In December a Federal District Judge, Marco Hernandez, ruled against blogger Crystal Cox who was being sued for defamation by attorney Kevin Padrick, whom Cox accused of corruption on her blog. The ruling declared that as a blogger, Cox was not a journalist and cannot claim the protections afforded to mainstream reporters and news. I happen to agree with his decision, but the case raises the question about what actually defines a journalist. Considering what the mainstream media represents today, the line between genuine reportage and political advocacy has been completely blurred.

In the past, many famous and well-respected journalists had no formal training but honed their craft on the job, in many cases beginning their careers as copy boys/copy girls. Walter Cronkite, once cited as the most trusted man in America, was a college dropout who had a series of newspaper jobs reporting news and sports. Eric Sevareid, Chet Huntley, and David Brinkley started their careers as broadcast journalists but never had journalism degrees. Dan Rather did receive a degree in journalism, and we can see how well that turned out once he decided to switch to advocacy journalism instead of the traditional who, what, when, where and how protocol of traditional journalism.

Advocacy journalism intentionally and transparently adopts a non-objective viewpoint for either a political or social agenda and has morphed today into nothing less than media bias and propaganda. Today the mainstream media is predominantly composed of liberal democrats, and this bias has been quite evident since the 2008 presidential race. There is also a marked difference between opinion and reportage journalism.

I have a hard time claiming to be a member of the fourth estate, although I have been writing for newspapers since 1998 as an op-ed columnist. During that time, however, I have covered news events and press conferences and submitted non-opinion articles. I never attended Journalism College, nor have I even taken one writing course. I had to drop out of college to support my mother who had had a stroke. Mark Steyn, who is a brilliant writer, never attended college at all but can write reams around many inhabiting the elitist realm of the New York Times. (more…)

Every movement in history experiences challenges that cause it to morph from the purpose and design of its founders, usually in an effort to stay alive.

The incredible world-wide movement of citizen journalism is no different. In chapter one of our* book titled “Handbook for Citizen Journalists,” I point out that the movement is happening with no organized structure, no inspirational luminary, no headquarters, no power center, little or no funding, usually no government help and often government interference, no mass marketing strategy, no fixed standards–and most significantly–wild innovation.

The result is that many expressions of citizen journalism have been seen some unexpected successes and some well-funded failures. As time passes and more entrepreneurial journalists find ways to take advantage of the gap left by understaffed newspapers and developing technologies, more changes are sure to come. (more…)

It’s come to this. The totalitarian Ministry of Newspeak er, I mean Media Matters for America has so much Soros money that they actually employ a guy to watch what we are saying on Twitter, even if it’s trash talk with buddies over a football game.  I’m not joking.  Even more outrageous, all of the thousand-plus contributors here at “The Bigs” are under this scrutiny.  And whenever any of us do something that the self-appointed thought-police at MMfA deem worthy of criticizing, we are all labeled with the same moniker:  “Andrew Breitbart Blogger.”  Here’s how they came after me, for sending a Tweet about an NFL game:

Let’s start at the beginning:  First of all, I am an American man.  Being an American man, I love the NFL.  I am also from Detroit.  Being an American man from Detroit who loves the NFL, it therefore goes to reason that I hate the Chicago Bears.  Everyone with me so far? (I’m trying to make this so simple that even the joyless, agoraphobic shut-ins like those staffing MMfA will understand.)

(more…)

When someone calls my office and wants to sue somebody for libel or slander, assuming they manage to get through my phalanx of people devoted to keeping me insulated from time burglars, the first thing I say to them is, “You probably have no case.”  I don’t wait to hear the facts.  I don’t need to know their evidence.  I know that statistically speaking, it just is not going to have merit.  Yet threatening defamation suits is a growing tactic in the war on the new media.

Defamation cases generally fail.  And by “generally,” I mean almost all of them.  I’ve never lost a libel case I’ve defended.  Why are defamation cases so bad?  Defamation is a unique tort because it involves publishing false and unprivileged negative information about someone.  With the First Amendment’s free speech guarantees – you know, the ones that frustrate and irritate the left to no end when those of us on the right avail ourselves of them – defamation takes on  whole new dimension you do not find in regular torts like negligence.  There’s a tension between the right to speak and the right not to be lied about, and the courts generally err on the side of free speech.  This is especially true in the context of political debates.  (more…)

Back in 2008, Barack Obama and his media staff–David Axelrod, Anita Dunn and David Plouffe–had the press eating out of their hands. It was, to repeat a phrase, a slobbering love affair. Things have changed in 24 short months.

Yesterday, Axelrod made time for a conference call with progressive bloggers. He’s trying to rally the troops for the midterms by talking to his capos in the field. But, according to Greg Sargent at the Plum Line (who gets kudos for admissions against interest), Axe didn’t get the reaction he expected.

