Goodbye to the Age of Newspapers (Hello to a New Era of Corruption): If you read last week’s “Town Dandy” or the most recent Sims-Heraldo sparring match, then do yourself a favor and read this long, sad, frightening essay by Paul Starr from this week’s New Republic. Same nut graf, but this is a far more thorough case (and made far more eloquently, too). Get ready,
This article appears in Radioland.
It seems that you can’t have it both ways, Hank. You and other various journalists have had a great deal of fun with Heraldo (or is it the Heraldo’S?) when they weren’t stepping on your toes.
I have noticed many gleeful posts in Heraldoville in the past two years from assorted journalists, yet NOW you are upset?
You did a fine job of outing Buhne, and it is pretty apparent that you know who at least one of the Heraldos are, yet you seem hestitant to out this particular blogger.
Don’t you think he or she would be a bit less vicious, and more apt to check sources and facts before posting if there was a real instead of a pseudonymous blogname?
And if in fact it turns out that the Heraldo’s are posting from the offices of say, Baykeeper or Epic, then you have a story of Salzmanesque proportions – someone purporting to be blogging as a solitary unpaid soul trying to expose corruption wherever he or she finds it, namely anytime the names Rob Arkley or Home Depot are found.
I didn’t out Buhne.
I still have fun with Heraldo, but I don’t know who she is. If I do find out — and if, as I suspect, she is someone who is already a political player — then you, dear reader, will be the first to know.
But I’m trying to get at something deeper: What does the post-newspaper world look like here in Humboldt County? I agree with your last point, but this is an even bigger story.
Hank didn’t out Buhne but is itching to out Heraldo. Make of that what you will.
I don’t understand why people are hung up on Heraldo. He’s just a person with a blog. Who cares if Heraldo works at EPIC or Baykeeper or Security National? If his/her/their identity is eventually discovered, it won’t be any more or less of a scandal than if he/she/they turn out to be just a retired person with a pension.
Capt. Buhne, Ryan Hurley, turned out to be an employee of the city of Eureka, the assistant to the city attorney. Hurley, a registered Republican, had it in for local Democratic politicians, whom he made the target of his satire. When his identity was discovered, was it a scandal that he was employed by the city? No.
Buhne was a civil servant with real and legitimate fear of reprisal — i.e., the loss of his job.
You, if I am not mistaken, are already a political person, working for no one or for a sympathetic organization. You already swim in these waters. The only consequence you need fear is someone calling you on your shit.
That’s my operating theory, anyway. Make of it what you will.
7:56 p.m.: It was a minor scandal. There was an investigation and Hurley nearly did lose his job.
He was a registered Democrat last time I checked, by the way.
Commenting at New West Notes doesn’t make one a registered Democrat. Check voter reg.
Speaking of the value of PROFESSIONAL journalists. Take the Humboldt Creamery story. Who’s going to report this story as it develops? The blogs? No. They will follow the work of the PROFESSIONALS. The blogs have their value. They can break stories and make sure the local media aren’t sitting on stories. But they will never replace PROFESSIONAL journalists.
Yes, that’s what I meant when I said "last time I checked he was a registered Democrat." Not that I pulled something out of my hat, but that I checked voter registration.
He was a Democrat when he was Buhne. Check voter reg.
And thanks for your vote of confidence, but the question is how professional journalists will be paid. I’m absolutely and sincerely convinced that the Journal will be the last man standing, but the Journal isn’t enough.
(There’s be some form of T-S too, but not the T-S we know. Maybe, before too long, a three-day-a-week kind of thing with a third the staff. If I had to guess.)
The reason it’s so important to know who is running the Humboldt Herald rests pretty much on the fact that it could be someone who is anonymously trying to manipulate public opinion for a particular special interest purpose.
Not that it’s inherently wrong. Anonymous speech is protected by the Constitution. But the Herald wields a tremendous amount of power. I’m guessing the site gets at least 5,000 hits a day, mostly locals or those interested in Humboldt affairs. And if a special interest group like EPIC, for example, is behind the blog, people have a right to know. Such influence, like all sources of authority, demand accountability.
I mean, The Herald accurately predicted the summer pot raids WEEKS before they happened. I’d like to know who this/these person/people is/are (cough).
Bull Moose is friends with Heraldo and runs with the circle, I have seen her at the recent party for Mark Lovelace. Spastic and elastic plastic party!
I meant "you" as in a collective you – you journalists, or even better, you people (he he) did a fine job of outing buhne.
