Carpet Bloggers/Disaster Sycophants
Open Letter to Know More Media & Chartreuse
Through emails and blog comments, Chartreuse and representatives of Know More Media have purported to have nothing but the best intentions on documenting the exploits of “Team New Orleans” as they visit south Louisiana to discover the “Truth” about these so called FEMA concentration camps.
Having received copies of similar emails over the course of this past year, including other even more horrendous and outrageous emails, many of us in the New Orleans blogging community as well as the Mainstream Media of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast have investigated these ‘stories’ and discovered that most were without merit. Many were in fact, and not surprisingly, complete fabrications written only to garner publicity for their authors.
For KMM and Chartreuse to think that it is possible to whisk down here and suddenly discover the “Truth” about these odious stories is almost comical. In fact, it is actually egomaniacal to think that “Team New Orleans” will discover in four or five days what every major media organization in the world could not, what the local Pulitzer and Peabody winning media could not, as well as the very active local blogging community.
Couple with this the fact that KMM's paid “citizen journalist”, Chartreuse, generally blogs about Angelina Jolie and other such nonsense and his New Orleans blog is simply a re-publisher of AP stories which are surrounded by personal money making links only adds to the general unease that is felt about this mission to discover the “Truth”.
Furthermore, KMM’s website, which they are trying to set up as a locus for “Truth’s about New Orleans” is also a commercial site. It is filled with nothing but links to KMM's other money making websites. This only furthers our fears that KMM and Chartreuse are going to profit by piggy backing off of these sensationalized myths.
NOWHERE is there any effort to guide KMM's audience, who could possibly be moved to action after reading these shocking “Truths” that Chartreuse plans to uncover, into the right directions to help the people of this region.
Those of us who live in the Gulf South, from Lake Charles to nearly Mobile, have been touched and can still easily be brought to tears by the incredible generosity of the American people, which we feel down to our souls. However, in this exposed and mentally traumatized state, we feel equally pain and anger as we’ve been forced to endure the incredible misportrayals, derision, and venom which has been directed towards us, our character and our community.
Trust me on this, we are in no state of mind to put up with even the appearance of war profiteering or some no one who suddenly declares that they will be our savior in under a week. Especially when a little investigative journalism, which would probably only take sending out a couple of emails to a few local bloggers and inquiring as to what they thought or knew about these outlandish charges, could have easily dispelled KMM's and Chartreuse's alarm regarding these myths.
If KMM seeks to be an outlet for a group who apparently desires to become the disaster sycophants of the blogging world – then more power to them – but DO NOT expect the New Orleans blogging community's blessing.
_______________
Through emails and blog comments, Chartreuse and representatives of Know More Media have purported to have nothing but the best intentions on documenting the exploits of “Team New Orleans” as they visit south Louisiana to discover the “Truth” about these so called FEMA concentration camps.
Having received copies of similar emails over the course of this past year, including other even more horrendous and outrageous emails, many of us in the New Orleans blogging community as well as the Mainstream Media of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast have investigated these ‘stories’ and discovered that most were without merit. Many were in fact, and not surprisingly, complete fabrications written only to garner publicity for their authors.
For KMM and Chartreuse to think that it is possible to whisk down here and suddenly discover the “Truth” about these odious stories is almost comical. In fact, it is actually egomaniacal to think that “Team New Orleans” will discover in four or five days what every major media organization in the world could not, what the local Pulitzer and Peabody winning media could not, as well as the very active local blogging community.
Couple with this the fact that KMM's paid “citizen journalist”, Chartreuse, generally blogs about Angelina Jolie and other such nonsense and his New Orleans blog is simply a re-publisher of AP stories which are surrounded by personal money making links only adds to the general unease that is felt about this mission to discover the “Truth”.
Furthermore, KMM’s website, which they are trying to set up as a locus for “Truth’s about New Orleans” is also a commercial site. It is filled with nothing but links to KMM's other money making websites. This only furthers our fears that KMM and Chartreuse are going to profit by piggy backing off of these sensationalized myths.
