Dave Lindorff is a veteran investigative reporter, a columnist for CounterPunch, and a contributor to Businessweek, The Nation, Extra! and Salon.com. Here he writes for his This Can’t Be Happening! blog:
Have you even noticed that you don't see articles from ThisCantBeHappening! running on the Truthout site?
There's a reason for this. Truthout, over a year ago, decided to ban this publication from its pages.
They took this ridiculous and incredibly lacking-in-alternative-media-solidarity step not because our work is flawed. Not because we had made some embarrassing mistake. Not even because we demanded payment for their use of our work.
No. They banned us because I had the temerity to question their news judgement when they ignored some breaking stories that we wrote and published.
http://www.thiscantbehappening.net/node/1649
5 comments:
That sucks so much, I really appreciate some of truthout's pieces. On one point though, the argument against the aggregators. I would say it is unreasonable to expect someone to go through dozens of website to find the news, and the fact that aggregating sites offer so much for those who aren't going to look that hard.
Agreed. There is obviously some bias on the part of Dave Lindorff. I don't think this completely discredits Truthout, but it is definitely something to keep in mind when browsing their content. Anyone reading Truthout is part of the solution, but for those who continue to delve deeper into alternative media, maintaining critical distance is crucial. Gotta keep it fresh.
Really I wonder why they wouldn't have published the drug story it seems right in line with what they publish.
Based on the article, it sounds like TruthOut may be having a crisis of confidence. In an effort to appear more legitimate they are systematically rejecting any stories not being run on at least a handful of more 'credible' sites. Instituting this blanket ban is a reaction to the demonization and discrediting of alternative news in general. I think they are just scared of losing their relevancy and being cast as ideologically driven and conspiracy-minded. They are trying to broaden their appeal at the expense of losing their credibility in the minds of their most loyal constituency. Those who would undermine their legitimacy are actually being serviced by this 'mainstreaming' of a respected news source.
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