WAR AGAINST THE MEDIA RAGING IN THE PALMETTO STATE
No … this isn’t another article about that South Carolina lawmaker who wants to create a “media registry” (turns out that proposed legislation was actually a head fake).
This is about a broader battle between those in power and those seeking to hold them accountable … including this website.
Investigative reporter Corey Hutchins – who cut his teeth with an alternative weekly in Columbia, S.C. – has a story up on the Columbia Journalism Review website which delves into a rash of recent libel cases in the Palmetto State.
One of them? The lawsuit filed against this website by S.C. Rep. Kenny Bingham, chairman of the “ethics” committee of the S.C. House of Representatives.
“I can’t say for sure whether this cluster of cases in the news is part of an uptick in litigation against media outlets,” Hutchins wrote. “Still, it got me thinking: Is South Carolina, where I worked as a journalist for the better part of the last decade, a place where reporters have to be especially wary?”
“There’s some reason to think the answer is yes,” Hutchins concluded.
Um … we know the answer is “yes.”
In fact we may have a major update on that front to share with our readers soon …
Fortunately, South Carolina has evolved since 1903 – when former lieutenant governor Ben Tillman (yes, that Ben Tillman) got into a major spat with N.G. Gonzales, editor of The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper. Gonzales was later killed by Jim Tillman, one of “Pitchfork Ben’s” relatives.
Or … maybe it hasn’t evolved. Maybe The State has just decided to do the bidding of the government rather than doing its job of calling it out … or even accurately reporting on it.
Who knows …
Oddly, politicians looking to silence their critics have an advantage in that most people (especially South Carolinians) loathe the “liberal media.” An elected official – especially a “Republican” – who sues a media outlet in South Carolina has a leg up from a public perception standpoint.
“Jurors don’t necessarily like the press or value journalists’ self-appointed role of pointing out corruption and malfeasance,” Hutchins wrote.
That’s true …
Even more relevant: In South Carolina, lawmakers elect the judges who are responsible for ruling on their cases – meaning they have a built-in home-court advantage over media defendants. Many of those judges, in fact, are former lawmakers … who rely on their ex-colleagues to gain and keep their positions of power.
The whole system reeks …
Whatever the landscape, this website will continue to fulfill its obligation to the citizens and taxpayers of this state by aggressively speaking truth to power – by aggressively exposing unnecessary, wasteful, corrupt, duplicative government wherever we find it.
Do we get it right every time? Of course not.
But we believe individual freedom – and the free market – are worth fighting for. So … if they want to put us in jail or try to bankrupt us for doing that … so be it.
We are not the liberal media – we are the new media. Our only goal is to find the answers the politicians don’t want to tell us.
113 comments
But we believe individual freedom…
EXCEPT if it is Grand Tango….then we out him,his family and work place?
Very hypocritical.
The fool outed himself.
Shut up pogo.
Still butthurt over that?
Good.
No.Was just a perfect example of how how a liberal website and its bloggers operate when they can’t compete in the arena of ideas with those they disagree with.
If Will exposed GrandTurd, why hasn’t he exposed you?
I didn’t say Will exposed Tango and Will is smarter than that. If Will wants me to leave all he has to do is ask me to leave.
Well that didn’t take long, you just lost your cover.
Terry Ward is well known to be a liberal himself.
Really? I didn’t pick up on that.
You sound like you’ve met!!
He gleaned some bits of info from my posts and those of others to the old SNOB forum on The Sun News site, and has been obsessing over it ever since. Everyone on there despised him, too.
Tango or Flip? (Again, I’m disagreeing with you that they are two)
There are things that GT did not know about at all before pogo started posting to FITSNews. That’s how they connected, obviously. GT had no clue as to who I was. pogo had his interpretation of who I was, based on conversations on the Sun News Opinion Blog.
After pogo and GT connected, GT started posting to the comment threads on Sun News stories. By that time they’d discontinued the SNOB, and the newspaper’s site switched to Facebook formatting, and I was allowed un-banned (and have been ever since.)
pogo, and GT, on the other hand, regularly got their posts deleted, and fake FB accounts banned.
So pogo lies when he says he was never blocked or banned on TSN.
btw, GT/Terry used the fake “Emily Peterkin” account to post on TSN several times. People who knew the real Emily Peterkin of Fort Motte alerted her, and that account got banned.
I never got BANNED-YOU did.And got em sued too!!!???
LMAO!!!!
