Posted on 09/13/2004 8:08:26 PM PDT by quidnunc
Four little-known online commentators — known as Web-loggers, or bloggers for short— were instrumental in landing a blow to CBS News with their reports that documents involving President Bush’s Air National Guard service may have been faked.
The four — John Hinderaker, William Ardolino, Charles Johnson and the pseudonymous “Allah” — led an interconnected real-time investigation into the authenticity of four documents that CBS, in its “60 Minutes II” broadcast last Wednesday, said proved that Mr. Bush applied pressure to get out of his Air National Guard service in August 1973.
Starting Thursday morning, the four bloggers — simultaneously doing original reporting and investigative work — created enough skepticism over CBS’s reporting that the network was forced to dedicate the opening segment of last Friday’s “CBS Evening News with Dan Rather” to defending itself.
The allegation leveled by the four bloggers is that the documents CBS used are sloppy and politically motivated forgeries. They base their claims on assertions that the documents contain spacing and typographical constructions that were impossible to make using electric typewriters available in 1973.
CBS News, which did not return a telephone call from the Sun, has said it stands by its report. During last Friday’s “CBS Evening News with Dan Rather” broadcast, Mr. Rather defended CBS News’ use of the documents, asserting “Definitive proof has not come out to refute them.”
The New York Sun interviewed three of the four bloggers — Charles Johnson did not return repeated e-mailed requests seeking comment — and was able to create a timeline of how these four nonjournalists created an ongoing dilemma for one of the largest and most established journalistic organizations in America.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at daily.nysun.com ...
He told the Sun that most of his early correspondents referenced a post from the previous night on the FreeRepublic Web site dated at 11:59 p.m. by a poster named “Buckhead” that disputed the memo’s veracity based on typographical issues; repeated attempts to reach “Buckhead” via e-mail were unsuccessful.
Free Republic had it before the blogs did.
"Who are you going to believe? Dan Rather? Or your own lying eyes?"
"repeated attempts to reach “Buckhead” via e-mail were unsuccessful."
Does he know how to use FReepmail? :)
Buckhead...are you out there?
Wasn't there another FReeper who actually raised it first...KC________?
I guess we're the Fifth Musketeer...
That's what I was wondering. As far as I know (and I have been here a while) there is no way to get an email address off FR unless the user posts it or puts it on there page. Buckhead doesn't have it on his page.
Isn't forgery against the law? Should someone be in jail because of this?
The only people who know how to FReepmail me are people who know me here. Funny story (to me, anyway). One of my daughters was trying to call me and there was a problem with the phone. She sent me a FR mail and I got right back to her. It's her place of last resort. :)
Or the fifth Beatle....
I would love it if Freep was responsible for bringing down Pompous Rather and Pretentious Fraudulent Treasonous Kerry.
Free Republic and the New Media
Self | 09/12/2004 | Chris Davis
Posted on 09/12/2004 4:54:35 PM PDT by writer33
It all started in 1988. President Ronald Reagan’s second term was ending, Americans were ready to launch the presidency of George H.W. Bush, and in Sacramento, California, a “loveable little fuzzball” stepped behind a microphone, replacing Morton Downey, Jr, and giving us his brand of conservative truth. It was astonishing. It was exhilarating. And it was unheard at the time. Before 1988, Americans had been treated with the nightly news from the “Big Media.”
The “Big Media” owned the airwaves of our televisions. Every morning, noon, and night we were fed stories, pictures, and commentary from a leftist press. A media content in spreading the truth that served its purpose, giving us little tidbits of salacious information, but not reporting the full story. Facts had been withheld to give the unaware their view of the world and how it should be. Their mission: Save the world by keeping people ignorant of the truth. And just like the song, “Along Came Mary,” along came Limbaugh.
Limbaugh perforated our eardrums with common sense and startling commentary. His sharp wit and sarcastic humor brought a smile on our faces. His love of country and support of our troops spurred a belief that was held in the majority of Americans’ minds. America loved it. They loved Limbaugh. They loved the truth. In fact, America loved the truth so much they gave him his own television show in 1992. This opened the door to audiences that had never heard from Limbaugh before. A chance to spread “a disease caused by casual contact.” A chance to open American eyes to the “Big Media.” CBS, NBC, ABC, and CNN hadn’t seen the like of it. They were in shock and awe. They were furious. They were overwhelmed at the number of stations Limbaugh overtook. They didn’t know how to respond to this “loveable little fuzzball.” So they did what they always do: Manipulate the facts and distort the truth about Limbaugh. Before long, his books were on shelves, spreading more conservative views on topics of interest to Americans, topics such as National Security, Feminism, Abortion, and Liberalism. Now, even more Americans had become aware of Rush Limbaugh. Suddenly, the “Big Media” had to compete for the attention of the American people. As Rush said before, “There wasn’t any of this fifteen years ago. I know. I was there at the creation.” He was. And we are forever grateful.
