Mediagazer: RETRACTION (This American Life)

11:35 PM ET, March 16, 2012

Top News:

RETRACTION — Regrettably, we have discovered that one of our most popular episodes was partially fabricated. This week, we devote the entire hour to detailing the errors in “Mr. Daisey Goes to the Apple Factory,” Mike Daisey's story about visiting Foxconn, an Apple supplier factory in China.

This American Life:

Retracting “Mr. Daisey and the Apple Factory” — Ira writes: — I have difficult news. We've learned that Mike Daisey's story about Apple in China - which we broadcast in January - contained significant fabrications. We're retracting the story because we can't vouch for its truth.

Rob Schmitz / Marketplace:

An acclaimed Apple critic made up the details — Apple got a lot of attention recently over conditions in the Chinese factories that make its iPhones and iPads. The public radio show “This American Life” aired an electrifying account of one man's visit to several factories.

Discussion: Jack Shafer, CJR, New York Magazine, GigaOM, MacRumors, Show Tracker, LA Observed, Gizmodo, The Daily Caller, 9to5Mac, The Huffington Post, Hit & Run and TPM IdeaLab

Jeff Bercovici / Mixed Media:

How ‘This American Life’ Let Itself Get Burned By An Apple Fabulist — You can't say nobody warned the producers of “This American Life” that Mike Daisey's epic story about Apple's Foxconn factory in China might be the work of an untrustworthy individual. Someone did, in fact …

Discussion: Media & Entertainment and thephoenix.com

Jay Yarow / Business Insider:

This American Life Retracts Its Damning Episode About Apple And Foxconn — This American Life has retracted its episode on Apple and Foxconn. The episode detailed life at Foxconn and painted a damaging picture of life for employees. It was led by a performer named Mike Daisey who went …

Discussion: @joshuatopolsky, The Atlantic Wire, @davidfolkenflik, @davidfolkenflik, The Verge and JIMROMENESKO.COM

Matthew Panzarino / The Next Web:
New York Times edits article by Mike Daisey it posted just after Steve Jobs' death due to fabrications

Discussion: The Verge and Daring Fireball

Laura June / The Verge:
Excerpts from ‘This American Life’ on Mike Daisey: ‘Why not just tell us what really happened?’

Discussion: This American Life

Steve Myers / Poynter:

New York Times could look outside journalism for next social media editor — How hard will it be for The New York Times to replace Liz Heron, who is leaving her job as social media editor to become director of social media and engagement for The Wall Street Journal?

Discussion: Capital New York and The New York Observer

Steve Myers / Poynter: Heron: WSJ pay wall will be an ‘interesting challenge’ for social media efforts

Adam Martin / The Atlantic Wire:

Mayor Bloomberg Proud of Bloomberg's Coverage of the Goldman Sachs Op-Ed — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is very disappointed in the way the media has handled the story of Goldman Sachs executive Greg Smith's very public (and very expensive) resignation, except for one outlet.

Discussion: Forbes, Latest Stories … and Globe and Mail

Edmund Lee / Bloomberg:
Goldman Op-Ed Writer Got $150 for Unsolicited Critique

Discussion: New York Times

Andrew Beaujon / Poynter:

Scripps Howard Awards announced — Editorial writer Jamie Lucke of the Lexington Herald-Leader, Sara Ganim of The Patriot-News, and Danny Hakim and Russell Buettner of The New York Times are among the winners of this year's Scripps Howard Awards, which were announced this morning.

Discussion: The E.W. Scripps Company, The Wrap, The Rural Blog, Columbia University … and JIMROMENESKO.COM

Guardian:

@fieldproducer quits Sky News — The social media wunderkind Neal Mann, better known as @fieldproducer, has walked out on Sky News just weeks after bosses told journalists to curb their Twittering. Monkey hears that the new top-down guidelines - which have been widely lampooned by rival outlets …

Discussion: @fieldproducer, @dansabbagh and Daily Dot

Matthew Creamer / AdAge:

Marilyn Hagerty's Olive Garden Review Breaks Million-Click Barrier (and Google Analytics) — But the Paper She Writes for Isn't Necessarily Getting Rich Off the Craze — Folks at the Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald are certain that Marilyn Hagerty's gone-viral review of the local Olive Garden …

Discussion: The Week, Gawker and SocialTimes, Thanks:@rupalparekh

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:

Flipboard Gets Retina-Ready, But Will Users Spend More Time In-App? — Good news, new iPad users: everyone's favorite iPad news magazine Flipboard (OK, my favorite, but I hear the Flipboard / Zite battles get fierce) is now Retina-ready. I know, we all thought the enhanced app would be approved by tonight …

Discussion: VentureBeat, Bits, WebProNews, ZDNet and SlashGear

Joe Pompeo / Capital New York:

Young, veteran media reporter John Koblin ditches all that to write about sports for Denton's Deadspin — WWD media reporter John Koblin is leaving Conde Nast to write for Deadspin, the popular Gawker Media sports blog. — It's not as strange as it might seem that a media reporter …

Tim Carmody / Wired:

Wikipedia Didn't Kill Britannica. Windows Did — First edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. Photo: Courtesy Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. — I have never owned a print edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica. After the Britannica company's announcement that …

Discussion: O'Reilly Radar, Slate, Fast Company and @penenberg