BLOGGERS' CREDIBILITY PLUMMENTS FROM LOW TO ZERO


I recently accused Antony Loewenstein and sidekick Andre of censoring comments. The text of a missing comment was offered as proof. Andre reckons the comment never existed:

Having just searched through all the comments posted since May 1, I am here to tell you that not an single post from Daniel Lewis appears anywhere in the archives. If the post was awaiting moderation, it would me flagged as such. According to the records, the post was never made and given that it was hardly offensive, there is no reason why it would have been blocked to begin with.

J.F. Beck’s case is rather weak considering that neither he nor yourself appear to understand the difference between a screen grab (ie. proof) and hearsay (which is what he has provided on his blog).

So what say I Benz? Perhaps both you and Mr Beck need to get a life.

Poor Andre isn't alert enough to realize when he's being set up. The screen grab of the missing Daniel Lewis comment (available online here) is below (following a comment from Andre):























Perhaps Andre and Loewenstein should have a confab to decide who's going to fall on his sword for the comment tampering. Regardless, the doofus duo's already low credibility is now zero.

Update: Andre admits the comment was posted but can find no evidence it ever existed:

While I certainly acknowledge that the evidence proves Daniel Lewis posted to the that thread, I can only go by the information available to me. Lewis and Beck called me a liar, but nothing I have said is untrue. I searched for any posts I could find from Daniel Lewis as far back and February last year, and I found nothing.

The comment didn't spontaneously destruct, it was removed by someone with admin privileges. Such goings on at the blog of an internationally known author and journalist -- who has harped on and on about efforts to censor him -- are unacceptable and surely undermine the credibility of his forthcoming book, a critical examination of the media.

The organizers of the Byron Bay Writers Festival must now reconsider their invitation to Loewenstein to join a journalists' discussion of media ethics. Unless, that is, Loewenstein's comment tampering is to be paraded as an example of unethical journalism.

If Loewenstein is to salvage any credibility from this sad episode he needs to explain exactly what happened to the missing comment. Don't hold your breath.

Editing note: The typo in the title (plumments) is, of course, meant to mock the doofus duo's ongoing mangling of English. Oh by the way, I have this bridge I'd like to sell you...