NOWHERE is there any effort to guide KMM's audience, who could possibly be moved to action after reading these shocking “Truths” that Chartreuse plans to uncover, into the right directions to help the people of this region.
Those of us who live in the Gulf South, from Lake Charles to nearly Mobile, have been touched and can still easily be brought to tears by the incredible generosity of the American people, which we feel down to our souls. However, in this exposed and mentally traumatized state, we feel equally pain and anger as we’ve been forced to endure the incredible misportrayals, derision, and venom which has been directed towards us, our character and our community.
Trust me on this, we are in no state of mind to put up with even the appearance of war profiteering or some no one who suddenly declares that they will be our savior in under a week. Especially when a little investigative journalism, which would probably only take sending out a couple of emails to a few local bloggers and inquiring as to what they thought or knew about these outlandish charges, could have easily dispelled KMM's and Chartreuse's alarm regarding these myths.
If KMM seeks to be an outlet for a group who apparently desires to become the disaster sycophants of the blogging world – then more power to them – but DO NOT expect the New Orleans blogging community's blessing.
_______________
Tags:
posted by TAG at 3:50 PM
17 Comments:
We've exchanged several emails that I think have clarified the issues in your post here. Please give our blog another chance - it's a *non-profit* blog, we're only trying to help, we're sorry if we've offended anyone by seeming to be attempting more than that, and again, please just read the blog for a little while and hopefully it will help guide people to good resources like your blog here, with the ultimate goal of making some positive changes to the New Orleans area.
First of all Big-T, Loren is a fella (saw his bald ugly head shot), so I don't know about calling him "sweetie" in the comments to your previous post; although I will say that he's probably gay, especially since he hangs around some guy named Chartruese or Prince or whatever the hell is name is.
Hmmm . . . they kind of sound like a front for a crazy polygamist sect. Perhaps they're coming down to drum up a few more wives for the harem. Scare um!
While Team New Orleans may be "citizen journalists," it is their misfortune that we NOLABloggers have now become old hands at sorting out the BS when carpetbaggers appear. The investigative reporting they purport to do can be a very potnet force when aimed at them.
Go on kids, use your google....
Wow, you laid into me.
Congrats.
I don't mind the bashing. I even linked to some of it on my site.
What I do mind is the personal attacks and people making assumptions without knowing the facts.
That's one of the reasons I sent people down there.
Dig this dude.
When the police are making your family members strip in the middle of the street in broad daylight and no one (including bloggers) talk or care about it, you might just get pissed off enough to send people down to check it out.
When the police are stealing cameras from lawyer friends of yours and then claiming it didn't happen, you might get pissed off enough to send people down to check it out.
When you talk to people in the ACLU and other organizations and they tell you point blank that things are much worse for some people than anyone is talking about nationally, you might just give a fuck and send some people down to check it out.
Here's the deal.
I am priveleged to have a pretty popular and influential blog. I've been quoted in the New York Times, MSNBC, The Boston Globe, just to name a few. Now I can use the little influence I have to do something I feel is important. Or be safe and just write about the New Media/Music stuff people go to my site to read.
I decided to be brave.
I see you decided to be brave, too.
By bashing me without knowing the facts (or even asking me)
Like I said:
Congrats!
--Prince Campbell
P.S.- Bashing KMM is kinda lame, too.
I'm going to send you an email Prince that Angelina Jolie is really adopting Thai babies in order to use their tears as a form of botox.
You gonna go be brave on that too dude?
Come on man.
-Then they blew up the levees.
-They're now looting the Walmarts up in Baton Rouge.
-The evacuees are raping coeds at LSU.
If you really want to be brave, move on down and help us rebuild the city instead of dredging up sensationalist crap which only hinders our recovery.
Or is that just too average and honorable for you?
