The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) released a statement Wednesday saying it had “issued corrections” to a story that investigated current and former members of the Georgia football team.
The outlet said the writer, Alan Judd, “has been fired for violating the organization’s journalistic standards.”
The AJC rejected Georgia’s demand to retract the article but detailed the corrections made to it.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said it had “issued corrections” to a story investigating current and former members of the Georgia football team. (Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Judd’s article, originally titled “UGA football program rallies after players accused of abusing women,” claimed 11 players remained on the team after reported violent encounters with women and/or the school. However, the AJC says that “can’t be proven under the ‘correct count of 11 players’.” AJC Standards.”
That led to several paragraphs being deleted and the story’s headline changed, according to the AJC.
gave The headline now reads.“The UGA football program rallied in two incidents when players were accused of misbehaving with women,” as the AJC notes that the two confirmed cases Judd wrote about were “accurate and newsworthy.”
In the school’s official demand to retract the story, it says Judd manipulated police interviews with 16-year-old recruit Jamal Jarrett to play into his “false narrative.” The AJC’s investigation into the quote appeared to be with the university.
The AJC rejected Georgia’s demand to retract the article but detailed the corrections made to it. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Former Northwestern quarterback describes hazing as ‘degrading, inhumane, shameful’
“In another error, the article incorrectly stated two statements that a detective made in minutes apart from one quotation,” the statement said. “Joining the sentences does not change the meaning of the quotation, But the way it was presented to readers failed to meet the AJC’s standards.”
“Our editorial integrity and our community’s trust in us are at the heart of who we are,” AJC Editor-in-Chief Leroy Chapman said in a statement. “After receiving the university’s letter, we assigned our team of editors and lawyers to carefully review each claim in the nine-page document we received, along with some additional source material that supports the original story.
“An important part of our mission is to hold people and institutions accountable. It’s a responsibility we take seriously,” continued Chapman. “We must hold ourselves to the same standard and admit when we fall short, which we have here.”
“We apologize to the university and our readers for the errors.”
The university said the piece contained “inaccuracies, unsubstantiated allegations, omissions, and possible fabrications” and was “reckless with the facts and imposing a damaging narrative unsupported by the facts.” (Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
Click here to get the Fox News app.
The university said the piece contained “inaccuracies, unsubstantiated allegations, omissions, and possible fabrications” and was “reckless with the facts and imposing a damaging narrative unsupported by the facts.” But the AJC said it found “no instance of fabrication in the story.”
“I am proud of the work I have done for the AJC over the past 24 years and am grateful for the opportunity to serve the community,” Judd said in a statement.
Georgia won its second back-to-back national championship last January.
Source by [Fox News]
