Rolling Stone does another faceplant

Back in 2014, Rolling Stone published an article that was a journalistic train-wreck, leading to a full retraction and a series of lawsuits.

Proving that they've learned exactly nothing when there's a juicy narrative to push, Rolling Stone published an online article that ticked all the boxes: backward hicks in flyover country, covid panic, and rural gun culture.  And it was all a lie.  Twitchy: "NO one thought to fact-check?’ Rolling Stone, Rachel Maddow BUSTED pushing FAKE story about OK hospitals overwhelmed with horse dewormer ODs."

I read this article before the hospital in the article corrected the record and it was full of red flags, most notably that it depended almost entirely on the testimony of a single doctor.  There were no statistics, no facts from official sources, and no supporting evidence.  It took me all of 10 seconds to find this statement online:

Since May 1, Oklahoma's poison control center has received 11 reports of human exposure to ivermectin. One call was in May, three calls came in July, and six calls reported a total of seven patients in August. Most people developed only minor symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea, and there have been no reported fatalities.

Eleven cases of upset tummies.  Awesome job, professional journalists.

Extra - Drew Holden has a long list of credulous lefties repeating this phony story:

It should go without saying, but inventing a narrative out of thin air simply because it confirms your priors is not going to help rebuild trust in the media.

It would’ve taken a single phone call to shoot this story down.

Why didn’t that happen?

It's truly a mystery why people keep losing faith in the media year after year after year.