Pro tip: That hidden report on palm oil nearly got me sued

I was sharing a news piece about palm oil plantations in Indonesia without checking if it was the blocked version from the government. A commenter pointed out my source was actually a suppressed environmental audit from 2022 that Jakarta tried to bury. Has anyone else accidentally shared blocked news without realizing it until someone called them out?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_mary23d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah I did the same thing with a story about water testing near a factory. Someone in the comments pointed out the data came from a leaked internal report the company was trying to suppress. That person saved me from a world of hurt. Now I always double check the actual source agency or publication date before I link anything. Especially if it seems like something the government or a big company would want to hide. It only takes a minute to verify but it can keep you out of legal trouble.

king.kevin23d ago

You mention it being a leaked internal report the company was trying to suppress, but I guess I see it differently. A lot of those "leaked" documents floating around online are altered or taken out of context by people with an agenda. I'd rather wait for an official public record or a story backed by a credible news organization than risk spreading something that's been doctored up to make a company look bad. A minute to verify is good advice, but you also have to ask who leaked it and why, not just whether the date is right.