A few weeks ago, Dan Rather was humbled by the Internet's role in exposing dubious documents about President Bush's military record. But the Internet isn't an elephant or donkey: It's a porcupine. Now, it has made a Bush administration defender look silly for fiddling with the facts.
Paul Bremer, former U.S. Coalitional Provisional Authority administrator in Iraq, is the latest to run afoul of what pioneering blogger Ken Layne famously called the Internet's ability to "fact-check your ass."
Bremer raised a stink last week by saying there were too few troops in Iraq when he arrived in 2003. The Bush administration had a cow. Bremer hastily claimed that the media had misconstrued his remarks. The Washington Post quoted an anonymous Bush administration statement that Bremer had not asked for more troops.
A nonreporter, Greg Gillam, did his own research, summarized on Jim Romenesko's media site at www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=45. Gillam found articles quoting Bremer's call for more troops, such as at www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/6214287.htm?1c.
Gillam said he found these in a three-second Google search, which the Post reporters apparently didn't bother to do with their anonymous source.
Before the Internet, people such as Gillam could be ignored. Now, Rather, Bush, Bremer, the Post -- everyone really -- must understand that if we don't Google, the public will.
Caution: Be certain when you fact-check that the articles you cite are on the news source's site or some other reputable location. If you are not careful, you will catch Pierre Salinger Syndrome.
Salinger is a once-respected reporter discredited by an Internet hoax much worse than the one that took in Dan Rather. Salinger hyped forged documents claiming that Navy gunners shot down TWA Flight 800 in 1996.
Vote for the president on the Web, courtesy of Rancho Bernardo's Musicmatch, maker of digital jukebox software.
If you support President Bush, select the playlist of musicians who support the Republican incumbent, headed by Britney Spears. If you support John Kerry, choose the playlist with those endorsing the Democratic nominee, headed by Pearl Jam.
My advice to Musicmatch: Replace these weak, over-obvious choices with Ted Nugent and the Dropkick Murphys.
To cast your musical ballot, go to www.musicmatch.com/vote.
Contact staff writer Bradley J. Fikes at (760) 739-6641 or bfikes@nctimes.com.
