Daily Kos Libels Drudge on Child Pr0n Charges

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Ha Ha Ha - it's "satire" right? Get it? You know, if'spart of the big hip tradition where the day after April Fool's day, everyone gets a free pass for posting criminally libelous statements about other people online?

{UPDATE: SCREENCAP ADDED}

Here's the intial article before it was "updated" to clarify that it was "satire." As someone who has been paid to write comedy, satire, and irony most of my life, the "cues" just ain't there for me. It sounds like, well, a straight news story. You be the judge.

Matt Drudge caught with child pornography
by chumley
Mon Apr 02, 2007 at 02:41:05 PM PDT
MATT DRUDGE CAUGHT WITH CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
**Exclusive**
Officials say that internet gossip site owner Matt Drudge has been caught with a huge collection of child pornography. Sources say called Drudge's collection "gigantic" and full of "revolting, absolutely illegal porn" involving minors. "I can't believe the foul stuff this man had stashed in a locked room in his basement," said one official.

• chumley's diary :: ::

Drudge has been a convtroversial online presence for over a decade, and remains the source for many mainstream reporters today. Not long ago, ABC political reporter Mark Halperin and Washington Post reporter John Harris (the latter now of Politico.com) wrote a book together where they admitted that, quote, "Matt Drudge rules our world."

One of the main complaints made about Drudge is that he passes on unsourced, unverified gossip as "news" which he claims is "developing."
His "stories" are, in turn, picked up by mainstream media outlets like ABC and the Washington Post -- and the story gains credibility, despite having no basis in facts. Drudge has prominently featured many stories over the years that were later proven to be 100% false, but which were speculated on at length in the media before exposed as fraudulent. The damage was, in fact, already done.
Some have said that Matt Drudge himself makes up these stories, hiding behind his lack of accountability -- as well the support of mainstream cheerleaders like Halperin and Harris.

It's uncertain just what Drudge's fate will be now, after apparently being discovered with what reports have called "an immense amount of illegal, immoral, and downright disgusting material." One local official said: "We've suspected Drudge for years, but finally got the clue we needed. This guy is sick, and dangerous. He should be locked up right away."

Developing...^*

[NEXT DAY UPDATE: ^*In my original copy/paste of Chumley's big "scoop," I initially missed (and have subsequently have re-added) Chumley's last word, "Developing..." at the bottom of the story. This apparently was his attempt to label the story as "satire" since he makes reference to Drudge using that word in his stories. I did catch it the second time, below, that I copy/pasted the story after his "update" For the record, here is a google cache pulled from my referral logs of how the story appeared on Kos's front page:
Cache of crumley/drudge search As you can tell by comparing it to this first google cache of the story, the story's summary remained, unlabeled as "satire" but rather as a news "exclusive," for at least an hour.

Just that in itself is enough for a lawsuit juicy enough that soon The Daily Kos might as well be called, "The Daily Drudge" since all of their labors will go to paying off the settlement with Matt Drudge. For a judgment of libel, the story needsz to be untrue, and it needs to be malicious, and this one qualifies for both quite nicely, thank you. END NEXT DAY UPDATE}

And here's the currently running "updated" version now with clarification that it is "satire."

[UPDATED] Matt Drudge caught with child pornography
by chumley

Mon Apr 02, 2007 at 02:41:05 PM PDT

MATT DRUDGE CAUGHT WITH CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

**Exclusive**

Officials say that internet gossip site owner Matt Drudge has been caught with a huge collection of child pornography. Sources say called Drudge's collection "gigantic" and full of "revolting, absolutely illegal porn" involving minors. "I can't believe the foul stuff this man had stashed in a locked room in his basement," said one official.

chumley's diary :: ::
Drudge has been a convtroversial online presence for over a decade, and remains the source for many mainstream reporters today. Not long ago, ABC political reporter Mark Halperin and Washington Post reporter John Harris (the latter now of Politico.com) wrote a book together where they admitted that, quote, "Matt Drudge rules our world."

One of the main complaints made about Drudge is that he passes on unsourced, unverified gossip as "news" which he claims is "developing."

His "stories" are, in turn, picked up by mainstream media outlets like ABC and the Washington Post -- and the story gains credibility, despite having no basis in facts. Drudge has prominently featured many stories over the years that were later proven to be 100% false, but which were speculated on at length in the media before exposed as fraudulent. The damage was, in fact, already done.

Some have said that Matt Drudge himself makes up these stories, hiding behind his lack of accountability -- as well the support of mainstream cheerleaders like Halperin and Harris.

It's uncertain just what Drudge's fate will be now, after apparently being discovered with what reports have called "an immense amount of illegal, immoral, and downright disgusting material." One local official said: "We've suspected Drudge for years, but finally got the clue we needed. This guy is sick, and dangerous. He should be locked up right away."

Developing...

UPDATE: Thanks for the recommends and great comments, fellow Kossacks.

For those who didn't like this diary -- I understand. Humor, satire, and taste are very subjective. As is (ahem) "lameness." Troll-rating the tip jar seems a bit much to me, but...I guess "troll" is subjective, too. Live by the sword, die by the sword.

But in case it isn't crystal clear:

I do not support child pornography. I have two children, and I think it's as horrifying as the most horrified of you here, I assure you.
The purpose of this satire was to show that anyone can be accused of anything -- even something horrifying -- using the Drudge technique. No facts needed.
99.5% of you understood that, so forgive me.

As for those of you who said you hate snark: you have no soul.

Good night and peace to you all, Kosland.

Ah, it's snark. Always wondered what that was. The wiktionary defines snark as "a snide remark." I'll say.

The "comments" section is just as disgusting, libelous, and actionable as the original satirical "scoop."

This lawsuit is going to be fun to follow. The discovery part of Drudge's suit against them should be like turning over a big heavy, mossy rock in the forest....

The left LOVES to go for the ad hominem attack, since the foundational premises of their favorite arguments can be so easily disproven by your average trucker with a cel phone and common sense.

Reminds me of the similar ad hom craziness of that woman (I will not link) who was implying the same thing about Protein Wisdom's Jeff Goldstein last summer.