Through all of this, a cable news channel was created. Fox News, a channel that reported the whole story. They were young and brash, and in 1996, they gave a young, fire-breather his debut on Hannity & Colmes. Sean Hannity began to slice and dice liberalism on a cable news network. His efforts in broadcast journalism led him to his own radio show on September 10, 2001. Not only does he reach millions on his television show, but is second only to Rush Limbaugh in talk radio with nearly 400 stations across the nation. As conservatives, we were starting to get a stranglehold on the old monopoly of the “Big Media.” We were fighting mad and it was showing.
And there would be more to follow. More talk show hosts to come. More conservative news, exposing the truth of the spin in the “Big Media.” There would be the internet, the new age of conservative news, opinions, commentary, and information throughout the globe. Soon, a gutsy, young journalist would risk it all and shake the foundations of the White House from the internet. Matt Drudge risked his entire reputation, career, and livelihood by breaking the Monica Lewinsky story. This no nonsense conservative uncovered what no “Big Media” would uncover. He would expose the corruption and debauchery under the desk in the Oval Office.
Matt Drudge was the beginning of the internet and the new media. Now, Americans of all stripes of red, white, and blue could access news. In the last year, Drudge has had nearly three billion visitors to his site, which is broadcast every Sunday from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. eastern standard time. Drudge began the wave of the conservative future. No longer did conservatives have to call in to their favorite talk radio program to express their frustration of the liberal media. No longer did they have to sit idly by their televisions throwing pillows at the television while ranting and raving at the blatant media partisanship. Now they had a new outlet. They had a forum called Free Republic.
Through the brainchild of Jim Robinson, a forum was created where Americans of all flavors could rant, rave, and could even continue the pursuit of conservatism while crushing the socialistic tyranny of the “Big Media.” In a statement on their website, Jim Robinson states, “In our continuing fight for freedom, for America and our constitution and against totalitarianism, socialism, tyranny, terrorism, etc., Free Republic stands firmly on the side of right, i.e., the conservative side.” And in that statement, sums up the mission of conservatism and Free Republic. Now we’re dangerous to the “Big Media.” Now we’re available to everyone. We’re in homes, in offices, and in laptop computers. We’ve become an infectious disease that will debilitate the Democratic Party and liberalism’s veined effort to garnish power. We’re putting a stranglehold on a defunct enterprise known as CBS, NBC, ABC, and CNN.
From Anchorage, AK to Miami, FL, we’re spread across the United States in search of one crushing blow to end the “Big Media’s” tyranny over the news, to stop the lies, and end the oppression of facts from news commentary, such as 60 Minutes. We’re here to mobilize and stop the incestuous relationship with the Democratic Party and their socialistic tendencies. In a nutshell, we are here to end liberalism’s final, desperate grip on a media that has become so partisan they’ve lost all objectivity. Free Republic, this group of “amateurs” has put their testicles in a vice and tightened ‘em down.
But the media doesn’t know the full power of Free Republic. The media doesn’t know it is made of up individuals across the globe. “Amateurs” of all walks of life, willing to make the leap in refuting liberal terrorism in the press. From housewives to airline pilots, from ministers to talk show hosts, and from architects to engineers, comprise diversity so great that the media’s group of so-called experts can’t keep up. We even have our own range of military personnel from every branch of service, willing to battle lies and distortions within the media elite. And as much as we hate to admit it, we have lawyers that lurk, lawyers that Freep, and lawyers that make sure no lawsuit is left behind.
From our makeup, we are Americans: Conservative Americans. Americans united in one common goal: We won’t stop till the mission is complete. For we are the new media. We are the new truth in America. We are the amateurs that have rocked the status quo. These merry bands of amateurs, known as Freepers, have shown their expertise at exposing the truth. This forum called Free Republic will supercede the admonishment of the liberal media and conquer all those that oppose us. After all, we are the best in the world. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: “Free Republic is made up of some of the finest minds I’ll ever know.” And for that, I am forever grateful for their expertise. I am forever grateful for this new media.
During the whole Sniper thing, I was traveling in Virginia when one of the victims, who happened to fit my description, was shot. My older brother, also a Freeper, freep mailed me to see if I was OK. I was logged in from the B&B I was staying at and answered him immediately.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110005611
I'd Rather Be Blogging
CBS stonewalls as "guys in pajamas" uncover a fraud.
" I was logged in from the B&B I was staying at and answered him immediately."
Amazing, and wonderful.
Liberal Pile up. They think if they take Rather down it will clear the rest of them of the BIAS stench. It will not.
BTTT!! Freepers ROCK!!
Thanks for the bump. I appreciate it.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1213299/posts
It is widely accepted that the documents produced by CBS are forgeries, this additional documentation would be able to provide conclusive proof so that the next steps of pursuing potential criminal actions against both CBS News and Dan Rather may begin:
18 U.S.C. 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud United States
18 U.S.C. 372 - Conspiracy to impede or injure officer
18 U.S.C. 494 - Contractors' bonds, bids, and public records
18 U.S.C. 506 - - Seals of departments or agencies (may include military signatures and branch)
18 U.S.C. 1001. - Statements or entries generally
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