An Open Letter to those Offended by Recently Published Content
May 29, 2009 at 5:12 pm
by: Allison Bricker
Dear Readers:
This week past, some readers of “The Smoking Argus Daily” took offense and expressed outrage at two of our recent articles. The articles in question, “President Obama’s Secret Goon Squad Still Torturing Prisoners in Gitmo” and “Jekyll Island Project Media Blackout; Bob Schulz Refuses Press Coverage” stirred up controversy over our criteria for publishing and some questioned “our” loyalty to the liberty movement.
Our criterion for publishing content is based on our determination as to the reliability and overall credibility of the original source. Thus, in reference to the President Obama article we stand behind the reputations of award winning journalists Amy Goodman and Jeremy Scahill.
This is why when we launched SmArgus one of our main goals was to combat the tabloid stereotype of online blogs by offering sources and hyperlinks back to the original sources. Nevertheless, we nor any other journalist is not above reproach, and as such, if a previously stated claim within a post is found to be wholly unreliable, inaccurate, or needs further clarification, we shall, issue a statement of retraction or clarity.
Additionally, if you came to SmArgus with the misconception that this blog would shirk from its responsibility to report critically on one particular viewpoint solely because a contributor or contributors possess a certain ideology, then we suggest you look elsewhere. The internet is replete with blogs who shill endlessly for their point of view, operating under the assumption that their philosophy or leaders are akin to gospel. The Smoking Argus Daily” is not one of them. There are no sacred cows.
“Therefore, we at The Smoking Argus, will not pander or seek the approval of any particular ideology, character trait, politician, political party, religious persuasion, ethnicity, etcetera, etcetera. We welcome everyone irrelevant of their label, both as contributors and those who add to the conversation via the post comment forms.”
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In closing, the style in which my reporting and editorial is based upon, is in part an homage to the old Chicago style muckrake journalists who contrary to today, refused to let the subject of an interview slither their way out of answering a question. Like it or not we and all the other bloggers, YouTubers, etc, are the new-media, and we have a duty to provide answers and opinion to our readers. You may not like the answers or opinion you read, and are free to voice your opposition in the comment section below each and every post. However, sometimes getting to the bottom of a story can be messy business.
Respectfully,
Allison Bricker
Editor & Publisher
May 29th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
No offense, but Amy Goodman is a far left anti-American wackjob. Quoting her is like quoting the SS on the kindness of Polish Jews.
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Allison Bricker Reply:
May 29th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Hence why if even she is worrying about President Obama being less than the “Change” one can believe in, then perhaps those on the left might at least look into the fact that torture under the Obama Administration is of little difference from torture in the Bush Administration. One should also note that she was willing to get arrested at the RNC for merely asking police officers a question.
She has been beaten by police in Nigeria and at home, been critical of past Democrat Presidents like President Clinton as well as being one of the few journalists to report on blatant violations of Posse Comitatus. Thus her dedication to getting the story allows me to see past her personal ideology.
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