Drudge needles the LAT's Baquet

LA Observed ^ | 8-25-03 | LA Observed

[FreedomSurge]

In the "One Question" feature on I Want Media, Matt Drudge is asked about LAT managing Editor Dean Baquet's assertion in the Sunday paper that because of websites such as the Drudge Report, "people can't tell the difference anymore between rumor and fact," suggesting such sites contribute to a loss of public confidence in journalism.

Drudge responds:

'Right on schedule, Mr. Baquet. More urgent warnings from corporate news concerns [TRIBUNE] about the dangers of individuals operating outside of their control [INTERNET], not to mention the free will of a reader to go wherever [LIBERTY]. Any random trip through the Newseum in Washington shows the nation's press has always been chaotic and controversial. And I never took Staples Center money with journalistic-ad tie-ins for my magazine [EMBARRASSING]."

Baquet's remark was in a story in the L.A. Times Sunday magazine by Michael D'Antonio. "Sneer When You Say Journalist" is D'Antonio's personal exploration of why the public has become disaffected with journalists and the craft they practice.

By the way, Baquet and LAT editor John Carroll were not in Los Angeles when the Staples Center gaffe occured. Previous management and ownership of the paper. It's not clear that Drudge knew that.

[FreedomSurge]

Although this story is from August of 2003, I think it has bearing on the outing of Buckhead.

Baquet, the managing editor of the slimes either directly or indirectley approved of the Buckhead outing. He sets the tone for the Slimes, and that tone includes paranoia about the internet checking up on the factual content of his newspaper.

If Mr. Baquet were to get his head out of his ... er... the sand, he would find out the "loss of public confidence in journalism" results more from letting his personal bias and lack of personal ethics interfere with the "reporting than anything that happens on the internet.

[ClintonBeGone]

I missed it. Has Buckhead been outted?

[hocndoc]

THis time around, it's Rather and the MSM that makes it hard to tell the difference between a myth and the truth --- I'd be willing to bet that that happens more often than not.

Everyone ought to take a look at "How the News Makes Us Dumb: the Death of Wisdom in an Information Age" http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0830822038/qid=1095536466/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-3668452-2001641?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

[Bahbah]

"Has Buckhead been outted?"

Well, yes, in the sense that his name and location and profession are known, and the fact that he is a Republican, which will shock all of the posters here.

[FreedomSurge]

Unfortunately the thread discussing it has been pulled. But yes the LA Slimes outted him.

[ClintonBeGone]

I just found an article on it.

http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000632714

I considered GA as his location when I first heard the name. Buckhead is an upscale Atlanta suburb.

[ClintonBeGone]

Unfortunately the thread discussing it has been pulled. But yes the LA Slimes outted him.

How could they find him? You don't think anyone here help the LAS?

[FreedomSurge]

No, they went through all of his postings over the last several years and pieced together who they thought he was.

[prion]

I just found an article on it.

Geez, what an article! They mention he has ties to conservative groups, like that's going to be a huge shock. And then they suspect he was tipped off because, without any special expertise in typefaces, he knew that typewriters and word processors of the 1970s all used monospaced fonts. Other than congenital morons and whippersnappers born after laser printers, who didn't?

[Stellar Dendrite]

The LA times outed him.

[ClintonBeGone]

Someone told me THIS is this Buckhead?

[Stellar Dendrite]

Noooo....that's not Buckhead. That's Pothead!!!

[Madame Dufarge]

The thread about the LA Slimes outing Buckhead is still in Breaking News.

The thread discussing the Slimes reporter who did it has been pulled.

Blogger who faulted CBS Documents is conservative activist (LA Times RATS out Buckhead!)

[Mark in the Old South]

I thought of Atlanta when I saw his site name as well. I used to live in Buckhead, not all of it is expensive. I lived in a real cool older apt bld for the cheapest rent I have ever had. $250 a month including heat. Three blocks away from where the old Sears building used to be, it was fantastic, too bad I hated Atlanta. I do miss Falinies Pizza (I remember how to say the name better than I can spell it), they were on the same block around the corner.

Why in the world is his relationship with the GOP an issue with these people. It never seems to be an issue when it is demoncrats, and if his connection was such a smoking gun why isn't political contributions of Big Media stars an issue. (Oh but I am expecting logic and fairness from journalist, silly moi) I seem to recall Buckhead mentioned he was a lawyer in those messages. Didn't he say forged documents were a bigger problem then most people might imagine? I remember getting the impression he picked up this skill as a result of court cases.

[Intolerant in NJ]

... because of websites such as the Drudge Report, "people can't tell the difference anymore between rumor and fact,"...but they're getting awfully good at telling the difference between MSM lies and fact......