WASHINGTON — Accuracy in Media editor Cliff Kincaid said today that all of the Newsweek editors and reporters who had any hand in the bogus Koran-in-the-toilet story should be held accountable. The Drudge Report is reporting that the main author of the story, Michael Isikoff, offered his resignation but that it was not accepted.

“Newsweek should pay a steep price for irresponsible journalism but nobody at the magazine has been punished for inciting Islamic radicals and putting Americans at more risk of death. Americans could pay a price in blood because of what Newsweek has done,” Kincaid said. The story, apparently based on only one mistaken source, eventually led to a retraction, but not before 16 died and more than 100 were injured in anti-American protests. U.S. officials say Newsweek has done enormous damage to the U.S. campaign to spread freedom and democracy in the Middle East. More anti-American protests are planned.

Kincaid urged Donald E. Graham, chairman of the Washington Post Company, which owns Newsweek, to clean house at Newsweek.

Kincaid asked, “Who approved the dubious story before publication? Who was the mysterious ‘source’ who misled Newsweek?” He urged Graham and Newsweek to follow the CBS lead in the Memogate affair and appoint outside investigators to get to the bottom of the scandal. Four people lost their jobs in the CBS matter.

Accuracy In Media (AIM) is a non-profit, grassroots citizens watchdog of the news media that critiques botched and bungled news stories and sets the record straight on important issues that have received slanted coverage.

To schedule an interview with AIM Editor Cliff Kincaid, contact Anne Tyrrell at (703)739-5920 or (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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