There are some publications that report stories this way and they give ethical journalists a black eye. In every profession there are some who are too lazy or too incompetent to do a good job and thereby make it tougher for true professionals. That's not to say that mistakes aren't made by good reporters. Even the best journalists screw up, particularly when working under deadline pressures, but this story is a joke and so obviously lopsided that even the most gullible reader must be skeptical.

Most glaring is a the lack of quotes from the cat sailors. I still don't know who these guys are or what their story is. It's fair to be cynical when reading newspapers, watching TV news, or particularly when reading internet news. The glut of media outlets has made competition fierce, pushing breaking news outlets to get the story published fast, but quality newspapers and magazines remain one of the most thorough and accurate news sources.