An Associated Press reporter behind a story that cited a “senior U.S. intelligence official” who claimed Russia was responsible for missiles launched into Poland that killed two civilians has reportedly been fired.
The Daily Beast initially reported that Associated Press journalist James LaPorta was terminated Monday. The article about the missile strike was authored by LaPorta and John Leicester, who is still employed by the Associated Press.
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The original article, published Nov. 15, said that a “senior U.S. intelligence official said that Russian missiles crossed into Poland and killed two people.”
U.S., NATO, and Polish officials disagreed with this claim, saying the missile strike appeared unintentional and was most likely launched by air defenses in Ukraine.
Polish President Andrzej Duda told the Associated Press that “it is highly probable that one of these missiles, unfortunately, fell on Polish territory.”
“There is nothing, absolutely nothing, to suggest that it was an intentional attack on Poland,” Duda said.
A funeral for the men killed in the missile explosion was held Saturday.
The Associated Press issued a correction on Nov. 16, a day after the story was published, saying, “Subsequent reporting showed that the missiles were Russian-made and most likely fired by Ukraine in defense against a Russian attack.”
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According to the Daily Beast, the Associated Press did not directly comment on LaPorta’s termination. Instead, a spokesperson for the news outlet issued a statement saying, “The rigorous editorial standards and practices of the Associated Press are critical to AP’s mission as an independent news organization. To ensure our reporting is accurate, fair and fact-based, we abide by and enforce these standards, including around the use of anonymous sources.”
The Associated Press’s statement of news values and principles requires “more than one source when sourcing is anonymous” unless “material comes from an authoritative figure who provides information so detailed that there is no question of its accuracy.”
