When The Associated Press wrote last week that Russia had hit a village in Poland with a missile, fears quickly mounted that the event would escalate the war between Ukraine and Russia into an even bigger conflict.
But it soon turned out that Russia had not fired the missile. And one of the journalists behind the article is no longer with the news organization.
The reporter, James LaPorta, who had been with The AP since April 2020, had provided information that Russia was to blame from a single US intelligence source. The AP used that information in a news alert: “A senior US intelligence official says Russian missiles entered NATO member Poland, killing two people.”
The significance of the alleged event was immediately apparent: it could escalate the war.
It soon became apparent that the information was incorrect. NATO’s secretary general and Polish officials said the explosion was most likely caused by a Ukrainian air defense missile deflecting a Russian attack and going off course.
The AP corrected the article the next day, stating that the erroneous report was “based on information provided by a senior U.S. intelligence official who spoke on condition of anonymity.”
The correction read: “Later reporting showed that the missiles were Russian-made and were most likely launched by Ukraine in defense against a Russian attack.”
Responding to questions about Mr LaPorta, Lauren Easton, a spokeswoman for The AP, said in a statement: “When our standards are violated, we must take appropriate steps to protect the integrity of the news report. We do not make these decisions lightly, nor are we based on isolated incidents.”
Mr. LaPorta declined to comment on this article.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Mr. LaPorta thanked “the multitude of journalists, editors and longtime readers who have approached me with words of encouragement and kindness. It truly means the world.
Mr. LaPorta covered national security and the US military for The AP. He previously worked as a reporter for Newsweek, Frontline PBS, United Press International, and the Daily Beast. He is a veteran of the Marine Corps and served in the war in Afghanistan. According to his LinkedIn profile, he was a military consultant for the NBC show “This Is Us.”
News of Mr. LaPorta’s departure from The AP was previously reported by The Daily Beast.
