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Bloggers as News Media Trophy Hunters
NYTIMES ^ | 02/14/05 | KATHERINE Q. SEELYE

Posted on 02/13/2005 8:44:32 PM PST by Pikamax

Bloggers as News Media Trophy Hunters By KATHERINE Q. SEELYE

his article was reported by Katharine Q. Seelye, Jacques Steinberg and David F. Gallagher.

With the resignation Friday of a top news executive from CNN, bloggers have laid claim to a prominent media career for the second time in five months.

In September, conservative bloggers exposed flaws in a report by Dan Rather; he subsequently announced that on March 9 he would step down as anchor of the "CBS Evening News." On Friday, after nearly two weeks of intensifying pressure on the Internet, Eason Jordan, the chief news executive at CNN, abruptly resigned after being besieged by the online community. Morever, last week liberal bloggers forced a sketchily credentialed White House reporter to quit his post.

For some bloggers - people who publish the sites known as Web logs - it was a declaration that this was just the beginning. Edward Morrissey, a call center manager who lives near Minneapolis and has written extensively about the Jordan controversy, wrote on his blog, Captain's Quarters (captainsquartersblog.com): "The moral of the story: the media can't just cover up the truth and expect to get away with it - and journalists can't just toss around allegations without substantiation and expect people to believe them anymore."

Mr. Jordan, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in late January, apparently said, according to various witnesses, that he believed the United States military had aimed at journalists and killed 12 of them. There is some uncertainty over his precise language and the forum, which videotaped the conference, has not released the tape. When he quit Friday night, Mr. Jordan said in a statement that, "I never meant to imply U.S. forces acted with ill intent when U.S. forces accidentally killed journalists."

Some of those most familiar with Mr. Jordan's situation emphasized, in interviews over the weekend, that his resignation should not be read solely as a function of the heat that CNN had been receiving on the Internet, where thousands of messages, many of them from conservatives, had been posted.

Nonetheless, within days of his purported statement, many blog sites were swamped with outraged assertions that he was slandering American troops. In an e-mail message yesterday, Mr. Jordan declined to be interviewed.

But while the bloggers are feeling empowered, some in their ranks are openly questioning where they are headed. One was Jeff Jarvis, the head of the Internet arm of Advance Publications, who publishes a blog at buzzmachine.com. Mr. Jarvis said bloggers should keep their real target in mind. "I wish our goal were not taking off heads but digging up truth," he cautioned.

At the same time, some in the traditional media are growing alarmed as they watch careers being destroyed by what they see as the growing power of rampant, unedited dialogue.

Steve Lovelady, a former editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Wall Street Journal and now managing editor of CJR Daily, the Web site of The Columbia Journalism Review, has been among the most outspoken.

"The salivating morons who make up the lynch mob prevail," he lamented online after Mr. Jordan's resignation. He said that Mr. Jordan cared deeply about the reporters he had sent into battle and was "haunted by the fact that not all of them came back."

Some on line were simply trying to make sense of what happened. "Have we entered an era where our lives can be destroyed by a pack of wolves hacking at their keyboards with no oversight, no editors, and no accountability?" asked a blogger named Mark Coffey, 36, who says he works as an analyst in Austin, Tex. "Or does it mean that we've entered a brave new world where the MSM has become irrelevant," he asked, using blogger shorthand for mainstream media.

His own conclusion is that the mainstream media "is being held to account as never before by the strong force of individual citizens who won't settle for sloppy research and inflammatory comments without foundation, particularly from those with a wide national reach, such as Rather and Eason."

It was a businessman attending the forum in Davos who put Mr. Jordan's comments on the map with a Jan. 28 posting. Rony Abovitz, 34, of Hollywood, Fla., the co-founder of a medical technology company, was invited to Davos and was asked to write for the forum's first-ever blog, his first blogging effort. In an interview yesterday, he said that he had challenged Mr. Jordan's assertion that the United States was taking aim at journalists and asked for evidence.

