Bogus Claims?

MSNBC.com Investigative Reporter Bill Dedman writes about a new ad campaign for Bloomberg’s Betty Liu and the subject of Pulitzer prize nominations…

Bloomberg Television has a new ad campaign in the New York City area, touting the journalistic credentials of its morning anchor, Betty Liu.

“PULITZER PRIZE-NOMINATED,” the ads shout at commuters on trains in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. “HAS ALL THE HEAVY HITTERS ON SPEED DIAL. AND THAT’S JUST THE ANCHOR.”

The only problem is that Liu has never been Pulitzer-nominated. The Pulitzer Prizes don’t list her among the nominees for any year.

When asked by msnbc.com about the discrepancy, Bloomberg TV said the ads are wrong and will be corrected.

It turns out that Liu is another example of a Pulitzer entrant — not a finalist or nominee — who routinely lists the word “Pulitzer” in her bio anyway. Like conservative author Jonah Goldberg, whose false claim on the cover of his book was described in this space last month, Liu was just one of thousands of entrants whose work was left on the floor at the end of the judging.

Dedman goes on to list prior instances in which Liu’s bio featured the term “pulitzer”.