NOTE TO READERS
Following publication of our May 2026 cover story “Pinecone Cowboys,” we discovered that the author misrepresented details of his reporting, leading to significant errors in both the story’s framing and in its factuality. We learned that the author was never in the field with the main source; that the term “pinecone cowboys” is not commonly used by the people in the industry; and that some of the quotes the author attributed to sources had been contested as inaccurate. High Country News takes accuracy seriously and employs fact-checkers for all reported stories, but we failed to catch these inaccuracies, and we deeply regret the errors. The following describes how we discovered these errors, how we investigated them, and how we plan to ensure that this never happens again.
INVESTIGATION
After publication of “Pinecone Cowboys,” High Country News received a letter from one of the main sources alleging that there were discrepancies in the reporting and premise and noting that the writer had not been in the field with him as the story suggested. In response to these allegations, the magazine added an editor’s note to the top of the story online to alert readers to these concerns, and we began a full investigation. We reviewed all drafts of the piece, as well as any messages, audio and emails pertaining to its reporting, editing and fact-checking. We also brought in a new fact-checker with extensive investigative experience to re-check the article in its entirety. This checker spoke with all the sources in the story as well as with some sources who had been interviewed but not included in the final version.
The article originally went through our standard editorial process, which involves two editors and a complete fact check, during which the writer provides source material for all the facts in the piece and a fact-checker confirms information through research and source interviews, corresponding with the reporter and editor as needed to address inaccuracies.
This process is designed to catch any errors that arise through reporting and editing a piece of journalism. The original fact check uncovered a number of errors, misrepresentations and queries that were addressed in the text prior to publication.
After our post-publication fact check, when confronted by the evidence, the writer acknowledged that he had not been in the field with the main source, that he had provided false information to the editorial team, and that he was aware that he had misattributed source material. He contested sources’ allegations that their quotes were fabricated but did not provide proof, nor did he provide explanation for multiple other errors. High Country News is therefore unable to stand behind the story’s reporting. However, pinecone collectors are critical parts of forest restoration and conservation, and these sources worked with our writer and fact-checker in good faith. Out of respect for the very real work of those involved in the piece, we have annotated the original version with the results of our investigation.
High Country News is currently auditing our editorial processes to evaluate how and where we might fortify ourselves against future misrepresentations. We are also reviewing our fact-checking practices and how we vet writers, along with our standard journalism practices. This work will be ongoing, and we will continue to invest in the crucial work of independent fact-checking for our reportage. For over half a century, High Country News has taken pride in our reputation for accurate and incisive journalism, but in this case, we failed. We apologize to our readers and supporters.