THE NEW YORK TIMES GOT THE WRONG GUY — AND THE JURY SENT THE BILL!
The New York Times got the wrong guy, and the jury in Alabama made them know about it! Now THIS is how you know you messed up!
The New York Times just got hit with a $9.25 MILLION bill after an Alabama jury decided the newspaper defamed former Alabama basketball player Kai Spears.
And let me tell you something: $9.25 million is one hell of an editor’s note.
The Times reported that Spears was a passenger in a car connected to a fatal shooting in Tuscaloosa back in January 2023.
Only one problem...
HE WASN’T.
Oops!
Not “oops, we spelled Alabama wrong.”
Not “oops, we used the wrong picture.”
We’re talking about, “Hey, America, this basketball player might have been involved in a murder” OOPS!
THAT is a completely different level of journalism.
The Times said its information came from an anonymous person familiar with the investigation. Then, a few days later, the newspaper basically said:
“Uhhhh... our bad.”
They corrected the story and added an editor’s note acknowledging the mistake.
But here’s the problem with reputation:
You can correct the article. You can’t correct everybody who already read it.
Once somebody sees your name connected to a murder investigation, that information doesn’t magically disappear because The New York Times comes back three days later with a digital eraser.
That’s like me walking into a restaurant and yelling:
“ERROL MARKS HAS BEEN KICKED OUT OF THE RESTAURANT FOR STEALING THE CHEF’S CAR!”
Then five minutes later I say:
“Correction: Errol did NOT steal the car.”
Well, THANK YOU!
But now the guy sitting at the bar is looking at me like:
“Wasn’t that the car thief?”
THAT’S THE PROBLEM!
Spears sued the Times, saying the report caused him emotional distress and permanently connected his name to a murder he had nothing to do with.
After a nine-day trial, an eight-person jury came back and basically said:
“Yeah... $9.25 million ought to get somebody’s attention.”
And I LOVE the Times’ response.
They said they were disappointed the jury found them liable for what they called an “honest mistake.”
AN HONEST MISTAKE?!
Listen, if I order a cheeseburger and you give me a hamburger, that’s an honest mistake.
If I call somebody the wrong name on my radio show, that’s an honest mistake.
If The New York Times mistakenly links a COLLEGE BASKETBALL PLAYER to a FATAL SHOOTING...
THAT’S AN HONEST MISTAKE WITH A LAWYER ATTACHED TO IT!
And here’s the wildest part:
The Times says it hadn’t lost a defamation lawsuit brought in the United States over one of its articles in more than 50 years.
Well...
CONGRATULATIONS, NEW YORK TIMES!
You made it to 51!
Then Alabama walked in and said:
“Hold my sweet tea.”
And I don’t care whether you’re a newspaper, television network, podcast, radio show, or some guy with 14 followers posting from his mother’s basement:
YOU BETTER GET THE STORY RIGHT.
Because when you attach somebody’s name to something as serious as murder, you can’t just hit EDIT and pretend everything is okay.
The internet doesn’t work that way.
The internet remembers EVERYTHING.
You could correct the story 10 minutes later, and somebody has already taken a screenshot, posted it on social media, sent it to 400 people, and created a conspiracy theory before you finish typing:
“We regret the error.”
Now the Times is reviewing its legal options.
Translation:
THE CHECK IS IN THE MAIL... MAYBE!
Look, journalism matters.
Accuracy matters.
And if you’re going to put someone’s name next to a murder investigation, you better be DARN SURE you’ve got the right person.
Because apparently, in Alabama...
THE NEW YORK TIMES JUST LEARNED THAT “MY BAD” CAN COST $9.25 MILLION!
And THAT, my friends, is what we call...
EXPENSIVE EDITING!