Comments on: CNN iReport Superstar Tells All — Maybe Too Much

By: Anna

Anna — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:14:23 +0000

Just ran across this on an old MediaShift post - "Video blog producer Grayson Hurst Daughters noted that she had written a pro-Wal-Mart editorial that was picked up by a flog in Georgia. She told Edelman to remove the link, and said “they were welcome to put my editorial back on the Georgia Families For Wal-Mart site — once it became ‘more transparent.’” As for taking a look at the dark side of life, she wrote: “It’s good to take a look, while we can, at just what the tarty face of hard-core astroturfing looks like, just so we’ll recognize the expensive trash when we stumble into it again. And we will.”"

By: selah

selah — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:25:58 +0000

it’s good to note that iReport kicked off a trend (such as Fox’s clever copy “ureport” hehe..) of a way in for amateur and pro-am reporters.

also to note is that Grayson and others can now say that their coverage has appeared on CNN’s website and perhaps even on-air – quite a nice CV/resume add.

fyi, there is actually a separate iReport.com site that is distinct from cnn.com, and the vetting is done by individuals who call iReporters and get the backstory, verify that the photo or video is actually theirs, and so on.

By: anna

anna — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:37:29 +0000

Jesus F. Christ.
I will say that locally, the people pushing ‘we media’ the hardest are remarkably cagey about their vested interests.

And I second Rhonda’s suggestion to contact CNN and get their response.

By: Rhonda R Shearer

Rhonda R Shearer — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:02:14 +0000

WOW. Thanks for this post.

No matter how many times, we see this sort of corruption during the MsM investigations that we do at http://www.stinkyjournalism.org, it never fails to takes my breathe away.

Have you complained to CNN or ask for their comment ?

Confrontation and asking for corrections as well as giving the accused an opportunity to respond –in this case CNN– before publication are standard in our investigation play book.

By: Howard Owens

Howard Owens — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:45:21 +0000

Good post.

What she’s really exposing is the Walter Lippmann-inspired brand of journalism that remains at the core of how way too many reporters operate — just take the official release, the official news, the pronouncement of somebody official or newsworthy, and present it with the public. Period.

Lippmann’s journalism leaves aside context, validity, interpretation and any questioning as to the correctness or authenticity of the information.

The Pentagon experts got through because most journalists don’t consider it their job to question the authenticity of the source. “We are we to judge?” is the creed here. “We just report. We can’t be held responsible for the context of the facts.”

It will be pure hypocrisy for journalists to get their panties in a wad over her statements.