Posted on 02/12/2005 4:51:47 AM PST by fight_truth_decay
For those of us in the information business, this is truly an earth-shaking time. Who would have imagined that the downfall of one of the world's most powerful news executives would be precipitated by an ordinary citizen blogging his eyewitness report at Davos in the wee hours of the morning on Jan. 27? It's simply stunning.
The courage of Rony Abovitz cannot be overstated. This ordinary American citizen raised his voice at an international forum of media and political heavyweights--also attended by Europe's most influential America-haters--and demanded that Eason Jordan back up his poisonous assertion about the American military targeting journalists. Abovitz's remarks prompted Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) to press Jordan for details. Abovitz also received thanks from Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) for standing up. After the event, Abovitz bypassed the MSM and exposed the controversy with a simple click of the mouse.
Fellow attendee/former CNN journalist/blogger Rebecca MacKinnon confirmed Abovitz's account, fielded questions from Hugh Hewitt, and added reporting with her e-mail exchange with Jordan.
From there, a few standout bloggers picked up on the story and refused to let it die. The MSM calls it a lynch mob. I call it a truth squad. Ed Morrissey, Hewitt, La Shawn Barber, Jim Geraghty, and LGF kept "baying"--which got the attention of the blogosphere's most powerful player, Instapundit. Bill Roggio quickly created the group blog, Easongate, to keep on top of the story. Legions of smaller bloggers, too numerous to mention, kept the heat on. N.Z. Bear pitched in with a helpful Easongate tracker.
The relentless Hewitt used his blog, radio show, and Jay Rosen and Jeff Jarvis to cover the story, observing, "You can't cover the press if you don't press the coverage."
On Feb. 4, intrepid blogger Sisyphean Musings contacted the World Economic Forum in an effort to obtain a videotape of the forum--which was eventually rebuffed. Rosen, meanwhile, went to work and contacted BBC journalist Richard Sambrook, who was on the Jordan panel, for a statement. Sambrook backed Jordan.
But what about the other panelists? Enter this blog.
I myself came "late" to the story--by blogospheric standards, not MSM standards. On Feb. 1-2, I was traveling and only had time to briefly glance at a on Captain's Quarters about Jordan's remarks. I noticed coverage on Instapundit and Hugh Hewitt when I returned home, but did not take the time to read up on all the background until the weekend. My first brief posts on Easongate weren't until Feb. 6, when I simply provided to others covering the story.
The next day, Monday Feb. 7, I thought it might be helpful to try and advance the story by calling up some of the panel participants. Rep. Barney Frank returned my call first thing Monday morning. David Gergen returned my call in the early afternoon. Sen. Chris Dodd's office provided a statement by late afternoon.
Powerline concluded prophetically: "Eason Jordan is finished."
And the dam broke bigtime.
On Tuesday Feb. 8, CNN employee and Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz finally published a story on the controversy, rehashing much of what I'd reported on this blog--except with a transparent coat of whitewash. Kurtz was roundly mocked by the blogosphere and has done permanent damage to his reputation as an effective media critic. Roger L. Simon said it best: "All in all, this is not an article, more of a place holder..." See also Kaus.
Among the MSM, the Toledo Blade's Jack Kelly, the Riverside Press Enterprise editorial page, and the Washington Times editorial page, and Investor's Business Dail were on the ball. So, too, the New York Sun. The New York Post published my column on Wed. Feb 9. That night, CNBC's Larry Kudlow had three senators on who agreed with the column's conclusion that Jordan had recklessly slimed our troops. Then came the rest, including a strange footnote from the WSJ op-ed page that will look even stranger in hindsight for ridiculing the "usual Internet suspects" that brought down a previously untouchable MSM giant.
The shock waves that have overwhelmed CNN started with a single blogger and reverberated worldwide. I agree with Rony Abovitz that there should be no joy in watching Eason Jordan's downfall. But there is certainly great, unadulterated satisfaction in seeing the collective efforts of the blogosphere--citizens and professional journalists among them--produce the one thing the MSM has for too long escaped in its walled-off world: accountability.
Cue the Carpenters music: We've Only Just Begun.
*** Other analysis...
Mark Coffey's take on The Lessons of Easongate.
The tireless Captain Ed on the moral of Eason's Fables.
Jim Geraghty says "we learned that a lot of people in major media institutions thought this was a tempest in a teacup, unworthy of even a paragraph of coverage." Yup.
Instapundit has more.
Jeff Jarvis, who will be on Kurtz's CNN show on Sunday, sez: "Oh, yes, and before we forget... Davos: Release the tape! You, too, can't stonewall or your little club will become known as the place where the powerful can try to lie."