You can’t ban someone on a TypePad blog who uses an alias (several of them actually, with “pogo” being the most frequent), and keeps changing their IP address, etc.
You still sticking with two different people?
Oh.Did he support Green Peace/Marxist Gloria Tinabu in SC7 like you did!
How about that meet and greet luncheon ole Joe put together at the dd that you attended with dakota and co.?
Oh my!!!!
God bless the person who outed that douchebag, the site improved when he left. It would do the same if someone did the same to pogo. Maybe someone is already looking for that paper trail, if so godspeed.
That would cost somebody a lot of money.
Not as much as you cost us taxpayers you welfare queen.
Just because they’re smart enough to expose you doesn’t mean you are smart enough to find out who they are. You are too dumb to figure out how the internet works.
Hell, at least we would ALL get to meet each other.
We could do that a Wet Willie’s. Closer for some.
We need to do a FitsNews ‘blogger’ get together.It would be fun.
Only if you didn’t show up. The smell alone would ruin it.
I would be the prince of peace and were my old spice.Taco’s and Corona’s for ALL on flip!
You get beer on your EBT card?
Never had one.I carry cash.
Uh huh, sure
I drink Landshark. Sorry.
Not really.
Be worth it. I’ll chip in.
Is it legal to sell your food stamps?
Doing it for years. That was how I started my multi million cocaine business.
Is that why you threatened to take Trump out? I sent that threat to the secret service-they been in touch?
Paid an off, just 500k, peanuts for me.
Take it easy. Tango’s just fine. No one outed his family that I’m aware of, just him. As for his work place, I’m sure it’s one of many. The issue with Senor Tango was he flipped out over his own identity. Why do you think he went from Tango to guest names, to a new name, back to guest names, etc – right after Kenny started his lawsuit against FITSNEWS. Did you not ever notice that? He was all piss and vinager and his Tango ID until the exact day after that suit was put in motion, then he went under for like a week, then came back with guest names, etc. Because he was scared to death of getting caught up in it. But here’s the rub – no one gives a crap!!!!
No matter what the situation is in South Carolina, the first ammendment is still a federal court issue. Unfortunately, even before a court decision is made the expenses can force changes in ownership. Gawker (today’s gossip, tomorrow’s news) now may have a Russian Oligarch as a minority owner, because of Hulk Hogan’s lawsuit.
Frank VanderSloot is another example of someone with deep pockets who sues reporters and media outlets over unfavorable comments. Mother Jones was one of his latest victims.
Speaking of fine journalism, where is that update on Rubio’s alleged affairs? It was suppose bust wide open in the MSM in as few as 48 hours.
New forms of electronic media have simply overwhelmed South Carolina good ol’ boys, who can no longer control dissemination of news about their corrupt behavior.
So true.
The electronic media still has a responsibility to convey facts even about PUBLIC officials in South Carolina….legal precedent has been established…:
Appeals court upholds jury award in The Sun News defamation case
Court sided with Myrtle Beach area lobbyist Mark Kelley, who sued the newspaper and a former investigative reporter
In 2014, jury awarded Kelley $400,000 in actual damages and $250,000 punitive damages
Newspaper’s leaders have not decided what their next move will be
The Kelley case will go to the Supreme Court of the United States of America. It will not stand.
Will didn’t really give justice to the other parts of Hutchins’ story — you know, the ones that weren’t about him. (Wow! — Big surprise there, huh?)
Read it all. Recognize the reach and the clout of the Columbia Journalism Review.
The opinion of the SC appellate court on the Kelley v Wrenn, et. al. verdict will not stand. Bender will take it to the “head shed”, if he has to.
Just as I’ve always said.
The Kelley case will go to the Supreme Court of the United States of America. It will not stand.
WAHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAWAAAAHHAAALMAOLMAOLMAOLMAOOOOOOOOOOOOHMYOHMYOHMYOHMY!!!!!!
You damn fool.Justice Roberts can’t wait to take this one on!!!
Wren better get the checkbook out and should have never bought into your babbling horseshit!
Justice Roberts does not give a shit about protecting a bunch of narcissistic quasi-Republicans and Democrats in a case like this. You’re either delusional or intentionally posting drivel to make real conservatives look bad. Something that has been suspected of you idol Terry Ward as well.
Yep, they are both plants sent here to make Republicans look like moronic assholes.
It worked.
It’s one plant, two personalities.
Got it.
Good morning Bergdahl.I think it is a shame you have to hide behind your military service. A real ‘veteran’ wouldn’t do that.
