AP Writer Will Lester Writes 2 Contradictory Articles About the Same Poll

December 6th, 2005 10:07 PM

Yesterday Lester wrote, "U.S. Allies Oppose Torture, Polls Show", but instead of focusing on the torture poll, the article focuses on American allies that don't want the United States conducting secret interrogations of terror suspects on their soil.

About two-thirds of the people living in Canada, Mexico, South Korea and Spain said they would oppose allowing the U.S. to secretly interrogate terror suspects in their countries. Almost that many in Britain, France, Germany and Italy said they feel the same way. Almost two-thirds in the United States support such interrogations in the U.S. by their own government.

But then the article continues:

The poll found a majority in the United States, France, Britain and South Korea refused to rule out torture in some cases.

So why then the headline that says the poll shows allies oppose torture?

But today, quickly switching to a more accurate headline, "AP Poll: Most Say Torture OK in Rare Cases", Lester admits that the poll results found, "Most Americans and a majority of people in Britain, France and South Korea say torturing terrorism suspects is justified at least in rare instances..."
In America, 61 percent of those surveyed agreed torture is justified at least on rare occasions. Almost nine in 10 in South Korea and just over half in France and Britain felt that way.
So in less than 24 hours, the same journalist wrote 2 different articles with completely contradictory headlines... about the same poll!