[nicehat]

No one really cares about such a minor distinction. Perhaps you have some experience with these agencies but for the vast majority of people they're basically the same thing - especially for non-Americans (the Grauniad is English).

Deciding that the rest of the story is "highly doubtful" over that is your call but ffs there are pictures. No musician breaks their own utterly unique instrument to craft a fake story. Be real.

That it's apparently so difficult to precisely assign accountability for this damage is it's own issue, not a cause for suspicion of the story. Lol.

[tssva]

As I stated in my original post I understand the musician not knowing the difference; however, a professional reporter not knowing the difference or being able to do enough journalistic research to discover the difference is unacceptable.

I didn't say that the musician faked the damage to his instrument. That is something you read into my comments.

It is the reporters job to do actual journalism and discover the complete story as best they can. If a reporter can't even figure out which agencies are involved how can I trust that they have done anything to accurately reflect the whole story.

[barry-cotter]

> As I stated in my original post I understand the musician not knowing the difference; however, a professional reporter not knowing the difference or being able to do enough journalistic research to discover the difference is unacceptable.

This is in fact the norm. Journalists write about things they know nothing about under deadline all the time. They have next to no incentive to be accurate since most readers don't know anything about the area they're writing about. People who show through their reporting that they really know what they're talking about in areas where people actually make money tend to get offered jobs that pay better than reporting too.

That reporting is generally awful isn't new and it isn't an accident; it's a feature of the way news is made and paid for.

[nicehat]

Where does the article say that the TSA are border agents, or that customs and the TSA are the same thing? The pedantry and slating of the journalist here is unwarranted.

The point is, a priceless and unique instrument has been destroyed and there is no accountability. How you got from there to wherever you are is beyond my comprehension.

[tssva]

I suggest rereading the article. TSA, border agents and customs are used interchangeably throughout the entire artcile.

[nicehat]

Are they? And can you admit that absolutely nowhere was the claim made they're the same thing?