The AP, And Why The Press Has Trouble Admitting Its Clinton Mistakes

[Commentary] Somebody inside the Associated Press should hide the shovels so editors there will stop digging. The hole they’ve dug in recent days just keeps getting bigger as the wire service refuses to admit obvious mistakes in the lengthy investigation they published last week about Clinton Foundation donors, and the implication they were able to buy access at Hillary Clinton’s State Department. Not only was the AP article itself deeply flawed and lacking crucial context, the news organization also tweeted out this categorically false announcement to its 8.4 million followers to promote its investigation: “BREAKING: AP analysis: More than half those who met Clinton as Cabinet secretary gave money to Clinton Foundation.”

As the AP investigation began to crumble, I noted that the wire service joined a dubious list of news outlets that have gotten burned chasing bogus Clinton “scandal” stories over the years. And now we’re seeing the postscript to that sad tradition: News outlets which then refuse to admit they botched their Clinton “scandal” stories. There’s a stubborn refusal to clean up their own mess.

[Eirc Boehlert is a senior fellow with Media Matters for America]