I'll be coming down, and not only do I not want or need your blessing, we will not even bother talking with any of you. Not one of you. You think bloggers are the only ones with stories? I want to talk to people who dont have an internet connection. Not some pseudo elitist blogger asshole. If you did one second of research into who chartreuse was and who his blog reaches perhaps you wouldn't have such a shitty attitude. See the people who read his blog can actually really help you. I live near the trade centers, you think New Yorkers were mad about others coming to try and help? Since I'm the one coming down let me tell you this, I don't need yours or anyone elses blessing. Your shitty infantile attitude has done nothing to help your cause. Nothing. Your nobility is a bunch of bullshit, and only hurts your cause. Oh and by the way, I'm losing money taking time away from my business to come and talk about "Your" city. You and your team need to rethink your whole strategy. You are failing your city you love so.
Loren your lack of class and understanding is plainly obvious and only clarifies why you, Chartreuse and 1938 Media are disaster sycophants coming down here to exploit our suffering for publicity and financial gain.
Don't be an ass Loren.
I see you have a video now too
http://meettravis.wordpress.com/2006/08/17/trip-to-new-orleans-its-not-easy-anymore/
http://www.technosailor.com/alienating-the-longtail-how-to-win-a-popularity-contest/
I've read through GulfSails's archives. He and I have talked quite a bit. I think he knows now what we all should have made clearer from the beginning. I wish hard felings didn't continue here. But let's move forward doing the best we can with the blog and see what good can come of it.
T,
Well it has been many months since I left my last comment. I assure you I have read every post... been with you since the "case of beer" tag line. I still have the bottle of rum here in the Turks and Caicos for you... someday we will share it I hope. I was thinking of you more often recently, when "Chris" was forcast to come right over me.
Something which caught my eye today, which I would like to share with you is http://www.goodsearch.com/
It appears very new... I like the concept... Check it out, it may be another resource for you NOLA folks working to improve things there on the ground.
"About":
GoodSearch is an Internet search engine with a simple concept and unique social mission. GoodSearch enables you to help fund any of hundreds of thousands of charities or schools through the simple act of searching the Internet.
They say they will donate 50 percent of their "ad revenue" to charities of your choice. I will try it out for a while, and also try to learn more about it.
Sorry, to see the time waisted on the "carpet-bloggers" ...sigh. I must say they have raised the "art" of trolling to a "professional" level which I have not see before. I hope everyone can just ignore them as much as possible... who knows, if they stop the whining, and take their paid trip to New Orleans there is a chance that they "might" learn something useful... and perhaps even "do something"... hope springs eternal.
Keep up the good work.
B. Nelson
Providenciales
Turks and Caicos Islands
I'm hopeful that they will B.
I remember at least one of the emails you sent to me back during that time. I can tell you that there were several moments where I said to myself that damn I could have evacuated down to the islands and be drinking rum right now.
Thanks for that.
Loren, FYYFF.
Hey, what ever happened to Team Douchebag? Weren't they supposed to be finding the Truth last weekend?
I'm been searching, but I can't find the Truth anywhere. I though blogs were supposed to give us instant updates.
Maybe they had a few drinks in the Quarter and got distracted.
frolic, Chartreuse's volunteers have experienced several delays. I don't know anything beyond that. In the meantime, I've put up a few posts at NewOrleansTruth to help readers find NOLA-area blogs and news stories.
GulfSail,
You haven't gotten all your facts straight about this, but rather than hash it out, we will try to follow Easton's goodwill and move on.
To this end, we are eager to get input from those on the ground who have the best view of the facts, who have been on the ground forthe long haul and who have the best perspective.
So we are inviting you to answer some questions. Submit your responses to timstay @ gmail.com and we will publish all the submissions we get.
Here are the questions:
Tell us about yourself. How long have you been blogging?
In your opinion, what is the most important story for the nation and the world to know about New Orleans and the Gulf Coast today?
What have been some of your best posts covering New Orleans and the Gulf Coast?
Who do you think has done a great job covering the real story here?
What businesses do you think have been the best corporate citizens in helping redevelop New Orleans and the Gulf Coast?
Help us know what the real story is from the real experts.
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