Mr. Abovitz asked some of the journalists at the event if they were going to write about Mr. Jordan's comments and concluded that they were not because journalists wanted to protect their own. There was also some confusion about whether they could, because the session was officially "off the record."

Mr. Abovitz said the remarks bothered him, and at 2:21 a.m. local time, he posted his write-up on the forum's official blog (www.forumblog.org) under the headline "Do U.S. Troops Target Journalists in Iraq?"

He did not think it would get much attention. But Mr. Jordan's comments zipped around the Web and fired up the conservative bloggers, who saw the remarks attributed to Mr. Jordan as evidence of a liberal bias of the big American news media.

"I think he was attacked because of what he represented as much as what he said," said David Gergen, who moderated the panel at Davos and who has served in the White House for administrations of both parties. He said he was troubled by the attacks on Mr. Jordan and said that his resignation was a mark of the increasing degree to which the news media were being drawn into the nation's culture wars.

While over the years Mr. Jordan had helped vault CNN to some of its most celebrated triumphs - it was largely through his diplomatic efforts that CNN was able to broadcast the first live footage from the first Gulf War, in 1991 - he also drew criticism. In one case, he wrote an article for the Op-Ed page of The New York Times in April 2003, saying that CNN had essentially suppressed news of brutalities so the network could maintain access and protect its people in Iraq.

Through the latest uproar, the substance of Mr. Jordan's initial assertion about the military targeting journalists was largely lost. Those who worked closely with Mr. Jordan at CNN, as well as on behalf of other news organizations, said he was aggressive and passionate about making life safer for journalists working in Iraq.

Ann Cooper, executive director for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said that 36 journalists, plus 18 translators who worked for journalists, had been killed in Iraq since 2003. Of those 54, she said, at least nine died as a result of American fire.

"From our standpoint, journalists are not being targeted by the U.S. military in Iraq," Ms. Cooper said. "But there certainly are cases where an atmosphere of what, at best, you can call indifference has led to deaths and other problems for journalists."

As an example, Ms. Cooper cited the shelling by American troops of the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad, well known as the residence of journalists, in April 2003, killing two journalists. .

But the notion that journalists are "targeted" by the military did not first emerge with Mr. Jordan at Davos. Nik Gowing, a presenter, or anchor, for the BBC, has advanced the theory in writings and speeches that because the media can now convey instantaneously what is happening in a war zone, military commanders may find journalists a hindrance. The Pentagon has dismissed such theories.

In any case, on Feb. 2, Rebecca MacKinnon, who worked under Mr. Jordan when she was a producer and bureau chief at CNN, and organized the blog from Davos, contacted him after seeing that conservative blogs had picked up on his remarks.

"I e-mailed him and said the same people who were after Rather appear to be after you," said Ms. MacKinnon, now a research fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School.

Later that evening, she posted a response from Mr. Jordan, who wrote that on the panel he had been meant to say that when journalists are aimed at and shot, as opposed to being killed by wayward bombs, "such a killing is a tragic case of mistaken identity, not a case of 'collateral damage.' "

At about the same time, CNN became aware that trouble was brewing online, and in the wake of Mr. Rather's downfall, it tried to try to head off the storm. When he returned to Florida on Feb. 2 from the conference, Mr. Abovitz said he had messages from Mr. Jordan and from CNN. He sent an inquiry back to CNN but said he did not get a response.

Also that day, CNN's public information division sent an unsolicited e-mail message to many of those who were writing about the controversy. Someone at CNN apparently posted the same statement on several blogs.

The message, which was unsigned, read: "Many blogs have taken Mr. Jordan's remarks out of context. Eason Jordan does not believe the U.S. military is trying to kill journalists. Mr. Jordan simply pointed out the facts: While the majority of journalists killed in Iraq have been slain at the hands of insurgents, the Pentagon has also noted that the U.S. military on occasion has killed people who turned out to be journalists. The Pentagon has apologized for those actions."

Christa Robinson, senior vice president for public relations for CNN, said that CNN sent the statement to those who sent e-mail messages to CNN or had written about Mr. Jordan online. Asked if the network was consciously seeking to head off the protracted criticism that devoured Mr. Rather last fall, Ms. Robinson said that the network was acknowledging the speed with which news now travels.

