You are the Free Republic—Enhancement and Initiative Announcement

[Admin Moderator]

We can’t rely on the media, even the alternative media. Free Republic is announcing a new initiative that gives you a platform. We want to leverage the most powerful minds on the right to make a difference. To do this, we want to bring a new level of activism, the citizen investigator. In the spirit of 1750’s The Pennsylvania Gazette published by Ben Franklin and of Andrew Breitbart.

For the longest time, our primary focus has been on looking at what the media presents and investigating it or discussing it. We have been missing something, YOU!

Jim has created a new news category, “FReeper Editorial” (freepered) for you to post your investigative reports. We are working on getting this promoted to a sidebar and other ways to promote your work but here are the basics.

• Do you have a political event in your area? Report on it.
• Do you work closely with a campaign? let us know about your candidate.
• Have you discovered something that is worthy of breaking news but don’t have an outlet? Use Free Republic.
• Do you want to expose establishment corruption? Here is your platform.

No longer will quality vanities posted in this topic be frowned upon. Free Republic needs to become about you. We are tired of waiting for the media to come around to us, it is time we take our many, many members and become an army. What was once was your vanity is now your megaphone.

To do this right, we need your help. Initially, we are trying to have this as a smooth launch, and creating the new news category is a baby step towards something big. We ask just a few things.

1. Keep this to stories you personally uncover or are a part of. This isn’t about saying what someone else has already said.
2. No blog pimping. This is for exclusive Free Republic articles.
3. Think about our big battle now. Please continue to post personal thoughts on history, religion, science, or whatever isn’t happening now news, in their appropriate categories.
4. Keep it civil. Need we say more?
5. No “hitting it”.
6. Talk to us. Please let us know your ideas, thoughts, and suggestions for this.
7. Be open to the cultural change this means for the site. This is good, but it does involve change. This doesn’t mean that the Dan Rather case is a once in a decade event, but the model for a thousand similar events.
8. It is up to you. Take part. Take Action. Have fun.

Stay tuned for more change, enhancements, and opportunities that go along with this. - Your friendly neighborhood Mod Squad with blessings of the big dog himself. We are not quite legion, but we are a bag of kittens.

[Admin Moderator]

Won’t this crimp the tails of our resident Thread Nannies and Vanity Nazis??

I believe the biggest part of this will be a cultural and attitude shift. For now, I would link to this article if someone questions FR Journalism articles. This is why we are taking this in small steps. Work on the articles and have a place for them, then grow the idea with some other things we may have in the works.

[goseminoles]

We should always be afforded the opportunity to hit it. Unless its Helen Thomas or Nancy Pelosi. That’s an arrestable offense.

[RetroSexual]

This is doubleplusgood.

[Milagros]

Eagerly looking forward to all the enhancements.
I am guessing, the idea of having an APP. came up as well.
In any case, I am praying/wishing for an always betterment of this great site - true guardian of this great nation.

[trisham]

Excellent.

[No!]

I suggest a section on preventing voter fraud...

Because this.... is the big one! :)

[Zathras]

The most positive idea posted to FR in the last year!
Excellent!

[CodeToad]

“5.No “hitting it”. “

So, this isn’t necessarily for ALL FReepers. Sorry Laz.

[LUV W]

Sounds good to me if there won’t be too many flame wars involved. :)

Just sayin’.....

[Responsibility2nd]

Good points.

I would go further. I would argue that NO ONE posts an article (News, Chat, whatever...) unless they are a donor.

[Lazamataz]

Cheap laughs, absolutely not. No need for that. However, the occasional piece like this or this might work.

The key is quality. Crap must not be allowed to stay, or even be entered, into this new and important sidebar.

[re_nortex]

There are two EXTREMELY high quality posters who's submissions will be amazing: nathanbedford and JohnHuang2. There are others, of course, but these two spring to mind.

That gets an amen from this corner. After skimming tbe "Breaking News", my daily routine is to check what nathanbedford has to say. There are, of course, many smart guys in this room but he's at or near the top of that list.

