The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

True/Slant, R.I.P.

Posted on | July 30, 2010 | 22 Comments

Donald Douglas notes the passing of an online venue that published such luminaries as Charles Johnson and Conor Friedersdorf. Dan Riehl blames the “Culture 11” albatross factor.

Donald and Dan neglect to mention the most notorious article in True/Slant’s brief history: Rick Ungar’s “Send the Body to Glenn Beck” screed, which blamed the death of a Kentucky census worker on Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Bachmann, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, etc. 

Unfortunately for Rick Ungar’s credibility, Bill Sparkman’s death turned out to be suicide.

True/Slant editor Michael Roston reports that the site has been acquired by Forbes — does Steve Forbes know what they’re doing with his money? — while David Kaplan reports that True/Slant CEO Lewis D’Vorkin, a former Forbes staffer, is returning to the mothership.

Category: Blogging, Neutral Objective Journalism

Comments

22 Responses to “True/Slant, R.I.P.”

  1. Dave C
    July 30th, 2010 @ 2:50 pm

    Is Conor Friedersdorf the Ted McGinley of the online world? You tell me.

    http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/264186/the_curse_of_the_tv_show_killer_pg2.html?cat=39

    “Ted McGinley is a different kind of show killer, maybe even more dangerous than the rest. Most show killers are attached to a show from the very beginning and the show never gets off the ground but not Ted McGinley. Ted McGinley joins shows that are already successful and then sinks them. Ted McGinley joined Happy Days, gone. Ted McGinley joined the Love Boat, see ya. Ted McGinley joined Married with Children, it’s over. Ted McGinley joined Sports Night, bye bye.”

    Now Conor’s credits:

    Culture 11, That other one that went bye even before people can remember it’s name and now True/Slant.

    You be the judge.

  2. Dave C
    July 30th, 2010 @ 10:50 am

    Is Conor Friedersdorf the Ted McGinley of the online world? You tell me.

    http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/264186/the_curse_of_the_tv_show_killer_pg2.html?cat=39

    “Ted McGinley is a different kind of show killer, maybe even more dangerous than the rest. Most show killers are attached to a show from the very beginning and the show never gets off the ground but not Ted McGinley. Ted McGinley joins shows that are already successful and then sinks them. Ted McGinley joined Happy Days, gone. Ted McGinley joined the Love Boat, see ya. Ted McGinley joined Married with Children, it’s over. Ted McGinley joined Sports Night, bye bye.”

    Now Conor’s credits:

    Culture 11, That other one that went bye even before people can remember it’s name and now True/Slant.

    You be the judge.

  3. Michael Roston
    July 30th, 2010 @ 3:03 pm

    We also published (and paid) such luminaries as Bill Dupray (Patriot Room/Liberty Pundits) and John Kinsellagh (Beacon Street Journal), and tried our best to promote the fine right-leaning content they produced. And guess who argued that progressives were wrong, and that it was more likely that Sparkman died on account of Clay County, Kentucky being a drug trading center?

    Noting that would be inconvenient for the dishonest narrative you’ve spun up.

    Journalism is a complicated business, especially these days. Fortunately for contributors to publications like the American Spectator, there are all manner of deep pocketed folks happy to subsidize not-for-profits like the American Spectator Foundation, shielding you and them from the queasy business cycles of media.

  4. Michael Roston
    July 30th, 2010 @ 11:03 am

    We also published (and paid) such luminaries as Bill Dupray (Patriot Room/Liberty Pundits) and John Kinsellagh (Beacon Street Journal), and tried our best to promote the fine right-leaning content they produced. And guess who argued that progressives were wrong, and that it was more likely that Sparkman died on account of Clay County, Kentucky being a drug trading center?

    Noting that would be inconvenient for the dishonest narrative you’ve spun up.

    Journalism is a complicated business, especially these days. Fortunately for contributors to publications like the American Spectator, there are all manner of deep pocketed folks happy to subsidize not-for-profits like the American Spectator Foundation, shielding you and them from the queasy business cycles of media.