Mr. Morrissey of Captain's Quarters said he was surprised to receive the message "I'm sure that what they were trying to do was get people to stop talking about it," he said.

The only way for the network to really clear up the controversy, he and others said, would have been to push for the release of the videotape of Mr. Jordan's remarks.

Ms. Robinson of CNN said that the network had no transcript of the session or a videotape because the conference organizers said that they considered the session off the record. She said that the content of Mr. Jordan's remarks was not in dispute, but that assertion has not satisfied those critics on the Internet who contend Mr. Jordan and CNN have something to hide.

The online attack of Mr. Jordan, particularly among conservative commentators, appeared to gain momentum when they were seized on by other conservative outlets. A report on the National Review Web site was followed by editorials in The Washington Times and The Wall Street Journal, as well as by a column in The New York Post by Michelle Malkin (a contributor for Fox News, CNN's rival).

Mr. Abovitz, who started it all, said he hoped bloggers could develop loftier goals than destroying people's careers. "If you're going to do this open-source journalism, it should have a higher purpose," he said. "At times it did seem like an angry mob, and an angry mob using high technology, that's not good."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: blog; bloggers; blogs; davos; easonjordan; getemnewmedia; mediabias; mullingscom; newmedia; oldmediatwiztinwind; pc; politicalcorrectness; rathergate; richgalen; weblogs
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To: Peach

I saw it and made a very rare visit to kos..Trouble in that swamp.. ;)


81 posted on 02/13/2005 10:05:10 PM PST by MEG33 (GOD BLESS OUR ARMED FORCES)
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To: Pikamax
"At the same time, some in the traditional media are growing alarmed as they watch careers being destroyed by what they see as the growing power of rampant, unedited dialogue."

How quickly the Old Media "forgets" that the Washington Post just took down Free Republic poster NCPAC this week.

Both sides are headhunting right now...the difference is that the Old Media is simply knocking over pawns in this Chess game compared to the Queens that we've taken down.

82 posted on 02/13/2005 10:05:19 PM PST by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: MEG33

I hadn't been "over there" but went to the bloggers section of FR. Glad to hear there's trouble in paradise :-)


83 posted on 02/13/2005 10:06:42 PM PST by Peach (The Clintons pardoned more terrorists than they ever captured or killed.)
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To: Peach

Oh, do you have a link to the Donna Brazille story??


84 posted on 02/13/2005 10:07:16 PM PST by Howlin (Free the Eason Jordan Tape!!!)
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To: Blue_Ridge_Mtn_Geek

It's a kind of "internet street justice" applied to journalistic malpractice. They just don't like the idea that they have little to no control over independent-minded people having access to power.


85 posted on 02/13/2005 10:07:45 PM PST by 185JHP ( "The thing thou purposest shall come to pass: And over all thy ways the light shall shine.")
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To: WorkingClassFilth
Don't forget to rub it in on affected parts of the body politic...

Absolutely. They hate that.

86 posted on 02/13/2005 10:08:19 PM PST by Interesting Times (ABCNNBCBS -- yesterday's news.)
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To: GeronL
the dead tree peddlers have declared war

I think so; and I think it started a long time ago and we just didn't know it.

87 posted on 02/13/2005 10:08:20 PM PST by Howlin (Free the Eason Jordan Tape!!!)
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To: Interesting Times

ROFLMAO!


88 posted on 02/13/2005 10:09:07 PM PST by Howlin (Free the Eason Jordan Tape!!!)
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To: Enterprise
I think Drudge began "open source journalism" when he broke the Lewinsky story after it was spiked by Newsweek. The MSM got just a taste of it at that time, and they got a mouthful when Buckhead hit them between the running lights.

There are thousands of Drudges now, just try telling lies without getting caught MSM

89 posted on 02/13/2005 10:10:30 PM PST by GeronL (I'm thinking, I'm thinking!)
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To: Howlin

I only have the FR blogger section link which is here; I just went over there to find a direct link and didn't but admit I don't know my way around over there.

