AOL Owned Daily Finance Retracts Passage That Libeled Free Republic Over Child Pornography

Thursday, September 23, 2010 | Kristinn

[kristinn]

The AOL-owned site Daily Finance this morning retracted a passage in an article that falsely stated Free Republic hosted child pornography.

The article was about reporter John Cook leaving Yahoo News to return to Gawker. Included in Cook's reasons for leaving, according to Daily Finance reporter Jeff Bercovici, was that Yahoo would not allow him to write about Free Republic "hosting child pornography." The Salon.com article that was linked to support that claim actually stated that Free Republic did not host child pornography.

The offending Daily Finance passage now reads:

"... On similar grounds, he was prohibited from writing about the conservative website Free Republic being used to promote child pornography*..."

A correction added to the end of the article states:

CORRECTION: Originally, this story said Free Republic was hosting child pornography. According to the Salon article that I linked to, Free Republic was not hosting it but being used to direct readers to an outside site that hosted it."

Link to article exposing AOL's libel of FR posted last night.

Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post, who picked up the Daily Finance story last night, posted a clarification this morning. A request for a correction has been made to Nicholas Carlson at the Business Insider who also repeated the false statement by the AOL's Daily Finance.

[subterfuge]

Too late. Someone owes Jim Robinson about $20 million.

[kevkrom]

That’s a retraction? More like reiterating with a nuance.

[avacado]

Not much of a retraction. It makes it sound like Freerepublic is a conduit for child porn.

[nodumbblonde]

“Free Republic was not hosting it but being used to direct readers to an outside site that hosted it.”

Huh?

[houeto]

CORRECTION: Originally, this story said Free Republic was hosting child pornography.

It still says that, the way I read it.

[MichaelCorleone]

“Someone owes Jim Robinson about $20 million.”

Plus expenses.

[penelopesire]

Pretty weak ‘clarifications’ if you ask me. They still leave one wondering what happened and don’t explain that the guy admitted that he was trying to smear Free Republic by posting the filth. Especially the WP ‘clarification’.

[freekitty]

I agree.

[piytar]

Anyone pinged Jim Robinson about this? Is he aware of it? This is beyond the pale.

[Kartographer]

“Too late. Someone owes Jim Robinson about $20 million.”

AMEN TO THAT! These days a mere unsubstantiated rumor of child porn or sexual impropriety is more than enough to forever besmirch a person's reputation. I say go get them Jim and make them PAY!!

[RetiredNavy]

Any way to trace the posted link back to whoever posted it? John Cook maybe?

[BykrBayb]

Not good enough.

[rockinqsranch]

I’d say they owe Jim one Hell of a lot more than that. Twenty Mil is about what they owe each of us associated with this site as they are accusing/associating us individually with child pornography as well, and I want my share of that anus orifice that lied about us.

[kristinn]

FYI.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Trolls can make posts on FR containing links to anything they please (including kiddie porn) and it generally depends on eagle eyed readers to submit a complaint to the moderator about the post. But can’t this trick be played on almost any board open to public comments?

[Responsibility2nd]

AOL Owned Daily Finance Retracts Passage That Libeled Free Republic Over Child Pornography

________________________________________

 

Nevermind!

[null and void]

subterfuge ~ Someone owes Jim Robinson about $20 million.

MichaelCorleone ~ Plus expenses.

Plus exemplary and punitive damages.

[American Constitutionalist]

Make it $ 200 million ......

[SandRat]

New redundant Mega-Super Servers for FR and No more Freepathons... YEA!!!

LOL