Fact Check: Mail on Sunday

daily_mail_canvas_mediumDadWagoner Matt posted this morning about the British historian Niall Ferguson, who’s reportedly playing Hide the Research Assistant with Ayaan Hirsi Ali, former Dutch MP and Glenn Beck’s hottest guest. In the interest of editorial integrity (yes, there is such a thing at DadWagon, despite this and this), I am calling bullshit on one part of the report, which came from the Mail on Sunday.

I know what you’re thinking: Mail on Sunday? You mean Flo-Rida’s debut album? The one with confessions like “Shorty was hot like a toaster/Sorry but I had to fold her/Like a pornography poster“? How could you call bullshit on that? Flo-rida totally could have folded her.

No, I’m talking about the conservative UK paper, the Sunday edition of the Daily Mail whose article Matt quoted:

The pair are understood to have met at Time magazine’s prestigious 100 Most Influential People In The World party in New York last May. Ferguson and Ms Hirsi Ali, who have both been on the list, were introduced by Belinda Luscombe, the magazine’s art editor.

I thought I’d ask around about this, since I have had my share of free liquor at these TIME 100 events in the past. And word on the street (I love blogging, where that actually qualifies as sourcing) is that Ms. Luscombe had nothing to do with this arrangement, that Ferguson was there with another date, and if this love tryst kicked off as reported, then the sparking happened after that party. Sounds like the Mail on Sunday wanted to write a narrative to fit the photograph they had of Ferguson and Ali from the TIME 100 party.

Small detail, perhaps, but it makes you wonder what else they flubbed on the story. And I’m not terribly surprised to see sloppiness coming from the Mail on Sunday. They concoct trend stories just like the New York Times. They totally cocked up the Ed Balls story. When it comes to sex crimes, they come perilously close to blaming the victim. It is not my favorite paper.

As for Matt’s statement that Tory sex options are limited to hot apostate Muslims or Nazi-themed torture orgies: I totally agree.

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About Nathan

Nathan Thornburgh is a contributing writer and former senior editor at TIME Magazine who has also written for the New York Times, newyorker.com and, of course, the Phnom Penh Post. He suspects that he is messing up his kids, but just isn’t sure exactly how.

2 thoughts on “Fact Check: Mail on Sunday

  1. I have never been able to read a copy of the mail without screwing it up and hurling it across the room in rage.

    I’ve also never bought a copy for myself, and generally read it at my in-laws, so usually pick it back up and try and make it flat again..

  2. Glad to hear it’s not just us who have some hate for the Mail. There are a lot of Brits reading it, though, so clearly it appeals to something. Oh well, not like we don’t have our own awful rags here in New York.

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