Last night, I linked to an audio report from WTAQ-AM’s Jerry Bader which offered a guess on what caused Barbara Lawton to abandon her gubernatorial run that ultimately turned out to be wrong. I apologize to Lawton and her family for running with that, as I believed that Bader had run down a sufficient number of sources.
I forgot one of the cardinal rules of journalism; if your mother tells you the sun is shining at noon, go outside to check. I do have to thank WIBA-AM for doing what I should have at least attempted to do, and ask whether there was any “there” there.
When I discovered that WTAQ initially pulled the story earlier this morning, before either the retraction from Bader or the WIBA/Lawton interview had come out, I attempted to find out why the story had been pulled, and when I did not get a response, I decided to delink to the audio and note that it had been pulled. I further attempted to find out and notify those who got the story from me to let them know that the story had been pulled.
Egg – The fact that Belling did not even hint at this last night should have been a red flag. You know he heard/read the rumors, but without credible evidence he would not repeat them.
hb
At least you issued an apology. No one else has. I appreciate your integrity.
Those who I could tell got the story from me have also issued their own apologies (Dad29, Cindy Kilkenny, and Kyle Maichle).
[…] other blogs that I have seen that did touch the issue, No Runny Eggs, Lakeshore Laments, North Shore Exponent, Dad29, and Fairly Conservative, all quickly retracted […]
[…] Apology to the Lawton family and note to my readers (norunnyeggs.com) […]