Wizbang links to a brutal takedown of N.Y. Times reporter Somini Sengupta’s highly publicized report on “Baby 81,” an infant who survived the tsunami disaster and was allegedly claimed by as many as eight sets of parents. The debunkers of the story are not a conservative media watchdog, but Lanka Business Online, a Sri Lankan publication. Their report is damning:

The unprecedented media attention brought more misery and heartache to a young Tamil couple who survived the December 26 tsunamis, but ended up in jail trying to get back their only son Abilash amid an avalanche of mis-reporting.

The infant dubbed “Baby 81″ could have been reunited much earlier if not for the media madness, according to the judge, the police and social service officials involved in the case.

Sri Lankan courts preferred to call him “Tsunami Baby” because the “Baby 81″ tag itself was in doubt.

Even the much respected New York newspaper was caught up in the flood of mis-reporting, mis-interpreting and mis-translating. The paper said his “awful burden” was not in being unwanted, but in being wanted too much.

“So far, nine couples have claimed him as their own son,” the New York Times said in a story headlined: “For Tsunami Orphan, No Name but Many Parents.”

But, baby 81’s real burden was having too many journalists of the type of Jason Blair, the New York Times reporter who made up sensational stories and eventually was forced out of his job in 2003.

If there is a Pulitzer award for embellishing, exaggerating, and outright lying and misleading in print, the coverage of “Baby 81″ would merit top billing.

Sengupta’s advocacy journalism and use of unsubstantiated anedcote caught the eye of media critic William McGowan, whose excellent book Coloring the News won a National Press Club award. See here and here.

Additionally, TimesWatch tracked Sengupta’s slanted Iraq coverage here.

So, will Sengupta and the Times respond to Lanka Business Online? Stay tuned to the corrections page:

The Times welcomes comments and suggestions, as well as information about errors that call for correction. Messages may be e-mailed to nytnews@nytimes.com or left at this toll-free number: 1-888-NYT-NEWS (1-888-698-6397). For comments on an editorial: letters@nytimes.com (by fax, 212-556-3622). For newspaper delivery questions: 1-800-NYTIMES (1-800-698-4637).

To reach the public editor, Daniel Okrent, e-mail public@nytimes.com or telephone (212) 556-7652.

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