[RonDog]

GREAT IDEA!

From a recent "Day by Day" cartoon:

Why's Damon doing journalism again?

Boredom.

Nobody ELSE is.

[Colofornian]

From the AM: ...expose establishment corruption? Here is your platform.

This here is where special grassroots diligence from ANY and ALL of us can be brought to bear...and bare the GoP-e! Time for a series of tea parties! Rebellion is BREWing!

[SueRae]

Ping

[SueRae]

Ping

[Lazamataz]

And the two articles I linked to, in #61, while they may have the quality that this sidebar is requiring, THIS article I would not even submit. The quality is too low and the humor is too base.

This is not the place to post articles that are only intended to shock, even in humor.

Of course, if the purpose of the sidebar is not to have any humor at all, I will certainly abide. The moderators will be my guide here.

[bigheadfred]

Just to clarify

YES!

Blog your pimp THERE!

On a dare!

In yer hair!

On yer bus!

Full of pus!

Get yer Bling!

Makes you sing!

Ride that horse!

Of course! Of course!

Draw a Line

I'll not whine!

I'll give you a pass!

When they plant yer ass!

[ETL]

we want to bring a new level of activism, the citizen investigator. In the spirit of 1750’s The Pennsylvania Gazette published by Ben Franklin and of Andrew Breitbart.

Sounds good. Just hope folks provide some sources and/or evidence for their info.

[tomkat]

Best defense is good offense !

Bravo lads & lasses   :-)

[freekitty]

I like this.

[Brad’s Gramma]

BTTT!

[WXRGina]

Larry’s blog is awesome and the excerpts are the best parts.

Yes, Larry is almost as good as you. :-)

[PRePublic]

Best news.

[Albion Wilde]

...how about these items to serve as filtering mechanism?

Only those with sufficient tenure can post the initial article. Along with the born on date, perhaps limit this privilege to those who have actually engaged in discussions. This is to avoid the troll, the disruptive elements, blog pimps and the hit-and-run poster.

Since posting an article in this new forum is a special privilege, a check might be performed to limit it to those who have donated to FR. This gets rid of the freeloaders and ensures those who have a genuine stake in this site submit an article.

I second these excellent ideas by re_nortex. Would hate to have professional pols using the site only as a campaign stop for propaganda.

[The Shrew]

Yes.

And now to quote Ronald Reagan:

"There is no limit to what you can accomplish if you don't care who gets the credit."

Regards,

TS

[PRePublic]

I agree with reply#48 by re_nortex in order to prevent abuse.

[Jim Robinson]

Thank you very much, bigheadfred!!

[LUV W]

Just a teensy suggestion from the peanut gallery?

We need a “like” button along with “[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies | Report Abuse]” IMHO. What say you?

This would be for things that you agree with but not necessarily have an opinion to write about.

[Responsibility2nd]

FWIW.

 

Right next to this thread is a vanity that I thinks qualifies for FReepered.

 

You are the Free Republic—Enhancement and Initiative Announcement

Tuesday, May 08, 2012 5:35:15 PM · by Admin Moderator · 74 replies

We can’t rely on the media, even the alternative media. Free Republic is announcing a new initiative that gives you a platform. We want to leverage the most powerful minds on the right to make a difference. To do this, we want to bring a new level of activism, the citizen investigator. In the spirit of 1750’s The Pennsylvania Gazette published by Ben Franklin and of Andrew Breitbart. For the longest time, our primary focus has been on looking at what the media presents and investigating it or discussing it. We have been missing something, YOU! Jim has created a...

The GOP Betrayal Of Palin and the TEA Party

Tuesday, May 08, 2012 5:34:47 PM · by palin45potus · 25 replies
5-8-2012 | vanity
The GOP attacks on Palin.   After the Inauguration of Obama, the first time that the manhood of the GOP was called into question was the Stimulus package.  Rick Santelli was so upset with it that he issued his now famous diatribe calling for something like a national tea party.  A long simmering emotion within conservative ranks now had a name. Meanwhile, back in Alaska, Sarah Palin's return to work involved dealing with these stimulus package issues, and she did what she felt that she must.  She took those which were appropriate, but turned away those that weren't.  This was...