Ditto to that.
Rebecca MacKinnon and Jay Rosen follow up. Most interesting comment on Rosen's site comes from a poster named "veteran journo:"
A few things strike me that I haven't yet seen others pick up on. The "mis-spoke" defence is all very well, but if there's anyone who knows or should know how to be quoted, how not to be quoted and how to avoid being misquoted it's a journalist with Jordan's experience.
If he were a "civilian" I could understand the "tempest in a teapot" view but this guy is a journalist who quotes people everyday.
Ditto, for telling stories that CNN hadn't aired. If they hadn't broadcast the story about the Al Jazeera journo forced to eat his shoes, it's because they couldn't get people to talk about it on the record. A news executive can't go passing on those rumours in a semi-public forum. If the standard of proof wasn't good enough to get it on CNN, it 's not good wnough to discuss at a forum in Davos. Maybe at Jordan's dinner table but not Davos.
To me, these two mistakes are inexcusable coming from a news executive. And they are indeed grounds for firing or resigning.
I still believe it would be better to show the tape because I think journalists can't possibly argue against that given the nature of the Davos forum.
...there's something very wrong about journos and power brokers attending huge "off the record" gatherings.
Honestly, I would never agree to be off the record at such an event.
Anyway that's my take -- inescapably bad errors of judgement. He had to go.
Bump
Pong
If "Easongate" does cause his career to go down the tubes, you just know the left will cry censorship. For some reason, they cannot grasp the concept that if you say something we don't like to hear we don't have to listen or watch you.
It's just so good when "the birds fly home to roost." Good riddance to Jordan. Thank God for the bloggers. Jordan would still be there if it weren't for them.
-----Original Message-----
From: Carl
Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2005 9:38 AM
To: z-kat@z-kat.com
Cc: Dodd.Senate.gov/webmail
Subject: Rony Abovitz - A true patriot
Hi,
Just wanted to give a big pat on the back to Mr. Abovitz for his questioning of the comments made at a recent conference by Mr Eason Jordan, CNN Chief New Executive. Mr Abovitz you are to be commended for not letting this tripe spewed by the MSM, becoming fact. Without the bloggers, I would have not know about this and people of the Middle East would have just taken lies as truth. Congratulations, you are a fine American.
I am also happy to see a U. S. Senator and a Congressman president at the conference raise the truthfulness question. Although they could have turned up the volume and challenged Jordan right in his tracks. I think if I were there, I would have kicked this gerk in the a#@ after he dismounted his phony high horse.
Thanks again Mr. Abovitz. Your bring credit to America and your fine company.
Honored,
Carl
Huntley, IL
Semper Fi
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1340187/posts
Can't sent a copy to Congressman Frank. He is hiding behind a raft of click here, click here, click here. His loss.
MR. RONY ABOVITZ REPLY
Dear Carl,
Thank you for your note. Being an American in Europe for the meeting, I felt the obligation to stand up for both the truth and the U.S. If we made a mistake, our system of democracy has mechanisms to deal with it.We are an open and free society. But statements without any facts, data....that is just wrong.
We have soldiers risking their lives to give democracy to another country - they don't need this kind of pandering to anti-American interests, especially if there is no objective data.
-R
har har har
It used to be:"Don't start a fight with someone that buys ink by the barrel", now it should be:"Don't start a fight with someone who has a modem".
I'm going to have to rethink my opinion of Barney Frank after this. He did the right thing in this situation when it would have been easy to just fake a lapse of memory or attention.
you left out beer commercials and cross dressing
if you say something we don't like to hear we don't have to listen or watch you.
FRegards,
There sure is Michelle. What will it take to find out what that something is?
It strikes me that 'creating the story' out of wholecloth, for the purpose of sliming the military, may also have had another purpose such as pressing some sort of policy changes.
Why do I think that?
Because in the case of Jeff Gannon story, I wondered why Slaughter and Lautenberg involved themselves in that situation. Yes, it is to destroy Mr. Gannon, but could they be trying to force some policy change that results in legislation that controls the message?? They sure jumped on the bandwagon before having the facts, and that smells too.
If David Brock is leading the charge (through his website Media Matters) to discredit and 'take out' those who are conservative or perceived conservatives whose ideologies about Gay Marriage do not match his, then perhaps there are other designated "Brocks" for each topic. Witness Jordan and sliming the military. It's beginning to look like a coordinated squeeze. Crush the voices, and then lock the door (legislatively) behind them.
Just a thought.
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