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.”
‘About’
The Smoking Argus Daily
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
