UPDATE 0735 GMT: You can't keep a great moment in bad journalism down --- we have found another copy of Lizzie Phelan's initial report on Sunday morning for Russia Today:
UPDATE 0705 GMT: Looks like someone at Russia Today may not be quite so proud of their coverage --- the video we initially posted of their report early Sunday morning that all was calm in Tripoli has been "removed by the user".
Never mind. Here's Russia Today with a Tripoli "analyst" early Sunday morning:
And a few hours later, here is RT with "expert" Franklin Lamb --- also a favourite of Iran's Press TV --- to prove that all is well for the regime, apart from a few NATO bombs:
While Alex Campbell of Britain's Sky News made an international name for herself during her hours-long live broadcast alongside opposition fighters on the march to the centre of Tripoli, I am not so sure that Russia Today and "independent journalist" Lizzie Phelan will be celebrating today.
Yesterday, we posted Russia Today's "report" of a NATO-led disinformation campaign trying to undermine the regime with claims of an insurgent advance. We have just discovered an equally impressive summary from RT and Phelan, early on Sunday morning. It's at the top of the entry, with Phelan's later report below.
If the former Iraqi regime had "Baghdad Bob" and Muammar Qaddafi has "Tripoli Timmy" (see Sunday's LiveBlog), with what historical name can we anoint this moment in journalism?