[Admin Moderator]

We did have a like button that I think is on hold as the function is on one of the servers that was having issues.

[Admin Moderator]

Done

[exit82]

This is so utterly cool. So rebellious!

There are so many talented writers and amatuer reporters on this site. Freepers are everywhere, and would perform a valuable service by getting conservative content out on the airwaves.

FreeRepublic will become a source, not just a compiler, of news. Some articles coming from other websites cannot hold a candle to what some of the posters here produce.

Laz, I think you ignited a fire—a good fire, this time.

One rule everyone should be aware of:

THERE IS NO CRYING IN ORIGINAL CONTENT!

[jobim]

May I suggest that we name this, or dedicate this in some way, to the quintessential Joe Everybody Journalist: Andrew Breitbart.

[LUV W]

Thanks for letting me know. I remember seeing one at the top of threads, but it would be a good function for individual posts if you can ever get all the servers up to speed. :)

[Tijeras_Slim]

THERE IS NO CRYING IN ORIGINAL CONTENT!

You can always count on the class of '98 to get right to the point!

[eastforker]

Great idea as long as we hold to facts and not opinion or theological philosophy. I am all for it. Oh, and one more thing, if somebody does fudge on known facts in an article, give em the Dan Rather treatment.

[kristinn]

Terrific!

Some of us have been posting original to Free Republic articles since the 1990s. It'll be nice to have a place to post and read FReeper articles. Woo hoo!

[Admin Moderator]

This really is just for news articles that would be breaking news worthy. Not for religion, history, UFOs, philosophy, pets, midgets, ponies, or jokes.

As for getting the Dan Rather treatment, every person here should know the kind of scrutiny they can come to expect and I suspect all articles here will be vetted by members as much as any other source should be.

[ken5050]

Just wondering..does this replace the "Smoky Backroom?"

[Lloyd227]

This seems a bit like the “one Million Breitbarts” approach. And I like it!

[Jim Robinson]

Well-researched, well-written FReeper Opinion pieces are fine in this category as well as exclusive stories or breaking news stories written by FReepers posted in their entirety. No blog excerpting or pimping please.

As always, the FR disclaimer applies. All opinions posted to FR are the opinions of the original poster and may or may not represent the opinions of FR management.

[humblegunner]

No blog excerpting or pimping please.

Oh, I'm sure someone would pick up on that if it happened.

[Lazamataz]

Great idea as long as we hold to facts and not opinion or theological philosophy.

I think quality editorials have a place, like an old paper newspaper. Not let it dominate, but there's a place.

I do agree about anything theological, with perhaps the exception of what Barack tried to do to the Catholics to create an election issue. But that's not theology, that's politics.

[eastforker]

I do agree about anything theological, with perhaps the exception of what Barack tried to do to the Catholics to create an election issue. But that’s not theology, that’s politics.

I agree Laz

[prairiebreeze]

every person here should know the kind of scrutiny they can come to expect and I suspect all articles here will be vetted by members as much as any other source should be.

Exactly my thoughts too.

Good idea, I look forward to reading it.

[UCANSEE2]

LAZ had a fine example of this TYPE OF THREAD, just yesterday. I’m pretty sure that LAZ inspired and garnered the cooperation of the MODS in setting up this new category, and agree that it is a PRODUCTIVE and POSITIVE move.

LAZ... why don’t you provide a link to it so others may better understand the ‘concept’???

[Norm Lenhart]

Yup. Fact based opinion pieces are of the utmost importance. Primarily because our team needs to counter the waves of liberal ‘opinion’.

The public sees the full onslaught of liberal opinion in all aspects of the MSM. That shapes public opinion as there is no counter outside Rush/Talk Radio. General street journalism is good and needed, but ED/Ops that strongly and factually articulate our side are as or even more important.

[central_va]

Was your post a vanity?

[Lazamataz]

This is an OpEd version of this category. :)