Company Uses Website To Go After Investigative Journalist
from the the-power-of-the-press dept
It’s been noted plenty of times how the rise of the internet has really given the power of the press to anyone who wants it. Usually, they’re talking about individuals who suddenly have a much louder microphone to make their case and tell their story. In some cases, things like blogs have allowed execs to respond to critics and engage people in a conversation. However, with some companies, apparently it goes beyond just responding to critics to what appears to be harassing them. Pointed out by E-Media Tidbits is a story where an investment company in South Africa didn’t just respond to an article by an investigative journalist, but put up an entire website attacking the guy at a very personal level. In fact, they even registered the guy’s name as the domain name for the site. Who knows who’s right about the story in question. However, even if the company is completely right about the problems with the journalist’s story, it appears their response is much more about attacking the journalist personally (specifically his age and training as a professional journalist) than any of the questions and issues he raised in the article. If anything, that makes the company look much worse — but among the wonders of the “power of the internet press” is the ability to make mistakes much more publicly.
Comments on “Company Uses Website To Go After Investigative Journalist”
Any press is good press?...
Probably not in this case. I’m sure that all the publicity on this will come back to bite Elan Suisse in the rear end. Whether the journalist was misleading or not in his story, creating a personal attack on someone just makes the attacker look 100% guilty of the items in the story. Not a smart move on their part.
I don't understand this.
This news makes techdirt? What happens when a whole bunch of people register the name of a person as a domain name to attack them personally? e.g. MalcolmGlazer.com and UweBoll.com. Do those stories make techdirt? Come on, a little perspective here…
Re: I don't understand this.
Such standards we’re held to! For the record… we post what we find interesting. We don’t post on every story concerning any topic. Didn’t realize we were required to.
Anyway, what’s interesting here isn’t the registering of someone’s name as a domain — but that it was a company intimidating a journalist online. That’s not what’s happening in the other situations.
However, if it’s such a big concern to you, you can write about them all on your site.
Re: I don't understand this.
BIG Guy little guy, Big corporation average joe… in today’s America, I’m afraid that the little guy is usually percieved as right, and the big guy is wrong. Unfortunately in today’s America I find that this is usually true (if there is a right or wrong). Because the big guy has mucho money, they, (actually their lawyers) project that they are a bully trying to push around the little guy. In cases like you mention I usually see that big guy crying about how his name is a tradmark and the little guy’s site must be taken down. Bull in my opinion, but the courts often don’t see it that way. Now with this case, will the little guy go after the big guy? Probably not. Why should he bring even more attention to this thing? That’s what this story is about. How the big guys are usually very dumb for even starting something that is going to draw more attention to the subject. Hey, this is what freedom is about. You know, the thing those big guys claim to be supporters of but turn around and prove otherwise. I don’t knock their right to set up this web site. They thought of it first, got the domain registered first, they have every right to put up the site as far as I’m concerned. The problem is, they should have simply used the site to answer the things they considered inaccurate. But instead, they did the usual whine and cry and try to kick mud in the little guy’s face.
Excellent!
dorpus.com is still available!
Re: Elan Suisse
For updates, check out http://www.elansuisse.co.za, http://www.bobchrist.net and http://www.moneyweb.co.za/shares/sangoma/497423.htm
brett cormick
I speak for a group of people in Zimbabwe that Brett Cormick has relieved of a lot of money and then disappeared. He is very charasmatic and we warn people not to engage in any financial venture with him. Elan Suisse is one of his vehicles through which other peoples funds disappear.