By: E&P Staff A front-page story in Tuesday's editions of the Los Angeles Times attributed a quote to Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal that was taken from a fake news release circulated as an April Fool's joke earlier this year.
The article, headlined "Wolves Thrive but Animosity Keeps Pace," examines the reintroduction of wolves to the American West and the controversy surrounding the possible move to take the predators off the federal Endangered Species Act.
To bolster the argument that delisting the animals would allow states to "exterminate whole packs" of the animals, Times Staff Writer Julie Cart quoted Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal as saying his state "now considers the wolf as a federal dog," unworthy of protection.
The Times printed a correction in Wednesday's editions (and attached it to the
online version of the article) acknowledging that the news release was a hoax.
"The reporter saw it on the Internet and had talked with the governor in the past, so she was familiar enough with the way he talks and writes that she thought it sounded authentic, and she didn't check, which she should have," Times Deputy Metro Editor David Lauter told the Casper Star Tribune.
"We hate when this kind of thing happens, and we correct it as quickly as we can," Lauter said.
According to The Associated Press, the fake press release was distributed by Maury Jones, an outfitter in the community of Afton, Wyo., as a joke for April Fool's Day.
"I never thought I'd get this kind of reaction," he told AP. "But it's got some legs."
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