Ahead with Poland agreeing to host missile shield amid east-west tension

Reuters was alone for at least 30 minutes on August 14 with one of the most significant developments linked to the Georgia-Russia crisis — Poland’s decision to sign up to the U.S. missile defence shield after months of prevarication. Reuters was out with the news and what it meant for east-west ties while other news providers were still awaiting a briefing by Poland’s prime minister. The Georgia conflict and its ripples have moved financial markets - oil (Caspian oil is piped through the Caucasus), Russian stocks and Ukrainian credit default swaps (on rising tensions in the Crimea, where Russia has its Black Sea fleet). All Polish websites and all TV channels ran the Reuters story, which remained unmatched for at least half an hour. A correspondent from a rival news organisation tried to vent her anger at a U.S. embassy official at a subsequent signing ceremony. “Why didn’t you let me know?” she demanded. “I didn’t know myself,” the man replied. “We got it from Reuters.”