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Franklin Center Joins Lee Stranahan, Popehat, Aaron Walker, Mandy Nagy And Others To Discuss Protection Of The Free Press

By (@TabithaHale)
Tuesday, June 26th, 2012

June 26, 2012

For Immediate Release

Franklin Center Joins Lee Stranahan, Popehat, Aaron Walker, Mandy Nagy And Others To Discuss Protection Of The Free Press   

Tonight at 9:30pm EDT, The Franklin Center joins Lee Stranahan, Mandy Nagy, and last night’s SWATting victim Aaron Walker on a webinar to discuss recent attacks on bloggers and the suppression of free speech.

Convicted domestic terrorist Brett Kimberlin and his associates have repeatedly terrorized bloggers and others who highlight his story with over 100 frivolous lawsuits and 4 SWATting attacks. SWATting is a dangerous tactic that involves calling a police department to report a false crime to get a SWAT team dispatched to the victim’s house. The attacks have included bloggers Patterico, Erick Erickson, and as recently as last night, Aaron Walker.

Yesterday, Rep. Sandy Adams of Florida and 87 cosigners sent another letter to AG Eric Holder urging investigation of costly SWATting tactics. In her statement, Adams said “SWAT-ting is quickly becoming a scare tactic used against political bloggers in an effort to stifle their First Amendment rights.”

Tabitha Hale, New Media Director at the Franklin Center for Government and Public Intergrity, says “These tactics are just appalling. A free press is essential to a free society, and attempts to silence those who are telling the truth are entirely unacceptable. We are glad to have a small part in the fight to protect the First Amendment by supporting victims of these attacks. We will always err on the side of free speech.”

Information on tonight’s webinar is below. Learn what is at stake and learn how to protect yourself and your act of journalism.

Title: Fighting for a Free Press

Date: Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Time: 9:30pm to 10:30pm EDT

Reserve your space at the following link: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/630051426

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

 

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Holding Political Terrorist Brett Kimberlin Accountable

By (@TabithaHale)
Friday, May 25th, 2012

Brett Kimberlin of Speedway Bomber infamy has been a hot topic on Twitter and across the blogosphere today. Those who have followed the story are horrified by the tactics Kimberlin has used to retaliate against those who have written about him – everyone from conservative bloggers up to sitting Senators.

But who is Brett Kimberlin?

From The Blaze:

  • Drug dealer, alleged child molester, and convicted perjurer, forger and Indiana Speedway Bomber (who is also believed to have played a role in the assassination of a grandmother), Brett Kimberlin, spent 17 years in prison before his ultimate re-absorption into American society
  • He started a non-profit dubbed “Justice Through Music (JTM)” that has, since at least 2005, been funded by George Soros’ Tides Foundation and Barbara Streisand among other leftists
  • Along with his associate, Kimberlin also started an organization called “Velvet Revolution” that supports the Occupy movement
  • JTM’s goal is to use music to foster “social justice” and fight Republican “voter fraud” (like the kind George Bush allegedly used to “steal” the Florida election)
  • Any blogger — conservative and liberal alike — who has written the truth about Kimberlin has come under vicious attack by either Kimberlin or his minions, suffering death threats (veiled and unveiled), multiple lawsuits, loss of jobs and worse
  • He has filed over 100 frivolous lawsuits against anything that isn’t nailed down and somehow is being allowed to continue unchecked
  • This story has never been reported on in the mainstream media

He’s also the past hero of this 1991 NY Times piece, where they make him a martyr, while somehow failing to mention the Speedway bombing that landed him in prison in the first place. Minor details!

He’s gone on the attack against any blogger who has dared to mention his name, and not just in the internet troll sense that is standard online political banter. Read Patrick Frey of Patterico’s account of Brett Kimberlin’s destruction. Patterico is not alone: Aaron Worthing, Stacy McCain, and Liberty Chick have all been subject to attacks from Kimberlin. McCain was even forced out of his home this week for safety reasons.

For more info, Michelle Malkin has a great round up of those supporting free speech and joining in to tell the truth about Kimberlin.

So, news is news, right? Obviously the media would be on top of this story… right? The truth is that not one major media source has told the story of Brett Kimberlin. In the event that they needed a hook, United Liberty reports that the State Dept. is working with Kimberlin’s c (3) (funded by rich liberal donors, including George Soros).  Run with that, legacy media!

Free speech is why America is free. Those who expose truth need to be protected. Patrick Frey was right: This could have been any of us. It’s our job to fight for free speech and a free press. If the legacy media refuses to tell the truth, we’re obligated to do so.

 

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21st Century Printing Press: The Internet and Journalism

By (@TabithaHale)
Monday, March 19th, 2012

The Internet has revolutionized the way we do nearly everything.

In the early 2000′s, with Napster and the evolution of the CD-R, the music industry started to feel the pain of distribution being pulled from their hands. Sites like MySpace empowered musicians to promote and sell their own music. iTunes brought back the single, changing the way large record labels produced albums. In short, the industry changed dramatically in a very short period of time. Things could no longer be done the way that they had always been done.

Much in the same way, traditional media has felt the pinch of the Internet revolution. Major newspapers have felt the pinch of print subscriptions dropping and advertisers splitting their budget with online ads, and many have not been able to keep the presses rolling. The ones that have managed to stay alive had had to slash budgets, which has left us with a media that cannot do the job it once did.

For example, let’s look at the drop in the number of statehouse reporters:

The truth is that the last few years have been really exciting in Washington… or terrifying, whichever way you want to look at it. The result has been that the focus is on what’s happening in DC, and the story of what is happening at a state level has fallen off the radar of the average American.

In short, the Internet has seriously injured the print journalism industy.

(more…)

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