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.

[lwd]

Someone should call the feds on John Cook and have them search his computer for child porn pictures. If he had a link to such a site then he no doubt has photos from the site in his cache.

[blueyon]

“Sue the bastards! “

I’ll donate to the cause!

[Responsibility2nd]

Thank you for the correction.

I guess the nearly 35 years it’s been since her not ready for prime time skits were aired has been too much for my memory to handle.

[Kartographer]

Potential to wipe out the national debt!!! ;-)

[knittnmom]

Twenty Mil is about what they owe each of us associated with this site

I like the way you think! :-)

[TLI]

Reference Ping on this.

Where ever this one goes I will want to know.

I clearly relate to many people my superior grasp of politics and current events is directly AND SOLELY from Free Republic and that I have been reading and posting there for over ten years.

If the dirt bag in question is going to have justice kick him to the curb I want to know.

It is absolutely correct that ALL of us have been harmed by his actions and his punishment should reflect that.

.

[Kartographer]

“Sue the bastards!

I’ll donate to the cause!"

I SECOND!

[BykrBayb]

So in other words, typical liberal.

Ick.

[KJC1]

“Sue the bastards! “ I’ll donate to the cause!

Count me in for that as well. Maybe a ping list could be created for following this and for legal fund donations?

[Vendome]

No, No.  It was replaced with Kitty Porn:

 

[PA Engineer]

Plus expenses.

...and triple damages.

[reaganaut]

no real difference there. From ‘hosting’ to ‘promoting’??? It’s still libel.

[cmj328]

Company: AOL
Market Cap: 2.53B

[DCPatriot]

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

I sure hope so....maybe we will only have ONE Freepathon per year instead of quarterly.

[don-o]

He admitted in his Daily KOS journal he added kiddie porn links to profile pages on the website ‘Free Republic’ to play a game

Sounds like someone needs their hard drive inspected. I see probable cause that a crime has been committed (possession of child pornography).

[PA Engineer]

This guy [John Cook] is pretty slimy. He admitted in his Daily KOS journal he added kiddie porn links to profile pages on the website ‘Free Republic

I don't understand why Cook has not been criminally charged already by his own admission.

[Kartographer]

"no real difference there. From ‘hosting’ to ‘promoting’??? It’s still libel."

That was exactly my point when I posted that if any FReeper decided or is running for public office and your opponent printed a story that you are a member of an on line group with mutilple reports of having ties to child porn, it would be a serious and potentially candidate/campaign killing situation!

[FReepaholic]

Your comeback to me should have been: "Oh. Well, nevermind".

:-)

[don-o]

This, about a website that has a well deserved reputation for avoiding profanity.

Uh, we read different threads. I have been working myself up to a rant/vanity about the ever increasing amount of profanity being posted on this board.

[mowowie]

Gee, i thought everybody got their child porn from Free Republic.
Jeez......

/s