Subjected To Deception By A Member Of Our Meta Investigation Team: Wire Posts 'Apology' For Its Meta Stories; Silent On 'Tek Fog'

The Wire posted what it titled as an 'apology and a promise' to its readers late last night.

Read here for a recap of the Meta-Wire saga.

In its latest statement, The Wire claimed that:

• It is 'conducting a comprehensive editorial review of the internal editorial processes' behind the publication of its Meta stories.

• It had been 'subjected' to deception by a member of its Meta investigation team. (This morning, the statement saw a footnote added to it saying that 'The person responsible is no longer working with The Wire in any capacity.')

• That the 'Editorial team takes moral responsibility for the omission'.

• That in future, 'all technical evidence will be verified by independent experts before publication'.

The statement then goes on to give what can be described as sermons on editorial process and responsibilities:

• "...Wire acknowledges that the internal editorial processes which preceded publication of these stories did not meet the standards that The Wire sets for itself and its readers expect from it".

• "...obvious learning is that the editing process for any investigative story should involve multiple layers of editors."

• "...For this we owe an apology to our readers".

Last week, The Wire had also withheld its stories on Tek Fog from public view.

In January, The Wire published a report about an app, which they defined as highly sophisticated and secretive, called Tek Fog.

Citing tweets from an individual claiming to have worked for the IT Cell of the BJP, the report stated that the app could manipulate trends online and target journalists and other individuals who do not speak in favour of the BJP.

Eventually, everyone The Wire mentioned in their report denied the fabrications without the former fighting the allegations.

Notably, the 'apology' put out last night by The Wire did not say anything about the Tek Fog stories even as they are still inaccessible to the public and were co-written by the same person who The Wire claims had 'deceived' them.

Self-styled rebels of an imaginary struggle

It's recent 'apology' reinforces the point that The Wire sanctimoniously revels in a self-imagined image of an underfunded media underdog that takes on the might of the 'establishment.'

In current times, many publishers and self-proclaimed fact-checkers and influencers want to be hailed as outliers in what they define as arduous times for free speech and expression.

One way to achieve this objective is to exaggerate the capacities of the political parties' digital units by light years.

Bottom line

What also attracts attention in the current saga is that Meta’s politics and worldview overlaps, to a large degree, with that of The Wire.

That is why there is strong apprehension that the Left, along with even Meta, will ensure that the management and editorial team of The Wire is remembered as a victim in the entire episode and not as a perpetrator.

Readers, politicians, and organisations, both in India and abroad, will continue their support to The Wire.

For the fight must continue, the support must be sought, the defamation must go on, and the alliance of Left and Big Tech must survive.

After all, 'the big bad wolf' of a BJP government must be defeated.

Also Read: Wire-Meta Saga: Another Case Of Fighting A Super-Villain That Doesn't Exist