How Little Anne Barnard knows about Arab culture

I don't know who Anne Barnard but the New York Times has a long habit of sending people to hot spots without any regard to expertise or qualifications.  They have sent people from the New York City police beat to cover the Iraq war--kid you not.  So Anne was talking to her witness: "Reached by Skype, Abu Mohammed, an activist in Homs, said 25 people had died, including four children and two women, and more than 150 were wounded.  “The shelling hasn’t stopped since 6 a.m.,” he said. “They’re using rockets and mortar shells.” Mr. Mohammed also expressed feelings of betrayal".   1) Notice that she reaches an activist who gives her a detailed account of the dead and injured without telling her (or us) about the method of verification of this detailed figure.  I mean, if I reach an activist in Lebanon during an Israeli assault on Lebanon he/she would be able through skype to provide a detail account of casualty?  2) Notice that Ms. Barnard in the second sentence refers to Abu Mohammed as "Mr. Mohammed", which means that she does not know what Abu is in the name.  Amazing.