01 September 2010

Incorrect Quote in The Daily Mail

[UPDATED: Benny Peiser emails me to explain that the quote was in fact his, and that he wrote The Daily Mail requesting a correction.  The online version of the story has been corrected, but unfortunately the printed version has the error.  I have no idea how the mistake occurred, but I have thus updated this post and its title to reflect the apparent sloppiness rather than malfeasance.  I have also noted that the error now only exists in the print edition.  Thanks Benny for the quick reply to my query.] 

The Daily Mail has an incorrect quote from me in yesterday's print edition.  I spoke to no one at that paper, the quote is not something I said to anyone else nor does it appear on my blog.  The Daily Mail story is now corrected online, thanks to Benny Peiser of the GWPF who was the actual source of the quote.  Here is the incorrect quote:
I interpret the IAC review as an indirect call for Dr Pachauri to step down. That is what it says between the lines, whether or not he understands it. It is clearly a very, very strong criticism of his management and of him personally. The problem is that many in the international community regard him as damaged goods.
If the Daily Mail was going to misattribute a quote, they might have had the courtesy to make it sound like something I would have said.  For the record, I agree with the first sentence of the quote but not the other three. Regardless, misattributing quotes is pretty uncool.

I've emailed the reporter (Fiona MacRae) and Peiser (not his fault, of course) to ask for corrections (see UPDATE above).  Perhaps Ms. MacRae might take advantage of the free reading glasses given out by her paper to see things a bit more clearly in the future.