A journalism advocacy group has egg on its face following its decision to invite and then disinvite a phony “whistleblower” to star in its annual data reporting conference.

Investigative Reporters and Editors had scheduled Rebekah Jones to appear Wednesday as a featured speaker on a panel titled “When doing the right thing gets you fired.” Jones claims, without evidence, that she was fired from the Florida Department of Health because she refused to manipulate the state’s COVID-19 data.