[prisoner6]

Free Republic is show prep for the "world"

Yes it is and quite a few radio and TV producers/hosts/newsfolk use it as such BUT there is a problem...sorta.

In fact right now I'm putting together show prep for 2 morning radio shows in Pittsburgh. We use a couple of prep services (Dr. Don and Daily Aardvark) as do most other shows. A few of thier "top" items for today"

Buddy Ebsen dies
Barry White dies
Bush >leaves< for Africa
Bush's fav movies is "Blackhawk Down"
Is it Saddam on tape?
Bounty on Saddam & Sons
US forces to Liberia
Nevada brothel offers freebies for servicemen.

Not very timely, eh? But that is the problem. Radio and TV are alarmingly incestuous. If I pull prep from FR (or some other net sources that most FReepers draw on, to be fair) it is SO FAR AHEAD the audience tends to be put off!

Because FReepers are worldwide we tend to have folks near the scene of just about any developing story.

Remember when the DC snipers were nabbed? A FReeper - I forget who...sigh - who lived near the rest stop was online that night and posted there was action going on and it looked big. He kept us up to date and we could piece together what was going on. So much so that by the time our morning news started I had much more info than the networks or our newswires were sending.

But even our morning news guys were wary until they saw the same info coming in over our other sources.

That's just one incident, there are LOTS more and probably better examples, but you get what I mean.

Many times FR is DAYS ahead of mainstream sources. We SMOKE DRUDGE and as far as I'm concerned taken online news to the Next Level.

In fact FR - and certainly NOT moveon.org - is a historic communications development and tool for freedom much as pamplets during the revolution.

Thanks again JR!

prisoner6

[Cacique]

Heck, we don't just lead, we inspire. During the election debacle it was Freepers that led the street brigades the leftie morons called "mob for hire". Heck, I never even got my check :-). There were less than 40,000 FReepers in 2000 but it looked like we were out in force and impacted beyond our numbers. What scares the left is that we're not a silent majority anymore and they can't handle that.

[BOBTHENAILER]

Many times FR is DAYS ahead of mainstream sources. We SMOKE DRUDGE and as far as I'm concerned taken online news to the Next Level.

Couldn't agree more.

Remember the shuttle disaster? Leadpenny had a live thread going that was mentioned in the lamestream news for breaking the horrible info several seconds before ANYONE, which in today's world, is equal to a couple of hours five or ten years ago.

Thanks for pointing out the continuing usefullness of FR.