From: Adam Back <aba@dcs.ex.ac.uk>
Date: Sat, 24 May 1997 02:18:25 +0800
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
Subject: reporting standards and Jim Bell
Message-ID: <199705230942.KAA01227@server.test.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



I noticed an example of the sort of reporting standards which the news
media is sinking to in reporting on Jim Bell's case... observe these
two quotes:

The Oregonian, May 20, 1997, Metro Section P-1:
: Daly described his friend of 15 years as a "bit of an odd unit" but never
: dangerous and never serious about attacking the 9-1-1 systems or the
: Bull Run watershed.
:
: "I'd rat him out in a heartbeat for that," Daly said.

So... Daly considered Jim to be merely discussing technical
feasibility of attacks, something we do every day on cpunks.  Daly
says if he had ever considered Jim was thinking of carrying out any of
the hypothetical attacks, that he would have reported him instantly.

OK... now this other quote from another news story (forwarded by
Dimitri to the list from a post in or.politics quoting some newspaper).

: And during the interview Daly appeared to crack and turn state's 
: evidence when Daly offered to "rat (Bell) out in a heartbeat."

Sounds like a quote of the same comment by Daly.

Sounds like the newspaper(s) in question are having fun, creatively
misquoting, and fabricating to work up a story.  Not knowing the truth
behind any of this stuff, it makes one wonder how much truth there is
in the other details of the story as reported by the gutter press.

I noticed someone called "the Oregonian" the local
fishwrap... presumably implying it is one of those sensationalist
news-fiction newspapers, which are continually being sued for liable
for printing fictitious garbage about media personalities.  Perhaps
similar to the UK "the Sun", etc. (a combination of titilating
fictional "gossip" and nude pin ups, populist news for the masses).

Adam
-- 
Have *you* exported RSA today? --> http://www.dcs.ex.ac.uk/~aba/rsa/

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