Google "n-word" and you come up not only with a list of sites devoted to explaining the origin and use of the racial slur but many more hate sites aimed at deepening the racial divide in this nation.
Nazis and white extremists groups run several thousand web sites aimed at spreading their hate and nastiness. Anti-Semitic web sites abound, including many who also promote the ridiculous belief that the U.S. government planned and executed the 9-11 terrorist attacks.
Over the weekend, I discovered, much to my horror, that stories from Capitol Hill Blue have been reprinted on some of these anti-Semitic web sites. Our stories carry a copyright and reprinting them without permission is a federal crime. I would never give permission for use of our material on a web site that promotes anti-Semitism or hatred towards any ethnic group or religion. Starting today, my lawyer will track down those web sites and send out "cease and desist" letters to each that use our articles without permission. If necessary, I will take these people to court. I want nothing to do with them or the hate and lies they spread.
The discovery, however, also created some concern among me and my editors. Has our dogged pursuit of what we believe to be the truth contributed to the belief that we are part of this great "everything is a conspiracy" movement? Have we been too sloppy in reporting some stories? Should we have gone back and taken a second look before publishing?
I'm too close to the situation to be an objective judge. So I've asked other reporters, journalism professors and political scientists to review the archives of Capitol Hill Blue to identify any and all stories that, in their opinion, don't pass the basic tenets of journalism.
Any articles - by me or anyone else - that, in their opinion, don't pass the smell test will be reviewed. Sources will be rechecked and - if they cannot be verified or if we discover a hidden agenda by those sources - the stories will either be revised or removed from our archives.
If we are, indeed, a fellow traveler on the "Misinformation Superhighway," then we're headed for the nearest exit ramp.
Originally published at and © Copyright 2006 by Capitol Hill Blue
Who the hell is this Thompson guy anyway?
Doug Thompson also publishes a personal blog, Blue Ridge Muse
Nazis and white extremists groups run several thousand web sites aimed at spreading their hate and nastiness. Anti-Semitic web sites abound, including many who also promote the ridiculous belief that the U.S. government planned and executed the 9-11 terrorist attacks.
Over the weekend, I discovered, much to my horror, that stories from Capitol Hill Blue have been reprinted on some of these anti-Semitic web sites. Our stories carry a copyright and reprinting them without permission is a federal crime. I would never give permission for use of our material on a web site that promotes anti-Semitism or hatred towards any ethnic group or religion. Starting today, my lawyer will track down those web sites and send out "cease and desist" letters to each that use our articles without permission. If necessary, I will take these people to court. I want nothing to do with them or the hate and lies they spread.
The discovery, however, also created some concern among me and my editors. Has our dogged pursuit of what we believe to be the truth contributed to the belief that we are part of this great "everything is a conspiracy" movement? Have we been too sloppy in reporting some stories? Should we have gone back and taken a second look before publishing?
Any articles - by me or anyone else - that, in their opinion, don't pass the smell test will be reviewed. Sources will be rechecked and - if they cannot be verified or if we discover a hidden agenda by those sources - the stories will either be revised or removed from our archives.
If we are, indeed, a fellow traveler on the "Misinformation Superhighway," then we're headed for the nearest exit ramp.
Originally published at and © Copyright 2006 by Capitol Hill Blue
Who the hell is this Thompson guy anyway?
Doug Thompson also publishes a personal blog, Blue Ridge Muse
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