As if things weren't bad enough for "60 Minutes," the newsmagazine has now been given a prize nobody wants: Poynter's "Error of the Year" award, which it won for its disastrously botched story on the Benghazi attacks.
Craig Silverman, the media world's top error maven, wrote that "60 Minutes" took home the prize partly "because of the mistake itself, and partly because of the mistake’s fallout."
Silverman would probably not find disagreement in too many corners for his choice. "60 Minutes" seemed to mess up at every turn, from relying on a known liar as its main source; to failing to disclose its corporate ties to the book the source was writing; to stonewalling the media when questions were raised about the source's veracity; to giving an apology that few felt was sufficient.
Silverman's second choice? The New York Post's infamous, and potentially libelous, "Bag Men" cover. That cover recklessly pointed an accusatory finger at two completely innocent teenagers in the midst of the Boston bombings—and it still wasn't enough to dislodge "60 Minutes" from the top spot.
Read Silverman's full list here.
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