Newsweek's Jonathan Alter vs. Free Republic "Hit Men"

News Busters ^ | 11/21/05 | Clay Waters

[md2576]

In the New York Times Sunday book review, Newsweek Senior Editor Jonathan Alter checks out "Truth and Duty," the apologia from Mary Mapes, the disgraced former CBS News producer of "Memogate" infamy, in which she blames right-wing bloggers and everyone but herself for how her "expose" of Bush's National Guard duty blew up in the face of her network.

The liberal Alter is highly critical of Mapes and CBS, but makes a rather paranoid and over-the-top claim about "Buckhead," the Atlanta attorney who originally questioned the fake documents used by CBS's "60 Minutes II" to attack President Bush's Texas Air National Guard service record.

"Buckhead"'s posting on the right-wing FreeRepublic website began the blogosphere's speedy evisceration of the forged memos, but Alter has this novel spin: "The blogger's anonymous assertion, within hours of the broadcast, that the proportional spacing and type font of the Killian memos did not exist in those days was only one of many falsehoods spread by political hit men."

In the "Up Front" editor's note, Alter ludicrously argues that it was blogs that should have taken a credibility hit: "Blogs are a wonderful addition to the media culture but the public should stop assuming that what they read on the Internet is more accurate than what they read in the mainstream media, because the reverse is usually the case...

[md2576]

I know it's an old story but I couldn't find it in the search so I thought I'd post just in case. Don't know the source either.

[Semi Civil Servant]

Newsweek...

Just an overpriced alternative to Charmin.

[Gordongekko909]

Because, y'know, we take orders from Karl Rove.

[samadams2000]

"Blogs have a place in the media spectrum but one should not expect them to have the complete freedoms that rags, I mean periodicals like Newsweak have"

[jess35]

the public should stop assuming that what they read on the Internet is more accurate than what they read in the mainstream media, because the reverse is usually the case

Yeah, right. Uh Jonathan...I've got some prime wetlands to sell you in southern New Mexico....

[GVnana]

Jonathan Alter - water carrier for MSM.

[GhostofWCooper]

"the public should stop assuming that what they read on the Internet is more accurate than what they read in the mainstream media"

BWAAHAHAHAHA!

[martin_fierro]

Alter ludicrously argues that it was blogs that should have taken a credibility hit

This from a guy who writes for National Geographic.

[woofie]

[md2576]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/user-posts?id=1047

Is this the Buckhead?

[Fred Nerks]

http://homepage.mac.com/lordofmooses/Menu8.html

Buckhead Speaks.

[HighWheeler]

"...about "Buckhead," the Atlanta attorney who originally questioned the fake documents..."


I still maintain it was TankerKC who first broached the fraud only minutes into the CBS Show when he questioned the unusual format used on the date in the letter.

[sausageseller]

In the "Up Front" editor's note, Alter ludicrously argues that it was blogs that should have taken a credibility hit: "Blogs are a wonderful addition to the media culture but the public should stop assuming that what they read on the Internet is more accurate than what they read in the mainstream media, because the reverse is usually the case...

Jason Blair has a story for you , Mr Alter! ROFLOL

[A Citizen Reporter]

"The blogger's anonymous assertion, within hours of the broadcast, that the proportional spacing and type font of the Killian memos did not exist in those days was only one of many falsehoods spread by political hit men."

I love it that it bothers the "journalists" that the internet is so fast on their feet. Makes it more difficult for them to lie. Mapes had the same criticism.

[mwyounce]

Every time I hear Jonathan Alter's name mentioned, I remember the night of the 2000 elections, when he told Tim Russert that Bush should concede the election.

Russert asked him if he meant Gore, and he said no, that he meant Bush, because, whether or not he had won the electoral vote, Gore had clearly won the popular vote, so he should be President.

[TommyDale]

Jonathan Alter is a fool.

[Baby Driver]

"Are you going to believe *me*...or your own eyes?"

[dhs12345]

"...public should stop assuming that what they read on the Internet is more accurate than what they read in the mainstream media, because the reverse is usually the case..."

LOL. How pathetic. A futile attempt to blame someone else for their screw up. They might have kept their credibility if they had admitted their mistake. Of course, you will never hear them do that.

[Phsstpok]

"Blogs are a wonderful addition to the media culture but the public should stop assuming that what they read on the Internet is more accurate than what they read in the mainstream media, because the reverse is usually the case..."

well, besides this obvious howler, how about Newsweek, which Alter write for, little mistake about how "US Soldiers flushed a Koran" story?

Yep. Let's trust Newsweek. After all, they only publish fraudulant stories 30% of the time. So you should believe them over anything those nasty bloggers say. They can't be trusted, after all.

[silverleaf]

During the fallout from last year's CBS forged-documents flap, shrewd Newsweek political writer Howard Fineman said: "A political party is dying before our eyes — and I don't mean the Democrats. I'm talking about the 'mainstream media.'" He argued that the media had been identified with a crusading liberalism since Watergate and Vietnam, but their power was waning in the new political and information environment: "It's hard to know who, if anyone, in the 'media' has any credibility

http://www.nationalreview.com/lowry/lowry200505170805.asp

and Mr Alter added, for those interested in fact-based mainstream media reporting from NewsWeak, there's the now infamous shoddy Isikoff/Barry faux article about koran flushing at Gitmo...