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This American Life Retracting "Mr. Daisey & The Apple Factory"

thisamericanlife.org

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Re: This American Life Retracting "Mr. Daisey & The Apple Factory"

#11

Post by mmaunder »

tptacek wrote: post #2

I'm a Chicago Public Radio member and just got this in my email. Wow: I’m writing to tell you that tonight, This American Life and Marketplace will reveal that a story that we broadcast on This American Life this past January contained significant fabrications. We’re retracting that story because we can’t vouch for its truth, and this weekend's episode of our show will detail the errors in the story, which was an exc…

I feel very bad for this american life because they're brilliant. Extremely unfortunate.

I have noticed a drum beating on NPR since the piece aired regarding Apple's working conditions, on the news and the various podcasts. Will be interesting to watch for a change in tone.

Re: This American Life Retracting "Mr. Daisey & The Apple Factory"

#12

Post by yajoe »

tptacek wrote: post #2

I'm a Chicago Public Radio member and just got this in my email. Wow: I’m writing to tell you that tonight, This American Life and Marketplace will reveal that a story that we broadcast on This American Life this past January contained significant fabrications. We’re retracting that story because we can’t vouch for its truth, and this weekend's episode of our show will detail the errors in the story, which was an exc…

I don't know about the specifics of this report, but Marketplace last month had another emotional story turn out to be false. Perhaps that is what prompted Rob?

Retraction: http://www.marketplace.org/topics/economy/commentary/returni...

Story about the fabriaction: http://jimromenesko.com/2012/02/02/marketplace-scolded-for-a...

I listen to Marketplace everyday, and I just donated to both groups because it takes a lot of integrity to admit when you're wrong.

EDIT: donated to This American Life as well as Marketplace

Re: This American Life Retracting "Mr. Daisey & The Apple Factory"

#13

Post by VMG »

from http://www.marketplace.org/topics/life/ieconomy/acclaimed-ap...:

I pressed Cathy to confirm other key details that Daisey reported. Did the guards have guns when you came here with Mike Daisey? With each question I got the same answer from Lee. “No,” or “This is not true.”

Daisey claims he met underage workers at Foxconn. He says he talked to a man whose hand was twisted into a claw from making iPads. He describes visiting factory dorm rooms with beds stacked to the ceiling. But Cathy says none of this happened.

I must say that while listening to the story some things seemed a little exaggerated, and the his whole style didn't seem very objective. But I didn't suspect that he made things up from whole cloth.

Re: This American Life Retracting "Mr. Daisey & The Apple Factory"

#14

Post by dotBen »

VMG wrote: post #13

from http://www.marketplace.org/topics/life/ieconomy/acclaimed-ap... : I pressed Cathy to confirm other key details that Daisey reported. Did the guards have guns when you came here with Mike Daisey? With each question I got the same answer from Lee. “No,” or “This is not true.” Daisey claims he met underage workers at Foxconn. He says he talked to a man whose hand was twisted into a claw from making iPads. He descri…

Marketplace, which uncovered the discrepancies and is linked to above, is an awesome little 30 minute show broadcast in the evenings on public radio.

Although it is rooted in finance news, they end up covering all sorts of interesting business stories.

Re: This American Life Retracting "Mr. Daisey & The Apple Factory"

#16

Post by klenwell »

mmaunder wrote: post #11
tptacek wrote: post #2

I'm a Chicago Public Radio member and just got this in my email. Wow: I’m writing to tell you that tonight, This American Life and Marketplace will reveal that a story that we broadcast on This American Life this past January contained significant fabrications. We’re retracting that story because we can’t vouch for its truth, and this weekend's episode of our show will detail the errors in the story, which was an exc…

I feel very bad for this american life because they're brilliant. Extremely unfortunate. I have noticed a drum beating on NPR since the piece aired regarding Apple's working conditions, on the news and the various podcasts. Will be interesting to watch for a change in tone.

The follow-up airing this weekend sounds more interesting than the original piece, which I didn't even finish. Daisey's whole approach just struck me as slapdash and self-indulgent. I find the Planet Money team's approach (whose stories are often featured on This American Life) much more insightful.

Re: This American Life Retracting "Mr. Daisey & The Apple Factory"

#17

Post by Dylan16807 »

This is certainly going to turn out in an interesting way. So far, the main thing being questioned is apparently the people he met, and while that is important to his integrity, it doesn't affect the story of the factory workers.

I'm going to listen very intently to this episode. Is he telling what could be true, or is he the worst kind of liar, manufacturing controversy?

Re: This American Life Retracting "Mr. Daisey & The Apple Factory"

#18

Post by nikcub »

tptacek wrote: post #5
jschuur wrote: post #3

Mike's response: http://mikedaisey.blogspot.in/2012/03/statement-on-tal.html

"It uses a combination of fact, memoir, and dramatic license to tell its story, and I believe it does so with integrity". There is no integrity in lying to fact checkers to ensure your piece gets on the air. Shafer: [...] But what joins D’Agata and Capote is this: Both love “real” facts, but when blocked by journalistic convention from the literary effects they desire, they willingly leapt that fence to create whatev…

the last time I heard a similar line was from Ben Mezrich, the guy who wrote 'accidental billionares' about Facebook.

Re: This American Life Retracting "Mr. Daisey & The Apple Factory"

#20

Post by jerf »

spwmoni wrote: post #10
jschuur wrote: post #3

Mike's response: http://mikedaisey.blogspot.in/2012/03/statement-on-tal.html

What a load of horseshit. Unless he prefaced every performance with a disclaimer that the piece was a work of fiction, his theatrical performances were no more legitimate than the TAL appearance.

It also undermines his point. If getting people to believe what you want them to believe and do what you want them to do requires you to pump up the truth, maybe people were justified in their original opinions and actions after all if the mere truth wouldn't change their minds.

There is no sane interpretation in which he did not knowingly and with gusto embrace the misunderstandings his shading of the truth created. I can't respect that.

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