NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt believes it is okay to report something that another news outlet has reported without verifying, confirming or clarifying its authenticity and or currency as long as that other news outlet is”highly respected and reputable.” Even if NBC has been made aware that the information they are reporting is erroneous.

How do I know this? Well… they told me.

After we drew to their attention an error in Monday’s show, that they corrected, we reiterated that they had an error in Sunday’s show as well and the following email exchange with their standards department ensued:

From: Gavin Gibbons

Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 11:14 AM
To: Moriba-Meadows, Geraldine (NBC Universal)
Cc: Burkey, Patrick (NBC Universal)
Subject: RE: NBC Nightly News 04.20.09

Dear Ms. Morbia,

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Iwould also like tocall to your attention the fact that on Monday April 20 we sent Patrick Burkey Executive Producer ofNBC Nightly News with Lester Holt a letter expressing concern about a statistic/characterization cited in aSunday April 19th report. Please find that letter attached.

Your attention to this issue would be greatly appreciated as well.

Gavin Gibbons

National Fisheries Institute

From: Moriba-Meadows, Geraldine (NBC Universal)
Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 5:20 PM
To: Gavin Gibbons
Subject: RE: NBC Nightly News 04.20.09

Mr. Gibbons,

Science is a highly respected and reputablemagazine. Their published research is peer reviewed.

Here is anexact transcript of Lester Holt’s introduction to this story for your records. Please note that the cause of your concern ispresented as a prediction and not a fact…

Lester Holt: Tonight we begin a special series on Oceans as part of NBC universals Green week. With the number of fish becoming dangerously low and a prediction that the world major fisheries could collapse by 2048. NBC chief environmental affairs correspondent Anne Thompson takes a look at the new efforts to keep the fish population thriving in part one of our special special series sea change our oceans, our planet and our future.

Thank you again for contacting me with your concerns.

Best,

Geraldine Moriba Meadows

From: Gavin Gibbons
Sent: Thursday, April 23, 2009 12:56 PM
To: Moriba-Meadows, Geraldine (NBC Universal)
Subject: RE: NBC Nightly News 04.20.09

Dear Ms. Moriba Meadows,

Your continued and prompt attention to these issues is both impressive and appreciated.

However, while we agree that Science is in fact a highly respected and reputablemagazine and that itspublished research is peer reviewed (as was Worms’ 2006 report), that does not make its conclusions or even “predictions” valid today. As you will note in my original letter, independent professional criticism of this out-of-date predictionabounds inacademia, government andeven conservationists literature.

The Chicago Tribune is also a highly respected and reputable publication but its November 3, 1948 prediction: “Dewey Defeats Truman,” is obviously not valid today. Worm’s 2048 prediction is also no longer valid. One news outlet relying on another’swork still has a responsibility to fact check thecurrent validity ofwhat it is reporting.

Also noted in my letter,Boris Worm is currently in the process of completing a new study, set for publication this summer in, of all places, Science. He is working hand in hand with the very same detractors who had publicly railed against his 2048 prediction. Perhaps NBC should have, or should still, contact Dr. Worm and ask him, as the principal author of the prediction, whether it is accurate for NBC Nightly Newsto be reporting thatworld class marine ecologists still believe that, “the world’s major fisheries could collapse by 2048.”

I press this point not to be adversarial but simply to insist upon fairness and accuracy in reporting about fisheries and fisheries science.

Thank you for your work.

Gavin Gibbons

From: Moriba-Meadows, Geraldine (NBC Universal)
Sent: Thursday, April 23, 2009 1:34 PM
To: Gavin Gibbons
Subject: RE: NBC Nightly News 04.20.09

Mr. Gibbons,

I respect your diligence, but we do believe that Lester Holt’sintroduction was both a fair and accurate representation of fisheries and fisheries science.

Thank you,

Geraldine