Comments on: Tempting Bate(s)

By: Joel Burkhart

Joel Burkhart — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 16:59:49 +0000

Every reporters dream is to uncover a hot story of wrongdoing by some big evil corporate entity and in Bate’s case that Evil Empire is the Tulsa World. They’ve already hammered him once for using their copy written material and linking to there website. It’s obvious from his other blogs on the subject that he bares them more than a little malice and he’s out to expose them for the frauds he believes them to be..
However, like a lot of internet bloggers, he’s let his political convictions over come some simple journalism practices that apply in the print world. First, if you have a hot story with damaging information, in this case that the World was cooking the books on it’s circulation numbers to up it’s advertising rates, you always find a second independent source to confirm your facts or suspicions. That’s Journalism 101. Next you call the company or person you are about to expose for the frauds you believe them to be and ask if they care to comment on what you are about to publish about them. That’s Journalism 201
When they don’t return your call, you sit back and watch them sweat, knowing that you, the white knight, are protected by the best defense for libeling or defaming someone, called the truth.
Unfortunately, Bate’s did not follow Journalism 101 or 201 and judging by the retraction printed by his own Urban Tulsa’s editor there’s no truth in his defamatory accusations either.
If you print that Dr. X’s medical clinic’s credentials are ‘Probably 20% inflated” or “Bank Y’s assets are probably overstated by 20%” those are both suggestions of fraud on their part and both are actionable libels. If the World can show malice on his part (probably yes) reckless disregard of the truth (possibly) and loss of income from the libel (probably no) they have every right to drop the hammer on him and since there is no love lost between them, they probably will.

By: Redneck Diva

Redneck Diva — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:38:18 +0000

Count me in to make the snickerdoodles!

I hate bullies.

By: RSU Prof

RSU Prof — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:43:07 +0000

“Slate’s” Jack Shafer has a column up analyzing the Tulsa World’s law suit. His conclusion is fitting:

“My unsolicited advice to Bates and Urban Tulsa: Call a press conference, pass out party hats, and say that you welcome the World’s suit! Tell the Tulsa press corps you’re dying to use the power of discovery to dig deeply into the World’s circulation numbers to determine precisely how accurate its audits have been over the last 20 years. Oh, and make sure to enlist one of the World’s big, regular advertisers as your ally. They’ll be very interested in getting a close-up of the paper’s circulation numbers.

I’ll bet the World would fold like a supermarket insert.”

The link is http://www.slate.com/id/2208981/

By: Jeff Shaw

Jeff Shaw — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:39:19 +0000

Great Post. I’ll make the cookies in between, and design “Free Michael Bates” T-shirts to sale.

By: Dan Paden

Dan Paden — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 01:49:24 +0000

My personal opinion is that this suit was filed out of spite, or in an attempt to intimidate not just Michael Bates, but a whole group of people. Just my opinion, of course.

After reading the statements in question, it seems astonishing that anyone could possibly think that a lawsuit over them would be winnable.

If I’m correct, it is certainly very low-class behavior.