'17 killed,' '29 more killings': Jared Diamond 'stands by' New Yorker revenge story and gives the illusion of precision

iMediaEthics publishes international media ethics news stories and investigations into journalism ethics lapses.

Menu

Home » Errors»

MURDER HE WROTE? Yours truly, Rhonda R. Shearer as depicted in Science magazine, alongside, former Papua New Guinea (PNG) World Wildlife Fund employee and indigenous person Daniel Wemp. Jared Diamond claims in his dramatic tale published by The New Yorker last year, that Wemp was a blood "thirsty" "killer" responsible for organizing "about 30 killings" during 1992-1995 -- an account for which Wemp served as his sole, unverified source.

This is #1 in a series of iMediaEthics blog posts that will respond to Jared Diamond’s and New Yorker’s exclusive statements to Science magazine, published May 15, 2009…

Judging by the quotations attributed to Jared Diamond in last week’s breakthrough news report in Science magazine, “‘Vengeance’ Bites Back At Jared Diamond,” denial is not just a river in Egypt.

Michael Balter, who scored the interview exclusives with both Diamond and New Yorker editor David Remnick, wrote that “Diamond insists that he followed good journalistic practice” when writing the now infamous April 21, 2008 essay “Annals of Anthropology: Vengeance Is Ours: What can tribal societies tell us about our need to get even?

Continue Reading - Pages: 1 2 3 4 View All

Submit a tip / Report a problem

’17 killed,’ ’29 more killings’: Jared Diamond ‘stands by’ New Yorker revenge story and gives the illusion of precision

Share this article: