SENTIDO > IN THE LOOP > ERROR WATCH

NEW YORK POST PICKS GEPHARDT, KERRY PICKS EDWARDS
7 July 2004

The New York Post added a special lead to later editions of its paper yesterday, hoping to trump the journalistic world with an unlikely exclusive: they ran a full-page headlline naming Rep. Dick Gephardt (MO) Kerry's choice for vice-president. It was a monumental error, and rivals were quick to seize the opportunity to make hay. SentidoNews contacted the Post editorial staff for an explanation of how the error occurred, but received no response.

The rival New York tabloid, the Daily News, ran a front page feature on the erroneous Post story this morning. The Daily News sent champagne to the Post, which after some wrangling in the lobby, was reportedly accepted. Critics have long questioned the Post's methods. The 1988 film Bright Lights, Big City, based on the Jay McInerney novel of the same name, referred to it as one of the fact-checker protagonist's secret vices.

The Daily News called the Post "tawdry", adding that "A recent Pace Poll Media Survey, conducted by Pace University, found that the Post was the only major media outlet in New York to have negative credibility among city residents." The Post is an instrument of Rupert Murdoch's right-leaning NewsCorp media spectrum (parent of FoxNews), and has long been criticized for questionable claims and dubious sourcing.

The editor-in-chief, who approved the flubbed lead story, sought to blame unnamed sources. Even Dick Gephardt had said he didn't believe the rumors about his being top-pick, but the Post appeared to have shown too much credulity in trusting too-unsteady sources.

Ultimately, the Daily News reveled unabashedly in its rival's blunder, calling the story, "[editor Col] Allan's Hail Mary headline". New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg reportedly said the paper needed to be more careful with sources. By evening, copies were selling for $25 and climbing on eBay.

The New York Times ran a fascinating account of how some researchers were able to track down the real story: seeking out airport hangar workers who would be applying new VP decals to the Kerry plane. According to the New York Times, Kerry called these workers even before contacting Edwards himself, and at least one weblog used by aviation personnel made reference to the decals before the official announcement was made. It was an old-fashioned gumshoe story, kept artfully confidential until the last minutes.

The Times called the Post front-page gaffe "a blunder of historic proportions". But the Times also added that ABC News hinted strongly that Gephardt would be the choice. Apparently, confusion arose about a purported secret meeting between Kerry and Gephardt at Madeleine Albright's Georgetown home, though Edwards, not Gephardt, had in fact attended. That same rumor could explain the Post claim that it had "information it believed to be correct" that led to the error.