Hey, btw flippy pogo, thanks again for keeping my legend alive.
My pleasure. You’re okay Boz.You’re a informative/brilliant orator on the subject of music.I wish you would share that knowledge more and less the fanatical dreamland fantasies of the political world that just don’t exist.
Go soak a cork.
Disagree.
You don’t know shit about the law, which is why your ass was in tears when I gave the Affordable Care Act the green light, twice.
You seem to be fairly well versed in journalism and libel cases in SC for a guy who claims to be from Ohio? Sure not Pelion?
He’s the last of the classic hobos.
Yeah right!
Will be getting the new motor home gassed up mid February for Dallas,Phoenix and California.
Every time I see a fat ass homeless person holding a sign ‘Will work for food’ I will stop and give them a $1.oo in the name of The Sun News/David Wren Defense fund courtesy of Boz!
Did you nickname it the PedoBago?
“Make America #1 Again Express” with a picture of Trump on the side.
Must look great next to that NAMBLA sticker.
Be nice.Liberals like Boz,Taz and Rocky might be into that ‘thingy’?-NOT the ordained minister of TRUTH-ME! :)
Keep telling yourself that. Better scramble those hard drives.
You’re as dangerously crazy as Hazel Mottes in Flannery O’Conner’s novel Wise Blood. Minister of “The Church of Truth Without Jesus.”
That was funny….see you in court
That was funny…see you in court….
You’re fantasy world is so entertaining. Enjoy the warm Phoenix weather – wink, wink!!!
Yes.I have business.Last year we stayed several weeks at the NEW Holiday Inn Express near the airport in Phoenix.Beautiful.Even had a fire pit when it cools at night.
Boz typically tracks my movements so I will leave the mayor my schedule and he can ride his bike to pick it up.
Not wanting to completely attack your veracity, but why would you stay near the Phoenix airport, when for the same price you could stay in Tempe, near ASU, and downtown Tempe strip with all the good eats? I mean, just wonderin’ because the area around the airport looks like Baghdad, and Tempe is a sports mecca and you’re such a sports fan.
COMPS!!! Come on Rocky-think!
But there’s a Holiday Inn Express in Tempe. I didn’t stay there when I was there for work – went for Marriott points. But still, just sayin’
I stay where my room is COMPED.Actually this property was the NEWEST property in Phoenix and in a nice area.
Suit yourself – Flip from Ohio. BTW – if find Phoenix to be about as fun as a raw sore. No grass, no nothin’ – just dirt and concrete.
He found it on Google Maps, and bingo, he’s stayed there.
Oh. Hey, I found the Plaza on google maps, but did’t stay there. I did stay at a nice hotel in mid-town this past summer on vaction with my family, not too far from Trump Tower. My wife passed it taking an early morning walk one day, came back said she thought the building was ugly. I had to agree. Then again, she did enjoy St. Patricks.
Idiot. I can barely walk, and will be that way until I get new knees. Riding a bike is out of the question. You know nothing about anything.
Get well soon!!!
Thanks. Working on it!
I am well versed in EVERYTHING-including exposing lawless frauds like YOU! :)
You are well versed in pedophila and buggery.
That was funny….see you in court!
Yeah, I am waiting for my subpoena from the infamous D. Fannin, Esq.
Both wrong. He rooms with me. He gets me coffee while I work the Chronicle.
Local TV News and Talk Radio depend on sales. Big spending clients are well-connected, politically, in a symbiotic relationship. South Carolina is a benign oligarchy, most of the time, but cross the line, and your story gets lost. Cross it a lot and you get riffed.
“benign ”
I don’t know if I agree with that, but I agree with the rest.
Republicans dominate South Carolina at every level of government and authority — executive, legislative and judicial. Authoritarianism seems to be a prominent trait within all segments of the GOP. If this “siege” of the media is more than just a figment of Sic’s imagination, it must be what the people want. Right? They elect and reelect the same malefactors and then complain that nothing changes.
Hinds, mountebanks, and poltroons, the lot of them.
Dems in SC are full partners in graft and corruption. Step back and see the big picture that you’ve missed due to your biased ideology and partisanship.
The Dems wield neither power nor influence. They have paltry prospects for that changing. Nothing is as weak or feckless as a SC Democrat. They hold few offices and control little money. That reality has nothing to do with ideology, it’s just a recognition of the facts as they are. Benefits and privileges accrue to those with power.
