The vast majority of reported atrocities committed by evacuees ”” mass murders, rapes and beatings ”” have turned out to be false, or at least unsupported by any evidence, according to key military, law-enforcement, medical and civilian officials in positions to know.

“I think 99 percent of it is [expletive],” said Sgt. 1st Class Jason Lachney, who played a key role in security and humanitarian work inside the Dome. “Don’t get me wrong ”” bad things happened. But I didn’t see any killing and raping and cutting of throats or anything … 99 percent of the people in the Dome were very well-behaved.”

I doubt this lapse in jounalism standards will reach the notoriety on RatherGate but journalists continue to have a real credibility problem. They know what they should be verifying stories with multiple creditable sources but they don’t or won’t.