“You want us to help you, the first thing I would suggest is enough of the hippie punching,” Madrak [Blogger at Crooks and Liars] added. “We’re the girl you’ll take under the bleachers but you won’t be seen with in the light of day.”

Axe tried to be conciliatory but Madrak wasn’t in the mood, saying “Don’t make our jobs harder” to which Axe replied “Right back at ‘cha.”

What was once a love affair is now an ugly break up with accusations of domestic violence. (more…)

Pretty funny from a woman whose own newspaper, the Washington Post, has been captured by juvenile leftists like Ezra Klein:

This is a cautionary tale about reporters eagerly attacking other reporters working a developing story.  Because it’s not possible to provide evidence as quickly as some might demand it doesn’t mean the story is false.

On July 24, Kimberly Dvorak, of the Examiner, and Don Amato, of the blog Digger’s Realm, broke the story about two Texas ranches outside of Laredo, Texas, being seized by members of Los Zetas drug cartel. Today, Ms. Dvorak posted a copy of the police blotter which provides a good deal of the information necessary to confirm her initial story’s claims:

After 16 days of denials by Laredo law enforcement and local officials regarding a Mexican drug cartel takeover of a Laredo area ranch, a Texas police blotter proves the alleged incident did in fact happen and that multiple agencies responded to the scene of a seized U.S. ranch…

“On Friday 7-23-10 Laredo Webb informed that their county SWAT Team is conducting an operation in the Mines Rd. area. According to LT. Garcia with LSO (Laredo Sheriff Office) received a call from a ranch owner stating that the Zetas had taken over his ranch. As per the 17 (reporting person) he informed them that they stated La Compania (area business) was taking the ranch and no one was permitted on the ranch without permission. SO (Sheriff Office) will have an unmarked green Ford Taurus with two officers stationed at Los Compadres and a white Chevy Tahoe with two officers stationed at Mineral Rd. The LSO (Laredo Sheriff Office) will maintain surveillance in the area and advise if action is taken. Susp (suspect) Veh (vehicle) are described as a gray or silver Audi, a BLK (black) Escalade or Navigator and a van truck with a logo of a car wash spot free on the side. Border Patrol also has their response team on scene. Also known info of BMW’s and Corvettes entering and leaving the area. Auth LT Lichtenberger if assistance is requested LPD (Laredo Police Department) will secure the outer perimeter. (07/24/10 07:42:10 NR1873)”

Dvorak’s latest post confirmed several details that I had been able to ascertain through other sources.  One important detail was different: only one ranch was investigated and under surveillance, not the two originally reported.

The original story quoted multiple anonymous sources in law enforcement and was quickly picked up by Michelle Malkin,  Jawa Report, Big Peace and DBKP among others.  Almost as quickly, the story was branded an Internet  rumor,” “conspiracy theory,” a “hoax” or  outright lies by the usual suspects from the Progressive Left/amnesty crowd. (more…)

It’s been a pretty remarkable week, news-wise and media-wise, and to say the two are related would be an understatement. We’ve seen the lid finally blow off the long-simmering Al Gore sex scandal, which certainly serves to explain the otherwise mysterious Al Gore divorce. We’ve seen a group of alleged Russian spies, at least one journalist among them, rolled up by the FBI. We’ve seen the public revelation of the so-called “JournoList,” a listserv groupthink email chain compromising roughly 400 lefty journalists and bloggers, for which Andrew Breitbart has offered $100,000 for the complete contents. And we’ve seen yet another example of the revolving-door relationship between Democrat journalists and Democrat politics when a Washington Post blogger turned out to be an Obama Administration operative.

I think you know where we’re going with this.

Journalists — whether through action or inaction — are at the center of every one of these scandals. And the amazing thing is, they not only don’t care that they’ve lost the trust of the public, forfeited their claims of objectivity and destroyed the nature of the reporter-reader relationship — they’re proud of it!

The old Soviet Union used American journalists as willing accomplices: from John Reed to Walter Duranty to I.F. Stone, the Soviets knew that one path to the destruction of the Principal Enemy lay through the press, and they diligently pursued western reporters, dangling  ideological solidarity, blackmail or money. Heck, Warren Beatty even made a movie about Reed: (more…)

During six-plus years of blogging, my volunteer research and writing abilities have contributed to the campaign and media efforts of such notable Republicans as George Allen, Mitch McConnell, Rob Portman, Sarah Palin, Michael Steele, and a host of others, too many to mention. That work often becomes a substantive part of the relevant mainstream media coverage, in a manner favoring the Republican candidate, official, or legislator.

In many cases, those efforts came from direct requests from their offices, or campaigns to help out on a volunteer basis over some issue, or news item. So, imagine my surprise when Nick Schaper, Director of New Media for House Minority Leader John Boehner, with apparently no real experience or background in new media at all, would opt to insult and marginalize my blogging efforts on a Republican-based listserv.

