The MEK provided the estimate of the size of the crowd and that figure was reproduced as fact on the front page of Iranian.com. See photo.
As quoted from our original blog, Prong “(1)” may be the answer.
“(1) If you have a source for the 100,000 size of the crowd claimed, you print it. It will not change that the figure is still false; at best it just shows that make-believe is presented as reality without editorial scrutiny.”
Remember to look at a photo of a community of a 100,000 to get a feel for what a population that size looks like, and compare that to the size of the crowd you see above in the photograph of the rally.
The sources for the “100,000” number are the group itself, with one exception (AL ARABIYA), which does not state how it arrived at the 100,000 attendee figure (similar to the way Iranian.com has published that figure). The other media sources (AP & Sacramento Bee) make clear that the group itself claimed there were 100,000. Hopefully, you see the difference between journalistic standards. Two newspapers went out of their way to say, ‘These are not our numbers … the MEK claimed 100,000.’ Only AL ARABIYA and Iranian.com did not do this.
- “The National Council of Resistance of Iran — which organized Saturday’s event at a convention center in the northern suburb of Villepinte — estimated the turnout at nearly 100,000 people.” (Associated Press.)
- “SOURCE Organizing Committee for Convention for Democracy in Iran [100,000].” (Sacramento Bee.)
- AL ARABIYA – like Iranian.com – does not state how it arrived at the 100,000 figure.
