SF CHRON ON FR: FReep This -- How The Right Wing Is Making Itself Heard

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | January 30, 2003 | Joyce Slaton

[L.N. Smithee]

Something strange happened during the 2000 Gore-Bush election fiasco you may have missed.

CNN, which was running 24-hour special election coverage, hosted a program with conservative columnist Bob Novak shortly after the disputed election results were returned. Novak was adamant that Al Gore should quit trying to steal the election and concede. To bolster his point, he brought up the results of CNN.com's public-opinion poll "Should Al Gore concede?" Poll results showed that a full 89 percent of the thousands of people who had visited CNN.com and voted had agreed -- Gore should give up the ghost.

[PJ-Comix]

On another forum, Pitt admitted feeding that story to Slayton so she can't deny that she didn't use him as the source of the story. Or actually Pitt USED Slayton as his sock puppet to get his ravings publicized in the SF Chronicle.

[PJ-Comix]

I doubt very much there would be any legal claims brought against her .. especially if Pitt is saying he gave her permission.

Legally there is no violation but ETHICALLY since she is using Pitt's story she is obligated to let the readers know the source. She gave NO such indication.

[Mo1]

but ETHICALLY since she is using Pitt's story she is obligated to let the readers know the source. She gave NO such indication.

100% correct

[PJ-Comix]

I think she still did plagiarize as her boss I am sure was not told he rewrote a story.

Did she tell her editor that a major part of the story was nothing but a rewrite of Pitt's article? If not, then this is a MAJOR violation of journalistic ethics. She committed FRAUD by not attributing Pitt as the author of that part of the article. And Pitt has ADMITTED that he fed it to her.

[PJ-Comix]

But this is amercia and he has every right to do as he wishes...

True. Pitt has the right to use Slayton as his sock puppet but Slayton committed a gross violation of journalistic ethics by not informing the readers that a large chunk of her story was nothing but a rewrite of Pitt's article. Plagiarism doesn't have to be word for word. What Slayton did was close enough.

[Chad Fairbanks]

The evidence is pretty clear that this is a more organized effort than I first suspected...

[Plutarch]

The FReepers often accomplish their aims with tactics familiar to their left-leaning counterparts -- peaceful demonstrations with signs and speakers...

Thank goodness that not all Freepers are lawless brigands. But its a shame Freepers cannot emulate their peaceful "left-leaning counterparts."

[Political Junkie Too]

This is part of the Left's attempt to demonize those that they can't silence.

-PJ

[Chad Fairbanks]

Oh, believe me I'm WELL aware of this... too aware, it seems...

[Kip Lange]

The evidence is pretty clear that this is a more organized effort than I first suspected...

We're feared. :-) Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to hit pieces trying to paint us as fringe loonies. :p

--CWL

[Mo1]

Pitt has the right to use Slayton as his sock puppet but Slayton committed a gross violation of journalistic ethics by not informing the readers that a large chunk of her story was nothing but a rewrite of Pitt's article.

I agree .. but when has the left ever been ethical??

And what Slayton did and by Pitt making excuses proves that point

[Mo1]

This is part of the Left's attempt to demonize those that they can't silence.

BINGO!

[Kip Lange]

Wouldn't she love it if we could get Drudge to start looking into her (and the stooges feeding her her material)? ;-)

*sigh*. I can daydream.

--CWL

[PJ-Comix]

It would be great if O'Reilly or Hannity invited Slayton to appear on their shows to defend her plagiarism. BTW, if you saw the movie "Chicago," just think of that hilarious ventriloquism routine but instead of Gere and Zellweger it would be Pitt as the ventriloquist manipulatING his puppet, Slayton. They could tour the country recreatiing that "Chicago" musical routine (which, btw, was HILARIOUS).

[PJ-Comix]

Good point! How many others have used Slayton as their sockpuppet to spread their political agendas? Check her stories, enter the keywords into a google (or lexus/nexus) search and we will probably find other stories spoonfed to Ms Slayton.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Screw the Left... I know I won't be silenced... :0)

[TLBSHOW]

bttt

But the light is shinning in on it!

[TLBSHOW]

It would be great if O'Reilly or Hannity invited Slayton to appear on their shows to defend her plagiarism. BTW, if you saw the movie "Chicago," just think of that hilarious ventriloquism routine but instead of Gere and Zellweger it would be Pitt as the ventriloquist manipulatING his puppet, Slayton. They could tour the country recreatiing that "Chicago" musical routine (which, btw, was HILARIOUS).


that is funny

[Mo1]

Well like I said .. this is america and if Drudge would like to do a little investigating into her past articles to see if she has a habit of using other peoples words, he has that right.

[Redcloak]

BWAAA HAAAA HAAAAA HAAAA!!!

But seriously...

FReeping polls does serve one noble purpose. When we FReep a poll from a local TV news site, we often screw up hit pieces they'd planned. Some local stations will post a push poll and then use the predictable results in a "story" that night. The point, of course, is to allow the reporter to express his or her own political opinion disguised as a straight news story. By FReeping the poll, we screw up the "data" they'd planned to present in support of their position. Of course, some just yank the poll, use the first 5 minutes worth of data that wasn't FReeped and hope that no one cached the FReeped version. But most spike the story alltogether out of fear of getting caught using rigged poll data.