The Web Gets a Scoop (Congratulations, Free Republic!)

Wall Street Journal ^ | Feb. 2, 2003 | James Taranto

[conservativegirl]

Free Republic mentioned in Best of the Web. Way to go Freepers! (Sorry if this is already posted - didn't see it).

[Spirited]

Vital!

[Indy Pendance]

Cool, they even have a link to the thread!

[isthisnickcool]

BUMP-A-SCOOP!

[Chi-townChief]

It's just a shame that it had to come on such a bad event but I guess it's true what they say: no news is good news.

[MozartLover]

Check it out; look at "Web Gets A Scoop".

This is the thread I linked to ATRW yesterday afternoon.......

[Howlin]

You guys made the big time!

[Bob]

A snip of the relevant portion:

It's said that journalism is the first draft of history. If so, the Internet sometimes affords us a glimpse at history's rough outline. At 8:38 a.m. EST yesterday, a reader of the Free Republic Web site started a discussion thread for shuttle enthusiasts:

Space Shuttle Columbia is in a decent for the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and will pass over the San Francisco Area around 6:00 AM Pacific Time. Route will take the Shuttle over Las Vegas, Flagstaff, etc. NASA has still not decided which runway will be used. Landing will be at 9:16 AM Eastern.

Other Freepers joined in, describing the view of the descending shuttle from the West Coast--then gradually realizing something was amiss. Someone asks at 8:58 a.m. EST, "Was it glowing at all?" The first clear sign of trouble comes in a post at 9:05 a.m. We won't quote any more than this, because you really have to read the full thread to appreciate the drama. But it's worth noting that the first word of trouble didn't come across the Associated Press wire until 9:16, the scheduled landing time. Free Republic scooped the AP by at least 11 minutes--which is an eternity in the competitive world of wire-service reporting.

The article includes a link back to the FR thread. I hope this isn't too big a snip. If it is, please delete it, Admin Moderator

[Howlin]

The Web Gets a Scoop
It's said that journalism is the first draft of history. If so, the Internet sometimes affords us a glimpse at history's rough outline. At 8:38 a.m. EST yesterday, a reader of the Free Republic Web site started a discussion thread for shuttle enthusiasts:

Space Shuttle Columbia is in a decent for the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and will pass over the San Francisco Area around 6:00 AM Pacific Time. Route will take the Shuttle over Las Vegas, Flagstaff, etc. NASA has still not decided which runway will be used. Landing will be at 9:16 AM Eastern.

Other Freepers joined in, describing the view of the descending shuttle from the West Coast--then gradually realizing something was amiss. Someone asks at 8:58 a.m. EST, "Was it glowing at all?" The first clear sign of trouble comes in a post at 9:05 a.m. We won't quote any more than this, because you really have to read the full thread to appreciate the drama. But it's worth noting that the first word of trouble didn't come across the Associated Press wire until 9:16, the scheduled landing time. Free Republic scooped the AP by at least 11 minutes--which is an eternity in the competitive world of wire-service reporting.

[ladyinred]

It was amazing to read the live thread as it happened!
So happy to see that the Journal acknowledged the fact!
This happens often here, such as the earthquake that happened a few minutes ago in the Bay area of California!

[nicmarlo]

I read that thread, yesterday afternoon......it was emotional, to say the least....first to read the eager anticipation, then the concern and confusion, and ultimately, to read the confirmed realization that something definitely was very wrong.....

[TLBSHOW]

Told ya!

[Howlin]

Link to FR thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/833885/posts

[Dog]

Yes it is Mozie..

This site is cutting edge.

[Clara Lou]

Impressive!

[Angelwood]

Thanks for posting this article. FReepers -- We're Everywhere! We do have people throughout the country and beyond who post breaking news and scoop the mainstream press -- often. Well done.

[Dog]

This is why we need a live discussion thread daily......news breaks when you least expect it.....

[Johnny Gage]

HOOOOYAH for the Robinson's. Scooping AP. What a wonderful world.

[dfwgator]

I live hear in Texas, and I didn't hear anything. I found out what happened a few hours later. But reading the original thread was chilling! Reminds me of reading the original 9-11 threads.

[big'ol_freeper]

big'ol_bump

[A CA Guy]

Wow, I think FR beats the press on a gazillion other issues and stories as well. Thanks for posting this.

[Dog]

But it's worth noting that the first word of trouble didn't come across the Associated Press wire until 9:16, the scheduled landing time. Free Republic scooped the AP by at least 11 minutes--which is an eternity in the competitive world of wire-service reporting.

We scooped a wire service!!!

[scouse]

I hope the Hildebeast doesn't read this, then she'll really believe there is a Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. :^))

[Howlin]

Stunning, isn't it?

[Cicero]

As usual Taranto gets it right, with a little help (properly acknowledged) from Mark Stayn. Liberals wallow in pretended grief because in the face of death they don't really know what to do. That's why bill clinton made such a good funeral director for the liberal media, never failing to show up at someone's funeral (even when he caused it, as in the case of Ron Brown) to shed a fake tear.

When they don't fake it, then you get something like Paul Wellstone's funeral.

I don't know whether Taranto was logged into FreeRepublic when the disaster happened, but he knows about the website to come take a look, and he knows enough about breaking news to check the times. So it's on the record that FR was first.

If he had said anything else about that thread, he might have mentioned the genuine sorrow, the determination to go on, and the extraordinary expertise in analyzing what might have happened. It will take AP at least a week to come up with the experts to tell them stuff that was already on the first FR thread.

