Fox 2 retracts, apologizes for Charlie LeDuff report [[again)

[Pazen Hingree]

"In a move rarely seen on TV news, Fox 2 apologized Wednesday night to Detroit Land Bank Director Carrie Lewand-Monroe for a report by Charlie LeDuff that accused her of perjury and lying at a pre-trial examination for a state contractor charged with fraud."

http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/artic..._official_lied

[Oddz313]

Leduff is a sensationalist but pretty good, they are not going to let him get that close. The corruption is there though, especially with anybody with the last name lewand you know something stupid happened.

[Scottathew]

I'd like to see LeDuff clean up his own mess.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

Certainly allegations of wrongdoing against public officials should not be reported until they are verified [[unless the reporting labels it strictly as an allegation). LeDuff should have known better, and newsroom management should have checked the report before airing.

Nonetheless, it does not seem that we have reason to believe that his report is wrong, merely that the target of the allegation denies knowledge. With the massive and widespread corruption in Detroit and Wayne County government, it is a plausible allegation, which might yet be proven true. One of the worst aspects of SE Michigan gov't over the years has been the extreme lack of transparency in contract awarding and compliance.

Charlie LeDuff should be internally punished for his mistake [[although I would not fire him), and Fox 2 should review their vetting/editing procedures. But that is far less important to most of us than fixing a corrupt* and broken government.

*Corrupt is a relative term. I would deem Turkia Mullin and her benefactor Robert Ficano highly corrupt, even though it seems they may not have violated the law. Conspiring to rip off taxpayers is corruption.

[Hypestyles]

side note- is Leduff officially a national Fox correspondent at this point? Even though obviously he's compelled to have local-skewing stories on a recurring basis..

[Jason]

I hate him and it drives me crazy that he is out there representing Detroit.

And it's not surprising that this would happen. The only reason he's in Detroit in the first place is because he kept on getting kicked out of other cities for his journalism ethics problems.

At least this year he managed to not get into fights with anyone or urinate in public this St. Patricks day.

But really, every story, book, and tv appearance Charlie LeDuff does is about Charlie LeDuff, and he bends and distorts the subject [[usually Detroit) to maximize his self promotion. Whatever actual journalism he does is just a coincidence.

[RickBeall]

Slanted reporting. Similar to Micheal Moore's "documentaries". Lack of objectivity in all.

[compn]

without leduff, we'd still have ficano.

[G-DDT]

I'd like to see LeDuff clean up his own mess.

He can start with the one he left on the streets that one St. Patrick's Day.

[G-DDT]

Slanted reporting. Similar to Micheal Moore's "documentaries". Lack of objectivity in all.

Hmmm not a fan of either of their recent book cover posturing-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_T...st_Us_Again%3F compare that image to thishttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroi...erican_Autopsy. I still will take Moore over him. I remember how idiotic the "Philistine' [[as Bourdain called him) looked on Colbert, and how when the issue of an Emergency Manager came up Colbert asked-"What is it like to live not in a Democracy anymore?".

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

I watch virtually no TV news anymore, and I'm ambivalent about Detroit TV news in general these days [[except that I wish WJBK and WXYZ would move studios and offices to Detroit). From what I've seen and read, I think Charlie LeDuff is a bit of a throwback, a kind of Bill Bonds news guy who blends opinions and attitudes into his reporting, making it neither strictly editorial nor straight reporting. Mitch Albom does that in print, too. That's neither a compliment nor a condemnation. Like in any other field, there should be a variety of things to choose from. Obviously, more than a few people choose to watch LeDuff, both in Detroit and nationally [[I think he is an occasional contributor to FNC). I hope he takes care to double check things in the future [[and/or his bosses see to it). I will say this about TV news in general: it is nearly all sensationalism or fluff, with little actual news.

[noise]

Nonetheless, it does not seem that we have reason to believe that his report is wrong, merely that the target of the allegation denies knowledge.

Really?

The entire basis of LeDuff's accusations was inaccurate, as made clear by Fox

"... and a closer reading of those emails show they do not specifically accuse anyone of fraud and do not prove that Lewand-Monroe knew about such allegations."

You're comfortable with the idea that somebody can't disprove baseless claims?

[Detroitdave]

The damage is done and Charlie himself doesn't have to apologize ?
And all people will remember is what was said first. They rarely remember the apology.
Her reputation is damaged due to his "reporting"

[EastsideAl]

LeDuff always reminds me of that loudmouthed guy we all knew in school or have run into at the bar, who yells at you with great profundity, breathlessly telling you about something of vital importance he's just discovered that you, and most people, have already known for years.

[Honky Tonk]

Lately his "reporting" reminds me of a desperate man clutching @ straws. Too bad, he was really good once.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

You're comfortable with the idea that somebody can't disprove baseless claims?


[/FONT]

I don't think that's what I wrote, and I certainly don't want to imply that. I merely just want to note that we do not know one way or the other, and the station's news department has said it was wrong to report what LeDuff had claimed. The station should not issue a blanket statement denying possible corruption there; that would also be journalistic overreach. Instead, they should [[as they have) note that the story they reported was not supported by the evidence. It should be left at that, pending further evidence.

[gvidas]

I liked his book. It was more nuanced, personal, and real than I was expecting.

TV news sucks, so I don't see any reason to be surprised that his work in that medium sucks also. It's a rough time to be a journalist. The people making any real money in it are sensationalist hacks.

True freedom means the freedom to fuck up. A retraction is the appropriate response. shrug.

[connie jockran]

without leduff, we'd still have ficano.

no, we wouldn't. thats what charlie would like you to believe, but all he did on ficano was chase stories that channel 7 and the free press had already broken. he just pretended like he did.

love how charlie hides behind monica gayle for this retraction.