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1342578/posts


90 posted on 02/13/2005 10:12:14 PM PST by Peach (The Clintons pardoned more terrorists than they ever captured or killed.)
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To: JPJones

MSM invented the game of the old one-way "news" push. They have been cramming it down our throats for generations now.

Good on our side for finally putting a stop to it.


91 posted on 02/13/2005 10:12:32 PM PST by unsycophant
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To: Nick Danger
The Old Media has declared war

We are all Matt Drudges now.

92 posted on 02/13/2005 10:12:50 PM PST by GeronL (I'm thinking, I'm thinking!)
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To: GeronL

And we aren't a Silent Majority anymore either.


93 posted on 02/13/2005 10:13:54 PM PST by Peach (The Clintons pardoned more terrorists than they ever captured or killed.)
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To: Howlin
"Now I'm wondering what other stories have "fizzled out" that we haven't heard about."

The paradigm shift happened the moment that Matt Drudge hit the Enter key that posted the Lewinski story that Newsweek had spiked back in 1998.

Now however, there are millions of on-line Matt Drudges...and they aren't just reporting news, they are interactively critiquing it, refining it, finding the flaws in it, and rapidly drilling down to the truth in each matter (inevitably).

The world of bloggers and chat forums has made millions of Matt Drudges out of all of us...and spiking news has suddenly become tricky for the Corrupt Old Media to manage.

94 posted on 02/13/2005 10:14:12 PM PST by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: Howlin

BUMP


95 posted on 02/13/2005 10:16:20 PM PST by GeronL (The Old Media is at war with the New Media...... We are all Matt Drudges now.)
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To: Pikamax

" David Gergen,... said he was troubled by the attacks on Mr. Jordan and said that his resignation was a mark of the increasing degree
to which the news media were being drawn into the nation's culture wars. "

Ah..... that great sage David Gergen should look up the meaning of culture.
And ethics.
And honesty.
And credibility.
Accusing US soldiers of deliberately killing journalists, is not a " cultural " issue.
Using obviously counterfeit documents as the basis of a " news " expose on the President of the United States , is not a " cultural " issue.


96 posted on 02/13/2005 10:18:03 PM PST by Wild Irish Rogue
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To: Peach
"In the 80's, he was in Iran and caught up initially in a hostage takeover but was rescued by Britain's SAS (?) unit. He said in a statement that the SAS were worse than the terrorists!"

You must be thinking of CNN's Chris Cramer.

97 posted on 02/13/2005 10:18:15 PM PST by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: MEG33; Peach

"They have a mindset and make the facts fit their mindset." ~ MEG33

Here is a fact that they couldn't figure out how to make fit, so we didn't hear a peep about it:

"....a word about the resignation/firing of CNN's chief news guy Eason Jordan for having suggested, in remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that journalists have been killed by coalition forces in Iraq on purpose.

Let me related (sic) this short story: About a year ago, two CNN journalists were killed in an ambush on the road between Hillah and Baghdad.

Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt - the military briefer - asked for a meeting of the bureau chiefs of the major western media. At that meeting he expressed his sorrow over the murder - by terrorists - of the CNN crew and asked the bureau chiefs to take down his personal cell phone number.

He told them that if any of their reporters or crews got into trouble - any time of the day or night - to call him. "Don't worry about protocol," he said. "Get to me as quickly as you can, and we'll try to get help to your people as quickly as we can."

That meeting was never, to my knowledge, reported." ~ Rich Galen 2-14-05 http://www.mullings.com


98 posted on 02/13/2005 10:18:38 PM PST by Matchett-PI (Today's DemocRATS are either religious moral relativists, libertines or anarchists.)
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To: MEG33
Thanks... there's more of us than there are of them...
99 posted on 02/13/2005 10:20:29 PM PST by backhoe (-30-)
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To: Pikamax

For decades the media have been "trophy hunters" trying to take down Republicans. They don't like it when they get a taste of their own medicine, do they?


100 posted on 02/13/2005 10:25:54 PM PST by lady lawyer
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