[nicmarlo]

FYI ping

[Timesink]

This is the thread I linked to ATRW yesterday afternoon.......

ATRW?

[Bahbah]

I NEVER, NEVER want to be without this place, and without these people. You people. Shortly after 8 I heard they had lost communication with Columbia and hurried to post. By the time my post made it, it was 3rd or 4th, all of this occurring within moments.

[ladyinred]

I hope the Hildebeast doesn't read this, then she'll really believe there is a Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. :^))

I hope she does, and that she fears us! LOL!

[txhurl]

We should compile them a list of all the Columbia threads we're maintaining. Some fantastic info, along with harrowing photography.

[Thebaddog]

Anything else happening out there that he should know about?

[nicmarlo]

We should compile them a list of all the Columbia threads we're maintaining. Some fantastic info, along with harrowing photography.

backhoe's got that archiving started, already, yesterday.....lots of threads on it.

[Dog]

ATRW......America the Right Way thread. FR's own little coffee shop..

[July 4th]

We scooped a wire service!!!

We ARE a wire service!

[Nick Danger]

So happy to see that the Journal acknowledged the fact!

He didn't just acknowledge it. Note the phrase "Other Freepers joined in..."

Mr. Taranto (a) knows to call us "Freepers," and (b) doesn't feel he needs to explain the term to his readers.

[mommadooo3]

The internet, FREEREPUBLIC, will ALWAYS scoop the lamestream....WHY??? Because FReepers are ALL across the country and can report things in the blink of an eye....while the lamestream has to WAIT till a reporter shows up 'on the scene'. And then they have to WAIT to find out WHAT the pc version of reporting is allowed.

Besides, 'we' have 'experts and geniuses' on duty, ever vigilant 24/7.

(teeheehee)

Many grateful thanks to our blessed JR and FReepers!

[Admin Moderator]

ATRW stand for "America The Right Way". It is a daily thread put up in the General Interest forum. Pretty much a chat thread but often is used to point people to threads of interest throughout the day and as a springboard for starting other threads as events evolve.

[Dog]

Excuse me Mr./Miss Moderator ATRW is a little more than a chat thread...:-)

I'll sit down now and hush up...

[My Favorite Headache]

Liberals have to be hating this...the DU must be drowning. What a week for America this is going to be. Just wait for W to speak to Congress and Powell to the UN. The lib's had their moments in the last 4 weeks to smear. Conservative news forums beating up AP and next we will be all over the place with how much we were on the right side of history again with the Iraq conflict.

Plain and simple...we assume control.

[SamAdams76]

I had no plans on watching the shuttle land yesterday at all until I saw leadpenny's post on Free Republic. I was just about to go out the door and get some errands done when I saw the thread. So I turned on the TV and started to watch.

It turned out being one of the most surreal experiences of my life. For I was watching NASA TV (not one of the news channels) and there was little or no commentary. Just a liveshot of Mission Control and some audio of radio transmissions. On the wall was the tracking of the shuttle as it went over the California coast, through Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. When it got to Texas, all tracking seemed to stop. That got my attention but the folks at Mission control stayed so cool, calm and collected that I got no indication that anything was out of the ordinary. Even with the repeated attempts to contact the shuttle through UHF, I didn't see any need for concern. After all, everybody at Mission Control was just sitting there quietly doing their jobs. If there was an emergency, I figured there would be some frenetic activity and arm-waving, etc. The only movement I saw was one guy in a blue shirt walking briskly up and down the corridor.

By the time it was 9:10, I knew something was not right. I haven't seen many Shuttle landing but I know that by now, the NASA coverage would normally have switched to Florida where the Shuttle would be coming into view for the 9:16 landing.

When 9:16 came and went, curiosity got the best of me and I switched over to FoxNews. I must tell you that my heart stopped when I saw the Breaking News graphic NASA LOSES CONTACT WITH SHUTTLE. I knew at that moment that something catastrophic had happened.

And I never would have been watching it at all was it not for Free Republic. Virtually every breaking story over the past few years I got from Free Republic. And not only do we get the news here before most everybody else but we can begin discussing it amongst ourselves immediately. What a resource this site has turned out to be.

[smith288]

"This is why we need a live discussion thread daily......news breaks when you least expect it..... "

Dog dog dog...u just wont let that idea go will you? haha

[Dog]

LOLOL!

I still have the scorch marks from that morning thank you very much.....:-)

[quesera]

GREAT!!

Congratulations to FR, moderators, and all freepers who made this forum the invaluable resource that it is today.

[nicmarlo]

Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster Archive

[Admin Moderator]

It's a chat thread. Plus a whole lot more. I tried to capture that in my post. I meant it no slight. Primarily in it, people chat. But within that chat comes pointers to other FR highlights, ideas for great threads come, and other assorted beneficial things. Is that better? :-)

[smith288]

Put some aloe on it. and this... ... for next time.

[Dog]

LOL!

[jern]

Thumbs up to FR!

[aruanan]

Space Shuttle Columbia is in a decent for the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and will pass over the San Francisco Area around 6:00 AM Pacific Time.

So who spelled "descent" as "decent"? It doesn't sound as though a writer for the WSJ would do so, but sounds all too like a typical poster here. Too bad FR has to show its illiterate side to the world at the same time as getting accolades for being quick.

[apackof2]

Free Republic scooped the AP by at least 11 minutes--which is an eternity in the competitive world of wire-service reporting.

This is really BIG in the world of wire-service reporting AND a link back to FR!