The Problem with BuzzFeed’s ‘Let the Readers Decide’ Standard

via Weekly Standard
BuzzFeed editor Ben Smith Photo credit: Neon Tommy

BY LARRY O’CONNOR

Not long after CNN reported that top U.S. intelligence officials had briefed Donald Trump on a document that alleges the Russian government had “compromising personal and financial information” on him, BuzzFeed published what it claimed to be synopsised in the briefing under the dubious journalistic guideline to let the readers decide their validity.

Not only were the reporters and editorial staff at BuzzFeed unable to properly vet the contents of the dossier allegedly compiled by an un-named, former British Intelligence operative hired by political opponents of Trump to gather the information, apparently American Intelligence officials were also not able to verify the contents of the dossier either.

But the “publish” button was pressed anyway because BuzzFeed wants Americans to “make up their own minds” about the error-riddled, impossible-to-verify information.

Read the full story on WeeklyStandard.com

 

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