Noting clueless use of wire feeds by the Australian media is becoming a hobby of mine. You would at least think that when they use them, the media could at least get the name of the source right. Er…no.
Behold a clip from the email newsletter sent out by The Australian on Monday 3rd December 2012:
Two news items about the correspondence of Napoleon? One to do with the Kremlin, one in code? I have to see this.
Napoleon's Kremlin letter sold for $243K [jpg]
Napoleon's Kremlin letter sold for $243K
From: AAP December 03, 2012 10:03AM
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A letter from Napoleon Bonaparte has sold at auction for ten times its estimated value at $A235,000. Source: AAP
A SECRET code letter sent by French emperor Napoleon boasting that his multinational forces would blow up Moscow's Kremlin has sold at auction for 187,500 ($A235,000) - 10 times its estimated presale price.
Napoleon's coded letter sells for $233K [jpg]
From agencies and News Limited publications:
Napoleon's coded letter sells for $233k
From: AP December 03, 2012 5:39AM
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A SECRET coded letter sent by French emperor Napoleon boasting that he would blow up Moscow's Kremlin has sold for 187,500 euros ($A233,000). - [sic] 10 times its estimated presale price.
Leaving aside that grubby little disclaimer ("From agencies…") which is not even text (I can't pick it up with the mouse and cursor) the stories are identical save for two things: the attribution, and the sale price. The AAP and the AP are two entirely separate organisations. The Australian Associated Press is an Australian news agency founded in 1935 by Fairfax and HWT (now owned by News Ltd). The Associated Press is an American news agency founded in 1846 by New York Newspapers to…you can Askjeeves the rest.
The AAP is actually nearer the mark for the value of €187,500 but the subediting drone could not keep consistent between the headline and the opening paragraph. And some dimwit put both stories in the email bulletin.
(A short time on the interwebs suggests that the story belongs to the AP).