Au contraire, mon frere (hoping that my minimal understanding of French is working today).

The reporter has, IMHO, the clever tack of using a slightly different interpretation to avoid the 'nasty' implications of the word 'rip'. E might not be correct technically, but it'll placate the hordes. And besides, it's closer than a completely made-up pretense.

So I think e did the right thing.

Save the whales. Feed the hungry. Free the mallocs.