  5. Thrasymachus
    July 30th, 2010 @ 3:09 pm

    It just shows people don’t like things that suck, and like things that don’t suck. Culture 11 never even made it to the level of sucking.

  6. Thrasymachus
    July 30th, 2010 @ 11:09 am

    It just shows people don’t like things that suck, and like things that don’t suck. Culture 11 never even made it to the level of sucking.

  7. Robert Stacy McCain
    July 30th, 2010 @ 3:18 pm

    all manner of deep pocketed folks happy to subsidize

    Heh! My Kentucky trip was funded via means of rattling the tip-jar!

  8. Robert Stacy McCain
    July 30th, 2010 @ 11:18 am

    all manner of deep pocketed folks happy to subsidize

    Heh! My Kentucky trip was funded via means of rattling the tip-jar!

  9. Olliander
    July 30th, 2010 @ 4:28 pm

    TRUE/SLANT also employed that POS Matt Taibbi

  10. Olliander
    July 30th, 2010 @ 12:28 pm

    TRUE/SLANT also employed that POS Matt Taibbi

  11. Charles Johnson
    July 30th, 2010 @ 4:52 pm

    Pam Geller and her ilk must have something to do with this. And the Belgiums. Bastards.

  12. Charles Johnson
    July 30th, 2010 @ 12:52 pm

    Pam Geller and her ilk must have something to do with this. And the Belgiums. Bastards.

  13. Charles Johnson
    July 30th, 2010 @ 4:57 pm

    Oh here is a comic book I collect that sums up pretty much everything about me.

  14. Charles Johnson
    July 30th, 2010 @ 12:57 pm

    Oh here is a comic book I collect that sums up pretty much everything about me.

  15. Ray.
    July 30th, 2010 @ 6:10 pm

    Wonder if Chuckie knows about it? He’s still got the button proudly displayed on his blog.

    http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/1158/alwaysthelasttoknow.jpg

    What a loser.

  16. Ray.
    July 30th, 2010 @ 2:10 pm

    Wonder if Chuckie knows about it? He’s still got the button proudly displayed on his blog.

    http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/1158/alwaysthelasttoknow.jpg

    What a loser.

  17. Kojocaro
    July 30th, 2010 @ 11:56 pm

    can someone please find the person who murdered chuckies johnson’s credibility and charge that person with 1st degree murder?

  18. Kojocaro
    July 30th, 2010 @ 7:56 pm

    can someone please find the person who murdered chuckies johnson’s credibility and charge that person with 1st degree murder?

  19. Kos Laughs At Chuckles
    July 31st, 2010 @ 2:51 am

    yeah, what are the odds that Forbes Magazine lets Chuckles write for them?

  20. Kos Laughs At Chuckles
    July 30th, 2010 @ 10:51 pm

    yeah, what are the odds that Forbes Magazine lets Chuckles write for them?

  21. Kos Laughs At Chuckles
    July 31st, 2010 @ 2:56 am

    “there are all manner of deep pocketed folks happy to subsidize not-for-profits”

    Like George Soros, right? Truth is, most conservative bloggers are not bankrolled by big spending activists like Media Matters, TPM, Think Progress, and HuffPo are. That is how/why they can enjoy high salaries and book deals, despite the bilge and poor product they put forth, while people such as Stacy and Ace have to rattle a tip jar. In fact, HotAir was started by Michelle Malkin, not some foundation. Yes, she sold it for a (presumably) handsome sum, but she started on her own.

  22. Kos Laughs At Chuckles
    July 30th, 2010 @ 10:56 pm

    “there are all manner of deep pocketed folks happy to subsidize not-for-profits”

    Like George Soros, right? Truth is, most conservative bloggers are not bankrolled by big spending activists like Media Matters, TPM, Think Progress, and HuffPo are. That is how/why they can enjoy high salaries and book deals, despite the bilge and poor product they put forth, while people such as Stacy and Ace have to rattle a tip jar. In fact, HotAir was started by Michelle Malkin, not some foundation. Yes, she sold it for a (presumably) handsome sum, but she started on her own.