"The Wire acknowledges that the internal editorial processes which preceded publication of its Meta stories did not meet the standards that we set for ourselves and our readers expect from us", the news organisation said in a statement. The Wire had "formally retracted" its Meta stories on October 23. In addition to the apology, "The Wire is also conducting a comprehensive editorial review of the internal editorial processes which resulted in the publication of these stories in order to identify and plug any and all shortcomings", it said. The problems that The Wire identified The Wire listed two major problems in the reporting process: It did not verify technical evidence properly before publishing the story. That process of review is still under way, but one clear editorial learning which can already be stated with certainty is that complex technical evidence – whether brought by someone who is part of the newsroom or a freelancer – and all verification processes that involve technical skill, must be cross-checked by independent and reputed experts in the field. Had we done this before publication rather than after the fact, this would have ensured that the deception to which we were subjected by a member of our Meta investigation team was spotted in time. – The Wire It rushed to publish the story. To have rushed to publish a story we believed was reliable without having the associated technical evidence vetted independently is a failure of which we cannot permit repetition. – The Wire Background: The…
