One of the two AP reporters whose bylines appeared in last week’s now-retracted article that “Russian rockets” had “entered into NATO member Poland & killed 2 people was let go on Monday.
Despite the fact that the AP “routinely strives as well as necessitates more than one reference when sourcing is nameless,” the author of the article, who was initially co-bylined with John Leicester, attributed the details to a single “top U.S. intelligence official.” This was done in spite of the fact that John Leicester is still employed by the Associated Press.
According to its comment on news principles and values, the only exception is when “sources come from an authority position who gives information so outlined that there really is no question about its accuracy.” However, this situation appears not to have occurred because the report was completely retracted on Wednesday of last week.
An AP spokesperson declined to comment when asked about the firing of LaPorta and instead issued the following statement when contacted: “It is impossible for The Associated Press to fulfill its mission as an impartial news organization without adhering to the most stringent editorial standards and practices. We adhere to and enforce these principles, especially those pertaining to the use of anonymous sources, so that we may guarantee that our coverage is accurate, fair, and factually sound “.