Recently, Yes! decided the best way to promote a story of prosecutorial incompetence was to plaster the mug shots of innocent people on its cover and web site (no pictures of the prosecutors who actually fumbled the cases though).
This time around, reporter Jordan Green asks Greensboro city council candidate Max Benbassat "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?" Okay, not really, but he might as well have. In a profile of Benbassat, Green writes:
"Benbassat’s purist attitude towards politics contrasts with what some may see as a troubling association with organized crime."What!?!? Are your friggin' kidding me? "Some may see?" Some who? "You the reader after I insinuate it right here?" And what association with organized crime? An association as asserted by whom and where? I asked Green to clarify. His response speaks for itself (or, in case it does not, the allegation is anonymous, uncoroborated and unreported):
"Roch, I received an anonymous tip from someone raising the possibility that Benbassat had been involved in organized crime in New York. I am duty-bound to maintain confidentiality, so I don't have a lot more to say about it.There is an old saying in the newspaper business: "If your mother says she loves you, check it out." If some anonymous person insinuates something derogatory about a political candidate, you might want to check that out too... unless you are striving to be the local version of The National Enquirer.
Postscript: What is sadly ironic is that, of Jorge Cornell, the one candidate in the council race who actually has acknowledged ties to organized crime, Green inserts editorial praise into in the same article, writing that Cornell has "Upstaged the rest of the slate with an uncanny ability to connect to the man and woman on the street..." Anonymous, unsubstantiated rumors of gang associations? Troubling. Actual gang leader? Man of the people.
Just my own opinion, but I never cared for his writing. Especially after misquoting me and I emailed to clarify... and he said that I obviously told him whatever he wrote. Strange when a journalist won't correct what the subject matter expert says, eh?
ReplyDeleteSeveral people I know dislike his style of journalism if you can call it that. But to each their own.
Ah...So that's what liable smells like.
ReplyDeletehmm... I dunno who these candidates are, but I assume that most mainstream journalists actually do have to confirm their sources before going to the wire with unfounded rumors.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm not sure why there needs to be a need to maintain confidentiality if it's anonymous. Either it is, or it isn't... but you can't have it both ways since if it's anonymous, you don't have to protect the person since you have no clue who it is. Some terminology issues there.
As far as libel goes, I'm not sure if it would be considered as such since I haven't read the piece and if it's an opinion piece or stating facts. If you can back up your statements, then that's one thing...
In any case, not an attorney, but yeah... sounds messed up just by the dialogue. And personally it doesn't even effect me since I don't live in GSO anymore.. ;)
I say evil unsubstantiated stuff about people all the time, but I don't have a masters from an Ivy League college and no one's foolish enough to put me in a paper.
ReplyDeletedidnt it say it was refering to a new york daily news article?
ReplyDeletePlease clarify, anon. Didn't what say what was referring to a New York Daily News article?
ReplyDeleteJorge has said nothing about being connected to organized crime. You are full of the same shit you're accusing Jordan of. Why is it okay to talk smack on Jorge but not on Max? You're a joke.
ReplyDeleteAh, another brave anonymous commenter who is going to set me straight. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteHere is a challenge, little girl, go read Jorge's blog then come back and put your name on your mistakes.
I don't see anything on Jorge's blog that says he is connected to organized crime all i see is jorge trying to bring peace and unity in the community.
ReplyDeleteAre you really that childish Roch?
ReplyDeleteYou are the "journalist". You show me where it says something about organized crime. You're like an ostrich with its head in the sand but somehow you're trying to wear a badge that says "reputable source."
Just more right wing ignorant garbage. At least you linked to Jorge's site so people can go see for themselves that you have no idea what you're talking about.
Actually when you go to his site, I see him speaking at City Council, speaking to the Boys and Girls Club about staying in school, working with ministers, raising money for the mother of Breyon Deese, and hosting a press conference.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a community leader to me....
What are YOU doing?
Me? I give to Greensboro by maintaining a facility that enables free, unfiltered and democratic access to local ideas and information; and I comment on the issues and institutions of our community, an effort you apparently find worthy of joining.
ReplyDeleteYou? Anything other than hit and run comments you won't even put your name to?
This is King Shadow. I’m a proud member of the ALKQN and I’ve been following King Jay. I am a king from Texas. You are wrong in your reporting that we are involved in organized crime. It is a few individuals that give our nation a bad name. If you want to know the truth about Latin Kings you should go to www.alkqn.org. It’s the official website of my nation. ADR King Jay, Keep up the righteous movement. The King of Kings our Lord Jesus Christ is looking over you. Peace in Black and Gold. AMOR DE REY!
ReplyDeleteLook, I understand that the ALKQN is attempting a rehabilitation of its image -- at least Jorge is here, I don't know what's happening in Texas. If it turns out to be substantively successful, I'll cheer. Positive change, peace, community -- those are all good things. But let's not kid each other. The Latin Kings are not the Shriners. Whatever the ALKQN may desire to be now and in the future, we can agree, I think, that they have engaged in organized criminal activity in the past. Right?
ReplyDeleteKing Shadow,
ReplyDeleteI looked at alkqn.org site, but I could not find the thing I am most interested in seeing, the Latin King Manifesto. Can you give me a link or get me a copy?
http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2005/02/22/2005-02-22_hall_caters_to_mob__it_s_new.html
ReplyDeletethis one...
Thanks, anon. The article further illustrates the incredibly irresponsible leap Green makes to assert Benbassat has a "troubling association with organized crime."
ReplyDeleteRoch101,
ReplyDeleteAMAZING! I am truly impressed with Mr. Cornell’s website as well as www.alkgn.org. Are there any other street organizations that have official websites? In going to these websites I could not find anything, as far as what you reported, on Mr. Cornell being involved “organized crime.” Are these fictitious statements by you or are these true accounts to your knowledge? Bloggers should have journalistic integrity just as those who report to the liberal bias media. I can’t begin to tell you the level of annoyance I get when I read blogs that are so short changed. Oh, and let’s not even being to converse about the manner of your “response” to a blogger in which you mulishly attacked him/her. This country was based on the basic principle of free speech. It’s times like this when I read your comments I wish there was a law on the magnitude of the garbage a reader had to endure.
Dear person so confident in your point of view that you choose to remain anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if you are arguing that the Latin Kings are not a criminal enterprise because their web site doesn't say that they are or that Jorge Cornell does not have ties to an organized criminal enterprise.
I am still hopeful that "King Shadow" will provide a copy of the manifesto, because I'd like to confirm what I have seen reported elsewhere, that the manifesto itself acknowledges that there are three "levels" of gang membership, the first being a violent gangbanger.
So, again, I am not sure what we are arguing here. If it is that the Latin Kings are just a social club, we'll have to let that view stand or sink on its own. If it is that Jorge Cornell's leadership of the NC Latin Kings does not make him a criminal per se, agreed -- but then, I never said that it did.
"It is a few individuals that give our nation a bad name."
ReplyDeleteThe same could be said about the ku klux klan. I've seen Cornell break the law with my own eyes. Of course, part of the gang mentality is that you have your homies back no matter what, so I expect his supporters to deny, deny, deny, rather than accept responsibility like true kings.
--brandonB