The first annual Duranty Prize will be given for what our readers consider the most egregious example of dishonest reporting for the fiscal year 2011-2012
Personally, I think there should be awarded in at least two categories.
The first, as above, and the second, well, why should dishonest and mendacious ideologues of past years not be allowed a chance to win as well? Award one for grand efforts in previous years, or even one for outstanding lifetime contribution to the cause of misinformation and propaganda.
Michael Moore? How about the New York Times itself? The home of the late and loathsome Walter Duranty himself.
Are you aware that Duranty’s Pulitzer Prize has never been withdrawn? The NYT retains Wally as a winner in its list of Pulitzer laureates, albeit with a caveat.
Update: Tim Blair heads this as Win a Wally. Apt, in Oz slang a wally is a fool, an idiot and a failure.
I don’t suppose they’d consider me, for my performance on Friday? Still angry at myself for that. Stupid, stupid, stupid…
Sam, I really don’t think any of us are in the right league.
Wally means the same in the UK too, Cats. I have a joint nomination for a Wally - Harabin and Black.
Lynne
I think we can nominate the BBC as a whole to the Duranty Prize Hall of Fame. There’s no need to single out the two “reporters” you name who are, after all, only the front line troops deliberately transmitting misinformation on behalf of their employer.
Umbongo - excellent point!
Umbongo
Point taken. But Sarah Montague, one of the presenters on the BBC R4 Todayprogramme rotation, is quite possibly the stupidest journalist practicing in Britain. In a field that includes both Polly Toynbee and Robert Fisk that is really saying something.
PST
Oh I agree with you re Montague. However the other two “journalists” you mention know exactly what they are doing - and care less.
Great minds think alike. Just doing my annual* check of your blog and see that you spotted it just before I did on annaraccoon.com. My suggestion for a nominee would be Johann Hari. A commentator on AR mentioned the BBC too.
*Not that infrequent really
[...] Media are proud to announce the inaugural award for the Walter Duranty Prize for egregiously dishonest [...]