The Associated Press news agency fired correspondent James LaPorta, who reported that on November 15, a Russian rocket fell in the Polish village of Przewodow. This is reported by The Washington Post and the Daily Beast , citing sources.
They claim that LaPorta, 35, was fired after a short investigation. As the Daily Beast points out, the AP usually releases a story only if it has been confirmed by at least two sources. The only exception is material originating "from an authoritative person who provides such detailed information that there is no doubt about its accuracy." LaPorta cited only one source, "a senior US intelligence official."
An AP spokesperson did not comment on the firing, but instead wrote:
“Strict editorial standards and practices are critical to the AP's mission as an independent news organization. To ensure that our reporting is accurate, fair and factual, we comply with and apply these standards, including with regard to the use of anonymous sources.”
The Washington Post writes that it has read the editorial's internal messages and found confusion in them. LaPorta sent his source's commentary to the editor around 1:30 pm (EST). He immediately asked if AP should put it as it is or if you need to wait for confirmation from another source or from Poland. The second editor then voted in favor of publishing the comment, as he had no doubts about the American intelligence source.
However, an AP source for The Washington Post claims that LaPorta told his editors that day that a senior editorial manager had already verified his source. Because of this, they thought it had already been approved. Notably, John Lester, with whom LaPorta's news was written, continues to work for the AP.
