Posted from the U.S
Over the last few days I have been interviewed by the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, and now Fox (on the O'Reilly Factor tonight). The speed, fury, and impact of blogging is hard to understand.
I would like to reprint pieces of what I posted prior to Eason Jordan resigning:
- Eason Jordan should personally lobby for, and release the videotape of the session where Easongate began.
- CNN should play the video in its unedited format, for all to see, as well as give copies to any other media outlet who wants it.
- Eason, in a way unobstructed by spin, can face his own words and deal with the consequences head on.
- There will be fury about what he said, but the speculation will end. For those of us who were there, we know that what is on the tape does not bode well for him but it should not stop him from releasing it.
- Admit fully any mistakes.
and
I would take no joy in Eason Jordan losing his job, even if it is the right and just thing to do. None of us should. We all can, have, and probably will make major mistakes in our lifetime. Perhaps not as large and visible as this one, but it will happen. The decision if he should maintain his role as the head of one of the world's largest news organizations is not mine to make, but it likely is in question. Whatever happens to him, imagine if this were happening to a friend. It may be deserved, it may be the right thing, but the outcome would leave you hollow. There should be no joy in seeing a fellow human being fall down. As the drive for accountability builds, it needs to be tempered with a sense of humility.
What has happened here is an amazing display of the power of blogging technology affecting the media, but there is a sense of frontier justice. I never claimed to be the judge and jury - I just asked some hard questions, many of which remained unanswered. I have also called for a higher level of blogger ethics and standards, an area which needs a lot of work.
I could also detect a tangible fear and sense of anxiety with many members of the mainstream media I have spoken with since he resigned. Some are excited to see a competitor go down, but for many they hear the bell tolling for them, not just for Eason. A few almost seem afraid to speak with me, lest I point the unwashed blog hordes in their direction.
This is not the point at all. Blogging should be a true democratization of the media, writings, and free speech. I hope bloggers can adopt and scale the free, open, and cooperative spirit that has built Linux and many open source software projects. Blogging should not be about right or left wing witch hunts. I started by asking for accountability, fairness, objectivity - some real evidence. The last few weeks have been just one example of how many problems we have in the political media fabric, and what a tangled mess it has become (from all sides).
The net result: Eason Jordan resigns, but many questions and problems remain open.
-R
Rony-- you handled yourself well on O'Reilly (I hope Keith accepts my apology for changing the channel). There's something to be said about being a designated "someone who doesn't belong" at a conference-- I had a similar experience at a blogging/journalism conference recently.
Though I think that the charge of "facilitating propaganda" that O'Reilly raised still rings hollow. Jim Geraghty heard from MEMRI that there was nothing in the Middle East media about this (granted, there was little in the US media about this, either).
I guess I'd be interested in watching the tape-- the whole tape of the whole forum-- to get a better sense of the atmosphere and the context of the whole discussion. I think you may have mentioned that this doesn't have the same shock when it's presented (as it has popularly been) as a right-wing witch hunt.
Posted by: Jon Garfunkel | February 14, 2005 at 08:18 PM
Dear Mr. Abovitz
I watched you on Fox tonight and was kind of annoyed by O'Reilly who is a blow hard at times, but I want to thank you for asking the questions. This is not a left or right question but a question about the truth. If there is a segment of the world media who believe that the military targeted journalist then this story exposes the truth. I think that you have done a service for that Captain who lost his leg and is heading back to the war zone as sense of honor. You stood up to the truth and that is all one is asked to testify too in their life. I read the accounts of the Palestine hotel in Baghdad from the journalist from the Boston Globe and he set the record straight that journalist without borders took his comments out of context and started this whole big story of targeting troops. Mr. Eason's job is to know these things and there is no excuse for his malpractice to his profession. Would we give a doctor a pass for malpractice or a priest for betraying the trust of his parishioners for molesting young boys. No because they have betrayed our trust and their profession. You only stood up for you ethics and morals to the truth and Mr. Jordan has been swept away in a storm of lies!!! Great Work from a Great American!!!!
James A. Kaplin
New Castle, PA
Posted by: James Kaplin | February 14, 2005 at 10:15 PM
Rony,
The NYT writes: "Mr. Abovitz asked some of the journalists at the event if they were going to write about Mr. Jordan's comments and concluded that they were not because journalists wanted to protect their own. There was also some confusion about whether they could, because the session was officially "off the record.""
Could you comment on the "journalists wanted to protect their own"?
Also could you comment on the "confusion". Were the journalists you spoke to confused about whether the session was on or off the record at the time and when it became clear?
Posted by: Sisyphus | February 15, 2005 at 12:45 AM
You are a sad man. Hey, there's also a gay hooker who pimped GOP talking points. That, somehow, seems far more interesting to report on.
Posted by: Ron | February 15, 2005 at 12:49 AM
Dear Mr. Abovitz,
Please forgive Ron for his crude and thoughtless comments. He is a recovering gay hooker and chihuahuaphile with poor self-esteem and impulse control problems. He hates himself for loving you and is not responsible for his actions. He is responding well to his current treatment of cat food enemas and testicular electroshock. God willing, he will be sane again one day. Thank you. Dr. Delicious Johansen
Posted by: Ron's Psychiatrist | February 15, 2005 at 05:15 AM
Ron and his Psychiatrist:
Thank you for the brilliant remarks. I'm sure that the gay hooker was more interesting.
-R
Posted by: Rony | February 15, 2005 at 02:42 PM
Hi
I would like to know why we arent using HEMP.
Here are my reasons using hemp.
1. If we were using hemp paper there would still be a rainforest, as per acre it takes one acre of hemp compared to four acres of trees/woodland(it takes years for these trees to grow and be replaced)to make the same amount of paper. Hemp grows back in weeks and can be cultivated in any land. It also can last 100 years without degrading.
2.If we were using bio fuels they have 50% less emmisions overall. it is a sustainable product therefore relieving the need to transport and refine crude oil. As any accident involving crude oil is generally an envoiromental distaster. how much more can this planet take??? With hemp bio diesel there is no danger of damage to the envioroment should an accident occur as the oils are bio degradeable.
3.The nutritional values of Hemp are second to none It has the highest portion of EFA's vital the the immune system. It helps the body reproduce natural omega 3 and omega 6 in the body. It can be used to cook many things and it tastes good too.
4.Hemp can be used to make anything from food to fuel, bricks to cars, beauty products, bathroom products, fabric, paper. We would never have to touch a tree again... this is overwhelming when i think of the damage of cutting forests down across the world, the effect on the land. The weather. We need trees as much as we should be using hemp.
The rainforests could be replanted in 2 years if hemp was grown there to refertilize the land.
5. Our children, Your children , our childrens children.
I want there to be a planet left thats worth living on.
Please Can you find the time to look at this website http://www.hempcar.org/indexOLD.html
http://www.hempfood.com/nutrition.html
It really should not be ignored. I beleive everybody has the right to be made aware of this and also the history of hemp is in itself an education.
There is NO ( emphasize no) Waste whatsoever from hemp crop as every part of it is usable and re-usable.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I trust this will be read or there is no point to writing this email.
Yours sincerely
Gayle Alexander & Robert Harwood
Posted by: Mr Robret Harwood | March 09, 2005 at 11:27 AM
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Well you win my heart..
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Posted by: Netpowersoft | January 17, 2006 at 10:27 AM