Arianna Huffington’s online newspaper, the Huffington Post, yesterday terminated former my access to the site after I wrote an investigative article about an anonymous heckler who had been stalking my Huffington blog. The heckler turned out to be Huffington Post’s own technology manager. You are reading my new, private blog.
In the article which caused HuffPo to suspend me I wrote, “In order for the Huffington Post to maintain its credibility, the site needs to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest or rigged rankings.”
The Huffington Post shut down access to this blog post; later in the day allowed the post to be viewed again, and then terminated my access to the site. The full article can be viewed here: http://peterrost.blogspot.com/2006/06/troll-inside-huffington-post.html
The Huffington Post wrote in a letter to me, “You have not been "fired" but rather asked to refrain from posting as our editorial staff felt that your recent blogs were not in line with the mission of our site.” HuffPo added, “this was not an Arianna call. Ultimately, the decision was an editorial one - not one person to be held responsible -- really.”
I was terminated without any investigation of the statements in my blog post, all of which were referenced using independent sources. I presented facts and made no allegations. Arianna Huffington’s newspaper decided to shut down the whistleblower and proved that her online magazine is no more ethical than the people and organizations she criticizes on a daily basis.
This is a sad day for online journalism.
19 comments:
Dr. Rost--
Your postings on Huffington post were at first very interesting and informative and on topic. As a writer in the healthcare field, I enjoyed them very much.
As time went on, however, they started to get a little weird veering off topic and often with a bit of a narcisstic bent. Why should you care if you have a heckler? BFD. It's part of putting yourself out there on the intenet. Be a big boy and stick to the high road.
Here's hoping you get back on healthcare and leave the personal stuff out of it. You had a good thing going there.
Sounds like the above commentor was yacomink hisself.
What a fuck.
Well I've gone to as many liberal sites as possible and told them the story about you and what has been happening with the trollz at HP, in the hopes those people might contact Arianna, since her email seems to be on permanent "Full".
Don't know what else to say except keep up the good fight. And one can only hope Yacomink walks in front of a very large truck moving at a high rate of speed.
You are right, her site appears to be acting just like those who she attacks.
So strange.
I was banned from posting as well. Welcome to the club.
Well, just post here, and I will be seeing you whenever you post. I tried posting comment on the Hufpo website all day, and not one of my comments appears. Oh, well. Not the first time. There are lots and lots of blogsites, and not much new and interesting on Hufpo. I though that the objective should be to have some interesting exchange of ideas and opinions. Not so, apparently. They are too busy with other things. So is the Democrat Party. Looks like we are going to have a one party political system. Not much of a democracy.
I thought that the posts about the unusual readership of this blog were very topical for HuffPo, as they illustrate the kind of "enemies list surveillance" that seems to be coming back into vogue within the government. Seeing as we're being asked to believe that the NSA spying was solely about rooting out foriegn terrorists and would never be used domestically, and all that.
I hope someone does manage to bring this to Arianna's attention. Regardless of whether this was Yaco-mink's decision or not, he seems like a very inappropriate person to have as technology manager.
I thought that the posts about the unusual readership of this blog were very topical for HuffPo, as they illustrate the kind of "enemies list surveillance" that seems to be coming back into vogue within the government. Seeing as we're being asked to believe that the NSA spying was solely about rooting out foriegn terrorists and would never be used domestically, and all that.
I hope someone does manage to bring this to Arianna's attention. Regardless of whether this was Yaco-mink's decision or not, he seems like a very inappropriate person to have as technology manager.
Aack. Sorry, first my comment wouldn't post and then it posted twice. I don't see any way for me to delete it.
This is truly disgusting. What are worse are these people who don’t see the inherent wrong of somebody with technical control of a site, using that technology to in any way tamper with the editorial content of the site. Even if you take out all of the other factors involved. These posts and replies are supposed to be an open dialogue. That’s what is supposed to be the difference between a progressive site and some right wing – nut talking point machine or tired rehashed MSM outlet.
What is the point of reading the stupid blog, and the replies, if what you are reading is molded to the editorial opinion of someone who is not even an editor?
Good luck doc, I read you old stuff and found it to be quite interesting and relevant. I guess the truth set you free….from your job at bluffpost. Hope you can get somebody else to pick this story up..
I enjoy your posts. I post at huffpo and so far haven't had any comments erased. If what you say about this subversive tech guy is true, then heads should roll, figuratively...
Good luck on Blogger, Peter.
Cheers
Arianna just posted about her arrival in Cannes, so methinks that this will not get her attention for several days at best. And by then it will be old news and easily swept under the rug. :(
That's it for me and the HuffPost.
Well all of the posts I tried to post on Arianna's personal blog have never appeared.
BUT other's are posting my comments around the Huffpost and maybe, just maybe, if Arianna can drag herself away from the hobnobbing with the rich and famous long enough to take a look at her site and see how it is disintegrating she will stop this nonsense.
I've as well gone all over to various well known liberal sites and let them know, so maybe she'll pay attention.
If not she'll wake up and find out her site has been taken over by the Freepers and advertisers are bailing.
