Replies to post #65724 on Apple Inc (AAPL)

[Tex]

re 2 sources

On a hunch, hearing the same report from two folks who got it secondhand from the same (bad) origin will look as much like confirmation to such a reporter as it does to an intelligence officer, though the reporter under a deadline may have less incentive to conduct a thorough vetting. Not that all intelligence reports reflect that, either, as we learned a while back.

I once dealt with a reporter under a deadline, and it seemed concern for accuracy was inversely proportional to the proximity of the deadline, and the reporter's editor was happy to edit the story and its headline for excitement without thinking about whether he was making up anything as he operated. It was an education. I try to be careful about interview subjects now. I still give them, but I'm not the open book I once was. Ohh, no. Some of those folks really don't care if its true at all, even the ones you'd think should care very much for their reputation. It can get pretty bad.

Take care,
--Tex.

[baldrick]

Likewise. We (should) always look for confirmation from at least 2 sources (usually the major wire services) before going with a story. In our case the credibilty of the source is a big deal as we have our own reputation to maintain...