Bull Moose’s shit regarding Ryan Hurley is precisely what is wrong with blogs (as is my gaffe by naming you as the outer of Buhne), namely he can throw something out as fact – Ryan is Republican with an axe to grind against democratic politicians, while the fact is he is a registered dem.
It certainly has not hurt Rose to have her name associated with her blog, aside from snarky insults from anonymous bloggers; what exactly does Heraldo have to fear?
I think it is as Ozzy and Hank suggest, that Heraldo is somehow affilitated with a group, someone already a player – someone, who if it were known exactly who they were, would lose crediblity they have as a pseudonymous blogger posing as a lone voice, when it is found out the agenda behind the blog.
I agree, well at 3:56.
"heraldo" is afraid that he/she/it/they will lose credibility.
Afraid being the key word – “Buk-buk-bukak!! Buk-buk-bukak!!”
Fred, Richard Marks, Greg and Carol, Ernie, Jennifer Savage, Kym Kemp – all use their names, no ill effects. Carson Park Ranger uses a pseudonym, no ill effects to being known.
"heraldo" has only the one thing to fear. And that tells you all you need to know.
Uhm, it’s pretty obvious Heraldo has an agenda. He/she/they is/are liberal, pro-environment, and distrustful of corporations. It would surprise me if Heraldo isn’t a member of EPIC or Baykeeper or some such other group. Most Heraldo readers probably assume this. It has no bearing on whether Heraldo has or doesn’t have credibility. Obviously Heraldo wants to influence public opinion. That’s why she/he/they started a blog.
I’m sure Heraldo wishes he/she/they had the power that Ozzie and Well attribute to him/her/them. If you have a problem with Heraldo, don’t read the Humboldt Herald. Start your own blog, or limit yourself to the ones that you like. It’s pretty simple, really.
this "debate" is so bizarre…don’t you realize that anonymity in a small town has its benefits? Maybe Heraldo is a close personal friend of an elected official (Mark Wheetley?) or works with some local biz bigwig (Dennis Hunter?) or at a public agency (Humboldt State?) and therefore would be less free to say certain things if certain people knew his/her identity.
Last I checked, people don’t flip out of newspapers run stories without bylines–anonymous stories that just say "A.P." or even today’s article "Learn all about Medicare in free workshops" by The Times-Standard–so what?
Don’t newspapers/radio/tv companies sometimes have agendas or at least advertisers who object to certain things? News media are not just a public service, but an essential part of democracy. But times they are a changing, and maybe the internet has the power to make new rules, such as anonymity.
the news article was interesting though, thanks.
That those defending Heraldo’s anonymous status would likely go ape shit if Rob Arkley was found to be running a psuedonymous blog, particularly if mostly he were doing was posting nasty rumours and vicious attacks on EPIC, Baykeeper and other various members of the progressive community?
It is all about context. Obviously Arkley has a political agenda, and in light of his identity becoming known, the content of his blog could be more appropriately judged.
Heraldo allows all kinds of nasty crap on his or her blog that would most likely not be allowed if he or she were known – to wit – wtf was the deal with allowing the bizarre attack on Judy Pollace with regards to her bankruptcy, even giving it its own thread?
Allowing the other party in a legal dispute to post the dirty laundry (which may or may not be true) on Heraldo’s blog was reprehensible.
The only reason it was allowed was because Pollace work(ed) for one of Heraldo’s main enemies, the devil incarnate himself, Rob Arkley.
Would that kind of shit be allowed if Heraldo’s identity were known? I doubt it, as it forces Heraldo to be a bit more, uh, responsible in what is posted.
I don’t see anyone defending "Heraldo’s anonymous status."
What’s been said is it’s not hard to understand Heraldo’s decision to remain anonymous, given that certain members of the community with vast personal wealth have a track record of viscious retalation against anybody who disagrees with them publicly.
What I disagree with is the notion that if Heraldo turns out to be a member of Baykeeper, EPIC or NEC it will be a scandal if his/her/their identity is ever exposed. Again, most people probably assume there is a connection to one of these groups.
Take a look in the mirror.
“What’s been said is it’s not hard to understand Heraldo’s decision to remain anonymous, given that certain members of the community with vast personal wealth have a track record of viscious retalation against anybody who disagrees with them publicly”
There you go again with the uberbadguy.
Tell me, what exactly HAS happened to those in RA’s crosshairs? Who exactly has he “destroyed”?
The only thing that I can think of is that he gave Larry Glass some good publicity. Haven’t seen him destroyed yet.
Course that still doesnt excuse the ad hominem attacks on all those close to big bad boogeyman RA. Haven’t seen you address that, Bull.
