@smelly dumb journo scum
In the USA, I think those people are protected by the same laws as legitimate journalists. As far as I am aware, a press pass is not a legal requirement to be considered a journalist in the USA.
A press pass allows for legitimacy of your intention and rights to be a documenting reporter, the ability to easily get one gives credence to the possibility that you are one, and that I have to think very carefully before punching you in the mouth.
What are your thoughts on independent journalism?
My personal ones? I think we are very lucky to live in a country where we are able to express freedom of expression and observation. That being said, there are less protections in place for you to not be punched in the mouth for your expressions if they are particularly offensive or piss me off. If you have a press pass, I can just shoot you a look of disgust and say "I have no interest in talking with you." Without that press pass, I can flat out backhand you and ask "What the actual fuck is wrong with you?"
I'm sure there are people who lack integrity but also have a Press pass, and an established Press firm that they work with, and have it on their resume as a form of employment. In every profession, you can find individuals who lack integrity.
Very true, which is why it is recommended to limit contact with them and consider their sources of information to be biased or sensationalist. There's a reason you don't see people going to the National Inquirer or Cracked.com about Domestic Terrorist Events. A podcaster without a Press, or a defenses of the Press via a Press Pass or ability to gain one, doesn't even equate the lowest levels of tabloidesque journalism.
You could argue "Well, he's a founding member of Death Drive Press" which, if you'll look into is a radical leftist press publication that specifically peddles in alt left dissemination and publishing. Which does invalidate the whole "Well, he IS a journalist because look, he's part of a firm." which if so, congratulations, that argument is indeed one. He's on the same level of journalism as Neo Nazis, White Supremacists, and Cult PR persons who utilize similar schemes to legitimize their Press and PR.
I think it's pretty obvious he doesn't condone them, given what he said about the Liber interview
"This is the paradox of the edgesphere. They claim nothing is serious, nothing matters. But the FBI still raids their houses. Their memes still shape school shooters manifestos. Their communities still crack and harden into real-world violence."
Where in that statement is the direct "I don't condone this?" To me, the regular ol Joe Schmoe on the streets it sounds like "They (the group being interviewed) are influencing school shooters, and are making real world violence, but they claim nothing is serious."
Where is the "And they are bad people?" "And this is why I don't agree with them?" It sounds to me, the psychotherapy part of empathizing with your patient and the journalist part of "Report the facts neutrally to your audience" got mixed up.
I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on this one, because this is someone who genuinely seems to be trying to do something empathetic and good, despite our differing views on life. He's trying to empathize with monsters, trying to figure them out; however, he is going about it the very wrong way, and has inadvertingly played a card that states "I support these people"
That's very bad, and if not addressed, will be capitalized by people already working on these cases, and by the people who he has interviewed. He has absolutely no idea what he doing, and what he just got involved in.
Do you remember that scene from "The Dark Knight Returns" with Frank Miller where Joker's Therapist is like "Oh, yeah, he's all better now? Let's go on late night television with him to both Humanize and show off his progress?" It's play by play that exact scene.
You absolute naive fool, your heart may have been in the right place, but you genuinely have no idea how much more difficult you have made your own life in this.
And this is me giving you the benefit of the doubt. Fix your PR issue NOW.