Dear Mr. Rost,
I was able to get in a post or two to your blog at Huffingtonpost.com (the one about the Rendon Group as I posted the Rolling Stone article link and the additional links about Bamford as well). Huffingtonpost.com has been banning me for making posts about Mearsheimer and Walt (and similar) like the following one:
Why aren't we discussing this Mearsheimer/Walt segment on the pro-Israel lobby which aired on C-SPAN's 'Washington Journal' this morning?:
http://www.itszone.co.uk/zone0/viewtopic.php?t=54755
The following includes the comments page at which I posted what was mentioned above:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-peter-rost/how-a-public-relations-fi_b_22912.html?p=2#comments
Here is a tiny URL for the above one:
http://tinyurl.com/g6jkk
http://nomorewarforisrael.blogspot.com
Huffingtonpost.com just banned me again within minutes for posting the following to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-love/the-freedom-to-blog-on-th_b_23712.html?p=2#comments as there is incredible censorship going on there:
The following was posted in the comments section of the various blog entries by Peter Rost via http://peterrost.blogspot.com
Dear Mr. Rost,
I was able to get in a post or two to your blog at Huffingtonpost.com (the one about the Rendon Group as I posted the Rolling Stone article link and the additional links about Bamford as well). Huffingtonpost.com has been banning me for making posts about Mearsheimer and Walt (and similar) like the following one:
Why aren't we discussing this Mearsheimer/Walt segment on the pro-Israel lobby which aired on C-SPAN's 'Washington Journal' this morning?:
http://www.itszone.co.uk/zone0/viewtopic.php?t=54755
6/24/2006
The following includes the comments page at which I posted what was mentioned above:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-peter-rost/how-a-public-relations-fi_b_22912.html?p=2#comments
Here is a tiny URL for the above one:
http://tinyurl.com/g6jkk
http://nomorewarforisrael.blogspot.com
By: HPcensoringtruthhere on June 24, 2006 at 03:01pm
Huffingtonpost.com just banned me again within minutes for posting the following to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-love/the-freedom-to-blog-on-th_b_23712.html?p=2#comments as there is incredible censorship going on there:
The following was posted in the comments section of the various blog entries by Peter Rost via http://peterrost.blogspot.com
Dear Mr. Rost,
I was able to get in a post or two to your blog at Huffingtonpost.com (the one about the Rendon Group as I posted the Rolling Stone article link and the additional links about Bamford as well). Huffingtonpost.com has been banning me for making posts about Mearsheimer and Walt (and similar) like the following one:
Why aren't we discussing this Mearsheimer/Walt segment on the pro-Israel lobby which aired on C-SPAN's 'Washington Journal' this morning?:
http://www.itszone.co.uk/zone0/viewtopic.php?t=54755
6/24/2006
The following includes the comments page at which I posted what was mentioned above:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-peter-rost/how-a-public-relations-fi_b_22912.html?p=2#comments
Here is a tiny URL for the above one:
http://tinyurl.com/g6jkk
http://nomorewarforisrael.blogspot.com
By: HPcensoringtruthhere on June 24, 2006 at 03:01pm
Just noticed that Huffingtonpost.com even removed the above post from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-love/the-freedom-to-blog-on-th_b_23712.html?p=2#comments after I was banned for making it just minutes ago.
Anonymous said...
They are censoring anything on Israel because, the Zionists know the jig is up thats obvious.
Israel and the Zionists can't hide or play the blame game now that they've ruined our country, via neocon intervention.
Those losers are all the same now, just like the trolls such as returnofdrevil2, Al Rogers, Nan Ellen of the Daily "KOS" propaganda press.
6/25/2006
Very much agree with the above.. My HPCensoringBigTime Username was just banned at Huffingtonpost.com for posting on pages 1 and 2 of the comments at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/06/24/excia-aide-reveals-new-d_n_23738.html about the Zionist war for Israel agenda and the Mearsheimer/Walt paper on the pro-Israel lobby segment which aired on C-SPAN's 'Washington Journal' program this past Friday..
Abraham Foxman (of the ADL) was hammered hard by the caller (a lady with the Brit accent calling from London) on C-SPAN's 'Washington Journal' this morning as she mentioned the USS Liberty attack/cover-up (http://www.ussliberty.org) and Paul Findley's 'There Dare to Speak Out' book and Jim Bamford's 'A Pretext for War' book as well (both the Mearsheimer/Walt and Abraham Foxman segments can be viewed online via the links at the following URL):
http://www.c-span.org/videoarchives.asp?CatCodePairs=Series,WJE&ArchiveDays=30
Here is the tiny URL for the above one:
http://tinyurl.com/dl5na
Additional at following URLs about how MSNBC's Keith Olbermann dissed the Mearsheimer/Walt paper:
MSNBC's Olbermann Disses Mearsheimer and Walt Critique:
http://kurtnimmo.com/?p=412
http://www.thornwalker.com/ditch/stopcollection.htm#james_morris
http://nomorewarforisrael.blogspot.com
I got banned again minutes after posting the following at Huffingtonpost.com via http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/06/25/dem-senator-now-it-tur_n_23773.html and other blog entries there (incredible censorship still going on as mentioned prior):
JINSA/PNAC Neocon Richard Perle: Why Did Bush Blink on Iran?:
http://www.warwithoutend.co.uk/zone0/viewtopic.php?t=54827
http://nomorewarforisrael.blogspot.com
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