CNN anchors attack the scourge of anonymity

[Jefferson23]

Saturday, Jul 24, 2010 09:25 ET

By Glenn Greenwald


(updated below)

CNN's Kyra Phillips and John Roberts spent a good five minutes yesterday expressing serious concern over what they called "the dark side" of the Internet: the plague of "anonymous bloggers" who are "a bunch of cowards" for not putting their names on what they say, and who use this anonymity to spread "conspiracy," "lunacy," "extremism" and false accusations (video below). The segment included excerpts from an interview with Andrew Keene, author of Cult of the Amateur: How Today's Internet is Killing our Culture, who explained that the Real Media must serve as "gatekeepers" to safeguard the public against the dangers of anonymity on the Internet. Roberts demanded that bloggers should "have the courage at the very least to put your name on it," while Phillips announced: "something is going to have to be done legally. . . . these people have to be held accountable, they're a bunch of cowards."


These CNN journalists have a very good point, of course: it was, after all, Internet bloggers -- using the scourge of anonymity -- who convinced the nation of a slew of harmful conspiracy theories: Saddam had WMD, an alliance with Al Qaeda, and responsibility for the anthrax mailings. Anonymity is also what allowed bloggers to smear Richard Jewell, Wen Ho Lee, and Steven Hatfill with totally false accusations that destroyed their lives and reputation, and it's what enabled bloggers to lie to the nation about Jessica Lynch's heroic firefight, countless U.S. airstrikes, and a whole litany of ongoing lies about our current wars. And remember when anonymous bloggers spewed all sorts of nasty, unaccountable bile about Sonia Sotomayor's intellect and temperament? Just as Roberts lamented, blogs -- as a result of anonymity -- are the "Wild West of the Internet . . . . like a giant world-wide bathroom wall where you can write anything about anyone."

Indeed, what's especially noble about establishment media journalists such as those on CNN, what vests them with so much deserved Credibility, is how much they hate anonymity because of how cowardly and unaccountable it is. There are several examples from the last 24 hours alone which demonstrate these high journalistic standards. Here is a Washington Post article from yesterday by Philip Rucker on the criticisms of the Obama administration from the Left:


"As a party, we respect the role that people like and his blog play and understand that their role is to try to push the envelope further than it might be pushed otherwise," said a senior Democratic official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "This has been the busiest and most successful Congress since the Great Depression and it's been accomplished with big majorities. I don't think anyone can argue that it would be better if Democrats are in the minority or have smaller majorities."

remainder: http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/07/24/anonymity/index.html

[Xipe Totec]

1. According to CNN's anonymous sources, this is a big problem nt

[Jefferson23]

2. Yep, they're all uppity like now too. n/t

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Maybe Glenn Beck could put a bag over his head and

proclaim himself the Lone Loon.

[Whoa_Nelly]

4. There is also the scourge of anonymity by WH/political insiders

being quoted by the media who get to keep their identity secret while spilling the beans on the real happenings.
Whistle-blowers should have complete protection, IMO, but those who are in position and working for us, for our nation, should be identified to lend credibility to what they reveal; it would go a long way in cutting through the BS, as well as the time taken and (US taxpayer) money spent in congressional and senate hearings to try to get to the truth.

[tavalon]

10. Yeah, I'm so sick of that anonymous Senior Adminstration Staff,

though, usually it's easy to see that it's Turdblossom, er, I mean Rahm.

[pmorlan1]

5. K & R

Great Greenwald piece.

[givemebackmycountry]

6. WHO are these "anonymous bloggers" they speak of?

All the blogs I read are written by people who tell you who they are.

I know who Atrios is.
I know who John Avarosis is.
I know who John Amato and David Newiert(sic)are.

Chris Matthews spews this same shit, they are scared because they know what's up.

Every day, without fail my rotation is...

DU
AmericaBlog
Bartcop
Crooks and Liars
Hullabaloo (Digby - and I know who SHE is too).
Eschaton (Atrios)
Oliver Willis
Back to DU

Every day without fail, I learn many new things from these fine people -
Fuck CNN
I learn nothing there.

[formercia]

8. The 'Reporters' at CNN are making the same rounds.

Think of how many 'Conspiracy Theories' and 'anonymous Lies' that the M$M eventually had to report as Fact.


We get it right a lot more often than the M$M does.

[tavalon]

11. I think you (and all of us) might just have learned something about CNN today

They are scared. Very scared.

[jah the baptist]

12. i miss mediawhoresonline THE HORSE RULED nt

[valerief]

7. Down with novelists' pseudonyms, too!

:rofl:

[mbperrin]

9. Yes, they should have thrown that goddamned Ben Franklin in PRISON

for writing under the name Silence Dogood. No good unAmerican bastard!!!







































Tee hee.

[Bluenorthwest]

13. CNN who delivered Glenn Beck to television

For 2 and a half years, he spewed from CNN. They gave him his standing, and because of that, they themselves have none at all. They allowed him to guest host for Larry King, no less. Lending legitimacy to the most crazed Beck. That is the legacy of CNN in this day and age.

[Uncle Joe]

14. This entire column is well worth the read, including the two updates at the bottom.

Regarding "journalistic standards," it was the top down, one way corporate media which continually propagated for the better part of two years prior to the selection of 2000, the outlandish slanders and lies ie: "Al Gore claimed to have invented the Internet" and it was done from the morning shows to prime time news, to late night comedians. This absurd corporate media saturation of character assassination helped enable one of, if not the most corrupt, incompetent administrations in U.S. history to power.

Hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people have died as a result, countless jobs have been lost, the economy was crashed, and the environment was raped without any regard of the consequences. All springing from that toxic soil of lies fertilized by the corporate media.

To the vast majority of the corporate media, you have no credibility whether you're public or anonymous, the only thing that gives you credibility is reporting the truth, regardless of the medium, but whether you can do that or not, nothing on this blue marble gives you the inherent right to be "gatekeepers" for the American People.

Thanks for the thread, Jefferson.