An outsourcing correction
I’ve taken Josh Marshall to task for essentially outsourcing the thought behind his lone outsourcing post to the Kerry campaign. However, it now turns out that there was an error in the underlying story — a speech that U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas Donohue gave to the Commonwealth Club about offshore outsourcing. ...
I've taken Josh Marshall to task for essentially outsourcing the thought behind his lone outsourcing post to the Kerry campaign. However, it now turns out that there was an error in the underlying story -- a speech that U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas Donohue gave to the Commonwealth Club about offshore outsourcing. Here's how the Associated Press initially reported the story:
I’ve taken Josh Marshall to task for essentially outsourcing the thought behind his lone outsourcing post to the Kerry campaign. However, it now turns out that there was an error in the underlying story — a speech that U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas Donohue gave to the Commonwealth Club about offshore outsourcing. Here’s how the Associated Press initially reported the story:
Donohue acknowledged the pain for people who have lost jobs to offshoring – an estimated 250,000 a year, according to government estimates. But pockets of unemployment shouldn’t lead to “anecdotal politics and policies,” he said, and people affected by offshoring should “stop whining.” “One job sent overseas, if it happens to be my job, is one too many,” Donohue said. “But the benefits of offshoring jobs outweighs the cost.”
The Associated Press now admits it was in error:
In a story June 30 about a speech by U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue to the Commonwealth Club of California, The Associated Press erroneously reported that Donohue said people affected by offshoring should “stop whining.” According to a transcript of the speech provided by the chamber, Donohue said of offshoring, “Let’s not whine.”
Let me stress here that this is entirely the fault of the Associated Press; neither the Kerry campaign nor Marshall can or should be blamed for relying on the AP wire. However, I do wonder if those in the blogopsphere who linked to this story will post the correction — because it drastically alters the perception of what Donohue said. [Why?–ed. Because the new formulation sounds far less haughty. Iinstead of Donohue addressing others, the pronoun used is first person plural, implying that he is not placing blame.]
Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner
More from Foreign Policy
Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America
The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.
The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense
If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.
Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War
Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.
How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests
And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.
Sign up for Morning Brief
Foreign Policy’s flagship daily newsletter with what’s coming up around the world today. Delivered weekdays.
By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.
