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Posted on 02/03/2005 9:23:28 AM PST by BJungNan
News forum that caught CBS fake National Guard documents shines light on another media blunder
"I need you all to look at this photo and tell me if you think the vest is what is being issued and worn in Iraq. Also does the M-16 shown look small?" - posted on 02/01/2005 11:26:05 AM PST by Dog
"Ok, some things I'd like to point out... first, that vest, and those boots, they aren't military issue, if they are I've never seen em. Next, the mag in the M4 isn't issued I believe, it looks like a mag you would buy for civilian use." - posted on 02/01/2005 11:27:15 AM PST by BladeLWS
"Is this a hoax? The 'captured soldier' suspiciously looks like a doll for sale on the internet." - posted on 02/01/2005 11:27:22 AM PST by BlackRain
"Did you ever consider becoming an investigative journalist? You just broke this story wide open." - posted on 02/01/2005 11:29:45 AM PST by 1LongTimeLurker
" I can't take any credit for the find. These guys deserve the credit - MilitaryPhotos.net - posted on 02/01/2005 11:35:09 AM PST by BlackRain
"hee hee ....how embarrassing for AP." - posted on 02/01/2005 11:35:35 AM PST by Gator101
So goes a thread on the internet news forum Free Republic as a story about a toy soldier being held hostage was still being reported as a real hostage situation by the mainstream news media.
As noted in the thread reposted above, in this case Free Republic was not the first to discover the doll become "hostage" story - MilitaryPhotos.net was - but as the most popular political news forum on the internet, it was first to amplify the mainstream media mistake. And it was way ahead of that media in getting the story out.
It was the same news forum that first broke the CBS fake National Guard documents story. And so it has been on many other stories on a daily basis. Free Republic with its tens of thousands of citizen reporters, and commentators - albeit most of them amateur has become an influential source of news.
In this age of the communications revolution, two way news has become a reality. Free Republic has taken that revolution a step further.
And for fact checking - with those same tens of thousands of forum participants having expertise in a variety of fields and professions, you can find no better fact checking source for finding out a GI hostage was really a GI Joe.
Give credit where credit is due.
Very proud Bump-Doodily-ump!
cool
"Credit where credit is due" ping!
Free Republic ROCKS!!!
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Any major story, you can bet Freepers heard about it first here, before the major media picks up the story. Even the Tsunami in Asia, A Freeper pointed out the earthquake hours before the story broke in the media. I suspect many media outlets secretly monitor FR for breaking news.
Credit where credit is due I almost died of laughter in that thread
There are others?
Credit where credit is due I almost died of laughter in that thread
Link to the thread?
LOL me too, one of those comments I think the one with the Mr T doll saying " I pity the poor fool who thinks this is a soldier" made me spew my drink everywhere. I was beating the floor with tears in my eyes by the end of the thread begging them to stop LOL :-)
The pajamahadeen strike again! Way to go Freepers!
Now, what that says about us, I really don't want to know. :)
Just for comparison:
Noah's Ark was built by an amateur - The Titanic was built by professionals.
LOL! They do. I've heard several *FReeperisums* in the MSM - usually less than a couple of days after I read them here!
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This is why I click here for all my news!!!!
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