June 20, 2005

Democrats.com Seeks Apology for Washington Post Attack

For Immediate Release: June 19, 2005
For More Info: Bob Fertik http://democrats.com/contact
Web page: http://democrats.com/milbank

Democrats.com Seeks Apology for Washington Post Attack

On June 19, Washington Post reporter Dana Milbank attacked Democrats.com by name for the third time in 10 days.

Bob Fertik, President of Democrats.com, replied in detail to Milbank's attack in his blog:
http://democrats.com/milbank

Fertik also sent a Letter to the Editor of the Post requesting an apology.

To the Editor:

Re: Memos, 'Wing Nuts' and 'Hit Lists' by Ombudsman Michael Getler, June 19

On behalf of more than 300,000 supporters of Democrats.com, I write to express my outrage over Dana Milbank's libelous charge that our "followers have long been harassing this and other reporters and their families with hateful, obscene and sometimes anti-Semitic speech."

Democrats.com strictly prohibits personal attacks and takes immediate action against anyone who violates this rule.

Mr. Milbank never documented any personal attacks from Democrats.com supporters, so I am appalled that you published the allegation as though it were factual, and did not ask me for a response to this despicable charge.

I therefore request an apology from the Washington Post.

Sincerely,

Bob Fertik

President

p.s. I have published this letter, and all background correspondence, on my blog at:
http://democrats.com/milbank

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This reminds me of a battle I had with Salon Magazine where one of their reporters, Jennifer Liberto, decided that I was the publisher of Media Whores Online and Bartcop was the writer. Salon refused to fix the story.

Posted by marc at June 20, 2005 07:24 AM
Comments

Hi Marc. I replied to Gettler, thanking him for at least setting part of it right. I went a bit further. Since when do working journalists write opinion columns about the very thing they're reporting? I could see it if he was given a column about, say, the local restaurant scene or whatever, but blurring his coverage of politics by giving him a column seems to me to be a recipe for just this kind of thing happening.

He has a right to his opinion, but he's delivering his opinions disguised as facts. Or anyway, likely to be read as fact, not opinion.

Take care, Pete

Posted by: Pete Hisey at June 21, 2005 11:10 AM
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