Friday, November 22, 2002

Politics Identity crisis
NATO seeks to redefine itself at Prague summit
When trans-Atlantic leaders gather in Prague for the NATO summit meeting Nov. 21-22, the alliance will be facing a daunting question: Who am I?
· Zlata Praha [Prague Post 20 to 21 November 2002]
Sound NATO Coverage at · Post of Praha [Prague Post 20 to 21 November 2002

The viper in our bosom

Roger Scruton sees the West’s real enemies: fanatics united in artificial borders by brutal tyrants. Alas, his remedy is less realistic.
· The West and the Rest [Telegraph]

Why a First Amendment?

Group rights, it seems, are only for an approved few, and free speech rights are a luxury that will be withdrawn from those who offended the few. This Telegraph story is about a writer who said that rural folk should be viewed as a minority just like ethnic and sexual minorities. He was arrested and held in jail under hate speech laws.
· As Natalie Solent says,
Remember the line peddled by Blunkett that these powers are to be used against thugs and Nazis - you can trust us to act with discretion, old chap - the innocent have nothing to fear
Indeed. This is exactly why we can never afford to compromise on basic civil liberties on the grounds that "we have nothing to fear." We have plenty to fear.

Media The Fox News Presidential Adviser

Politicos who morph into journalists do themselves and their new profession no favor if they fail to shed their partisan habits. Roger Ailes, the vinegary chairman of Fox News, shows no sign of understanding that. Mr. Ailes's action seems especially hypocritical for someone who has spent years trumpeting the fairness of Fox and the partisanship of just about everybody else in the news business.
· Ailes [New York Times]

Deadline Hollywood
· The Untold Story [LA Weekly]
· Reason [Reason]

Editor Is Dismissed Over Truth of Article

This new incident comes two decades after a Washington Post reporter, Janet Cooke, had to return a Pulitzer Prize for making up an article about an 8-year-old heroin addict.
· ONTPELIER [THE ASSOCIATED PRESS]

Columnist says his political job is no conflict of interest

It's not that unusual to see Bob Sanders' name in the Merced Sun-Star. He is, after all, a columnist for the newspaper. But readers could be forgiven for any confusion in recent weeks when Sanders' name also popped up in news stories. It seems the columnist had another job: He's the campaign manager for Rusty Areias' state Senate run.

Before landing his gig with Areias, Sanders was a consultant to a group of Merced hotel and motel owners who had a beef before the City Council -- on which Sanders' brother serves.
· Send buzz, dirt, tips and comments to dfost@sfchronicle.com [Media Bytes]

Internet Tinkering With the Virtual Community
I'm as grumpy as anyone when it comes to change -- I wish every website still looked like Word.com from 1996. -- Jim Romenesko
· Word.com [OJR]

Tracking Web
Weblogs Compendium a directory of Weblog directories.
· Compedium [Weblogs]

This blog tracks news in, around, and about the weblog world
· Roots [Blog]
· Fifth Estate [Metafilter]

Internet Michael Moore and Jozef Imrich Caught At Own Game ...
I wrote Cold River but now I am in Hot Water.
· Alfa [Wired]
· Beta [ Sauer (sic)]