Would it really matter if Heraldo is a member of EPIC, Baykeeper, Friends of Trees, etc.? Plenty of people are. Numerous people also support sustainable development, holding businesses and individuals accountable to applicable laws, etc. Perhaps – key word, "perhaps" – he or she, like most anonymous bloggers, would tone down the sarcasm if posting under his or her name, but really, why would it seem so scandalous?
What would be shocking is if Heraldo works for Arkley and is using the blog as a vendetta. Or if Heraldo is an elected official. Or if Heraldo doesn’t even live in Humboldt County! Those things might make for a shock, but finding out he or she is aligned with the groups whose politics the blog promotes, not such a big deal.
So what does it matter, then, Jennifer – if everyone is still going to love him/her/it/they?
So what if he/she/it/they IS a friend of Mark Wheetley’s? Does Bull Moose think Mark doesn’t have friends like that? Of course he does. We all do. Friends who agree and friends who disagree.
And no matter where he/she/it/they work, this is still a free country and "heraldo" could still post.
Would be funny, though, Jennifer – Maybe it would be shocking if "heraldo" is Bonnie Neely – not much else would be shocking.
REGARDLESS – Nothing bad has happened to any blogger who uses their name.
Double mega-dittos, Jennifer. Once again the well-stated voice of reason.
Well, one reason Heraldo needs to remain anon at this point, is her blog has turned into more of a character assassination place than an open debate forum for progressive ideas. Those attacks if tied to an organization could do serious damage to its bank account with someone that lawyered up. Slander is Slander.
You get shit like Bull Moose accusing posters like me of being anti-Semitic, based on what url I like to which I would slap a libel on you so fast, if we didnt run in the same circles.
So at this point its mute, as there would be some chapped bank accounts if H comes out of the closet.
Neither the Humboldt Herald nor any comment posted at the Humboldt Herald has ever slandered anybody. That’s a fact.
heraldo has every right to remain anonymous. We have every right to out it if we find out who it is.
Crafty troll bait!
Let me give you a clue, CJ. Slander may be slander but slander isn’t libel.
For example, if I were to write that the blogger who calls himself Copernicus Jones is a known anti-semite who worships Adolph Hitler and tortures baby kittens between Neo-Fascist League meetings, and post it on a blog, that would not be slander.
You know Bull Moose it is exactly the wrong thing to do; to make light of anit-semitism, it is real, it is ugly and when you flip it around so loosely you make light of a very serious matter. I am going to bring this up to you personally because your going down a very disingenuous place.
You may need to take some sensitivity training, and being called an anti-semite is slanderous name calling.
It certainly has not hurt Rose to have her name associated with her blog, aside from snarky insults from anonymous bloggers; what exactly does Heraldo have to fear?
If Rose was a significant political figure, she would still be anonymous. Remaining anonymous is what makes blogs interesting – no consequence for your words. If there was always full transparency, the voices that matter would cease to reveal their secrets.
I’m not anonymous at all. Gallegos has met me, knows who I am.
Hank knows who I am, as do many who post here and on other blogs.
Disagreement – even vehement disagreement – is not a reason to hide. It would not be right or fair for me to post anonymously against Gallegos.
The same applies to "heraldo" who is now apparently using the handle "humboldtherald."
It doesn’t matter if they know who you are Rose. You don’t have anything to lose. Any potential consequences to your livelihood because of your blogging are nil.
If Rose works as a self employed person and people know who she is, “potential consequences to” her livelihood are consideribly more than “nil”.
Climb out from under your rock, Heraldo.
Even moreso, you guys blindly defending Heraldo would be screaming from the rooftops if this was some anon arkley supporter slinging bullshit accusations against progressive folks in the area.
Bull(shit)Moose, anyone?
Heraldo should be outed simply for this reason – he or she has absoutely NO problem outing those he or she disagrees with.
Heraldo has done this numerous times, exposing the ip address of posters from Wells Fargo, Palco and others. This leaves no doubt that if Heraldo were actually able to post the posters’ identities, as well as where they were posting from he or she would do so as well.
I had noticed that as well, that Heraldo has had no problem gleefully outing ip addresses, noting where posters she disagrees with work.
Awfullyu quiet on that, defenders of Heraldo’s sacred quest to sling shit with untrue and unproven accusations.
I subscribe to an emailed "Word of the Day" (for vocabulary building). It also includes "A Thought" everyday (a quote).
I’m not sure that I agree with today’s thought, but it seems to apply to the discussion:
"Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth." – Oscar Wilde, writer (1854-1900)
Signed, Oscar Wilde. Therefore we can assume it’s bullshit.
"As above, so below"
-the beast, 666