This American Life Retracts Episode On Apple Factories In China

New submitter Hartree writes "This American Life aired an episode in January about visiting Foxconn's factory in Shenzhen China that supplies Apple with iPhones and iPads. It was the most downloaded of all of its episodes. That show helped prompt Apple to release, for the first time, a list of its suppliers and allow outside audits of working conditions at its suppliers. This American Life has now retracted the episode after finding out that Mike Daisey, whose visit to the factory the show was based on, fabricated portions of the story. This included a number of minor items, but also major ones such as his saying that he personally met underage workers and those poisoned by hexane exposure. To set the record straight, this weekend's episode of This American Life will present how they were mislead into airing a flawed story (PDF)."

This American Lie

[schlachter]

...is how I read the headline...how appropriate

A perfect story for them

[icensnow]

This kind of story, where they can go seriously meta about how they fact-check their stories and how they were misled, set to mournful music, is an almost perfect This American Life setup. They will probably want to goof like this every year now. OK, I'm being very snarky, but Ira Glass is just way too sincere for my taste.

Re:A perfect story for them

[Stormy Dragon]

I'm reminded of the Car Talk Christmas special, where they did there rendition of A Christmas Carol with various public radio personalities in the various rolls. Ira Glass ended up being Tiny Tim, who was described as dying from "chronic tragic sincerity syndrome".

Re:This American Lie

[mooingyak]

Well, you've nailed irony for sure.

Re:This American Lie

[furytrader]

You lost me at "my non-American perspective" ....