Well you can obviously Goggle, I’m already more impressed than when I read your blog for the first time this morning. I’d love to take the bait, it seems like you’ve got plenty of time on your hands. But on second thought- you’re right. This thing is a game changer and is completely emblematic of a lack of vision by the movement on the right that you’re presumably some part of.

The full story of that interaction is here. Last year’s top Right-side blogger, Ace, of Ace of Spades HQ weighed in with some thoughtful analysis here. A subsequent apology from the GOP staffer is here; however, that is relatively meaningless to the larger point. The fact remains, the GOP establishment as a whole takes its more genuine on-line activists for granted, completely fails to support them in any substantive way — and is as likely to insult them through ignorance than show them appreciation during any potential interaction. (more…)

A New Jersey court decision has determined that a writer in Washington State named Shellee Hale is not protected by New Jersey’s shield law protecting journalists from being forced to reveal their sources because… wait for it… the court says she’s not a journalist but merely a blogger.

Some folks are saying the ruling is the death of online journalism and an effort to cement journalistic power with the sick and dying mainstream media. As a former newshound and right-of-center web reporter/editor, I’m not so sure I would ring the alarm bells just yet.

Let’s look at a few salient things involving the Hale case. Based on the available information, Hale found herself in hot water with a New Jersey software company for an entry she wrote in the comment section of a blog regarding the company, which subsequently sued her for defamation. During the course of the trial, the company also wanted to know the source of the information in Hale’s comment, which she refused to disclose.

Set aside for a moment the refusal, the blogging, her past writing for other media outlets and so forth and take a look at something that seems largely overlooked in this. According to the coverage of this event that I’ve been able to find, Hale wasn’t reporting on anything at the time of her ill-fated musings. She was posting a comment about a subject on a blog. I couldn’t even find anything indicating this was part of a research effort for a news story. It looks like she just put up something in a comment section and that was that. (more…)

A New Jersey court has ruled that bloggers are not journalists (now they’ve taken to the courts to establish this!). New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Judge Anthony J. Parrillo ruled last week that a blogger named Shellee Hale is not a journalist, and so does not enjoy the same protections that journalists do from being forced to reveal their sources.

Actually, this tool of a judge is right. For the most part, journalists today act as shills for the Democrat party. They cover up for the party’s crimes and excesses, obfuscate the effects of its disastrous policies, and propagandize for Obama’s agenda.

In that sense, bloggers are not journalists. The best bloggers aren’t shilling for Obama and Pelosi the way journalists are. Instead, bloggers are doing the heavy lifting. Who breaks the stories today? Bloggers. Take my own blog, AtlasShrugs.com, for example. I broke the explosive story of tens of thousands of dollars of Obama contributions from a Hamas-controlled “refugee” camp in Gaza. Did the “journalists” in the mainstream media pursue this story? Not a chance. Obama’s odd relationship with Kenyan pro-Sharia politician Raila Odinga? Atlas! Not to mention the numerous revelations I broke on the Rifqa Bary story (here and here and here and here), the story of the young Ohio girl who fled from her family in fear for her life after converting from Islam to Christianity.

If I am not a journalist, Anthony Parrillo is not a judge. (more…)

The Garden State has a shield law for journalists, meaning the government cannot force reporters or opinion writers to reveal their sources. There is nothing more vigorously defended among journalists than the right to keep secret one’s anonymous sources in service of “the public’s right to know.” The decades-long secret identity of “Deep Throat” in The Washington Post’s Watergate exposés is the standard of that journalistic principle.

But a New Jersey state appellate court last weekruled that a woman named Shellee Hale is not a “real” journalist, but just a blogger, so is not protected by the state’s shield law.

In the words of New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Judge Anthony J. Parrillo:

Simply put, new media should not be confused with news media.

This backward-looking, snobbish decision is troubling for many reasons. Before we get into the upcoming righteous outrage from someone who was a regular member of the “news media” for nearly 20 years — but is now a “new media” journalist — here’s some background on the case. (more…)

There are many things on the World Wide Web that are not suitable for public viewing but that should be required viewing for journalists and political figures to alert them to the horrors that exist in some parts of the world. This should not be to incite but rather to rinse away their naïveté in dealing with a hostile culture and our potential enemies.

It is apparent that the mainstream media has no interest in covering stories that shed an unfavorable side of Islam and, frankly, this smacks of cowardice.

The elite will instead claim that the “vast majority” of Muslims are peace-loving and are just as horrified at the acts of a small number of radical terrorists.  That may very well be true but even a fraction of a billion is a very large number and that number is growing and gaining influence around the world thanks to the stupidity and cowardice of what should be called the “lamestream” press and those in our government today.

The Internet bloggers are doing the nasty job of covering the world of Islamic jihadists and it is truly chilling. The video of Daniel Pearl’s beheading could not be shown on the public airwaves but was easily available on the web. Gruesome as it was it cannot compare with this video of children training for Jihad beheading a man all the while praising Allah. (more…)