, and you believed it to be true, you aren’t alone. Turns out that some people will believe anything, based on what they think about a given person, and a couple people decided to see just how far the media had gone from journalistic integrity:
Who would say such a thing? On Monday the answer popped up on a blog and popped out of the mouth of David Shuster, an MSNBC anchor. “Turns out it was Martin Eisenstadt, a McCain policy adviser, who has come forward today to identify himself as the source of the leaks,” Mr. Shuster said.
Trouble is, Martin Eisenstadt doesn’t exist. His blog does, but it’s a put-on. The think tank where he is a senior fellow — the Harding Institute for Freedom and Democracy — is just a Web site. The TV clips of him on YouTube are fakes.
And the claim of credit for the Africa anecdote is just the latest ruse by Eisenstadt, who turns out to be a very elaborate hoax that has been going on for months. MSNBC, which quickly corrected the mistake, has plenty of company in being taken in by an Eisenstadt hoax, including The New Republic and The Los Angeles Times.
Just another friendly reminder that you should verify your sources before publishing to the world.
It amazes me how quick things spread in our modern world. The danger is, like in this case, that a reputation can be damaged even if it isn’t true.
I just wish the media would leave her alone. She lost, what more do they want?
On the other hand, I think the media is very intimidated by her and feel threatened, just my opinion, though.
Leticias last blog post..This YouTube video just surfaced….
@ChristianPF: The old illustration about gossip being like feathers seems all the more appropriate. It’s hard to pick up what once was said if it turns out to be wrong.