Yeah? Tell that to Robin Tallon, most of the Britain and Chapman families along the strand, certain members Tom and Wrenzie Rice’s family, John Jenrette, etc. Tell that to Mike Hilton, the drunken hit-and-run murderer millionaire who is buddies with Harpootlian (his lawyer who got him off scot-free, of course) and others of the SC elite.
Such white blue-dog Dems hold on to power by deals they make with Repubs, and sometimes by switching parties — like Leatherman and dozens of others. They don’t lose their Dem contacts, and that means they are the conduits to federal money. When they pose as Republicans, they are always the “Chamber of Commerce Republicans”, meaning they love to tax the shit out of everyone but the wealthy, and spend the people’s money in a wildly profligate manner.
What they do is not bipartisanship. It is organized thievery and racketeering, with a legal facade. And quite often, the old guard Dems are very much the ones with the power, money AND influence, operating behind the scenes.
It would seem it’s an effort to intimidate the press. The roaches in the State House have worked hard for years to cover their tracks, but have gotten sloppy. Wilson doesn’t go find this stuff. He only reacts to the press, but there are a fine group of journalists out there that find this crud out. They’re trying to silence them because they don’t want their crony set up nixed. Or is it Nikkexeded. Either way, they’ll fail. It shows their desperation, not anything else. Of course there are a lot of local journalists who probably get too cozy with the state elected officials. They do that so they have a steady stream of copy to get paid for, and lose their objectivity. In a daily news organization the editors will assign them to a new beat over time – the way a CIA station leader reassigns spooks to different assignments to keep them objective. Too many times at the lower levels the journalist develops a kinship with the state officials, and does their bidding.
Ben Tillman was governor. He was never lieutenant governor. He was US Senator when his brother Lt. Gov. Jim Tillman killed Gonzales at the corner of Main and Gervais in January 1903.
During the 1902 election when Jim Tillman unsuccessfully ran for governor, Gonzales wrote in The State that Tillman was a liar, drunk and criminal. Tillman shot Gonzales with a Luger. He said Gonzales had his hands in his pockets and was drawing a gun.
At the trial, the prosecutor was William Thurmond, father of former U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond. James Byrnes, later governor, U.S. senator, U.S. Supreme Court justice and adviser to Franklin Roosevelt, was hired by The State to make a verbatim transcript of the trial. One of Tillman’s lawyers was Patrick Henry Nelson, founder of the Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough. Another was Cole Blease, future S.C. governor and U.S. senator.
H.L. Mencken commented on The State: “Gonzales was the last editor there worth shooting.”
Wow. Good stuff!
I believe Mencken years later liked someone at The Record.
This is the one of the few journalistic forums in S.C. where news can be reported without Jewish approval.
Oy vey!!!
Mande approves it.
That makes it kosher.
But we believe individual freedom – and the free market – are worth fighting for. So … if they want to put us in jail or try to bankrupt us for doing that … so be it.
We are not the liberal media – we are the new media. Our only goal is to find the answers the politicians don’t want to tell us.
———
…like 4 cells are an American citizen.
Yay! Now I now what I have to shoot for! 4x is doable.
Kudos to Rep. Mike Pitts. The best way to gain media attention is to attack the media. Brilliant!
I think it is easy to miss the big point, which is:
SC media is so complasicant, so much the lackey for the powerful elite, that when a Corey Hutchinson or Will Folks actually does what the media is supposed to do they stick out like a sore thumb…and must be squashed.
The SC main stream media sucks. That is how the powerful elite like it. Real media, the inquisitive, intelligent and fearless folks in the media must simply understand they are the oddballs.
Blessed be the Muckrakers
Sad but true.
too much information=no information
The “liberal media” has been purchased by corporate interests. Gannett, Rupert Murdoch, etc. Some on here rail that democracy means voters can vote themselves money. Capitalism means that the rich can buy whatever they want, including the Fourth Estate, politicians, and state Supreme Courts.
to think he even believes there is one real journalist in SC shows how out of touch he is….
Your goal is to make money. In no sense of the word are you a journalist.
Will, surely you are not referring to yourself as a journalist. If so, you are delusional. Allow me to disabuse you of that notion. You are hypocritical, racist, hack who sells his soul to the highest bidder. You lack any integrity, ethics, morals and do not possess the ability to come up with an original thought whatsoever.
Will is one of the few bona fide journalists in this country.
…and your an ignorant jackass.
The media at least in this state are scared assholes who again and again let these political scumbags off. Spineless
Under Attack:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OrKgdjtyP4