BlogCall Hosts First Conference Call for Progressive Bloggers

[benburch]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 25, 2005
CONTACT: Bob Fertik [e-mail] 718-424-7772
WEB: http://blogcall.org

BlogCall Hosts First Conference Call for Progressive Investigative Bloggers

A group of progressive investigative bloggers has launched BlogCall, a brand new press conference call where members of the mainstream media can pose questions to newsmaking bloggers.

The first BlogCall was held on Thursday, February 24, and it featured John Aravosis of Americablog.com discussing his newsmaking work on "Gannongate."

Aravosis is a leading progressive blogger who exposed White House reporter "Jeff Gannon" as a gay prostitute whose real name is James Guckert. Aravosis discussed the latest developments in the story during the 45-minute conference call.

The press conference was webcast by RadioLeft.com, and is permanently archived at WhiteRoseSociety.org.

"Progressive bloggers are doing outstanding investigative work at a time when the mainstream media is passively watching the innumerable scandals of the Bush administration," said Bob Fertik, President of Democrats.com and founder of BlogCall.

"These under-investigated scandals include Dick Cheney's still-secret Energy Task Force, the administration's Iraq War lies, and the criminal outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame by a top White House official. BlogCall will build a bridge between progressive investigative bloggers who are investigating those important scandals and the mainstream media," Fertik said.

BlogCall will begin a regular weekly schedule on Tuesday, March 8. The next featured blogger will be Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com, who has exposed the story of Clint Curtis, the Florida computer programmer who wrote "vote-flipping" software for touchscreen machines at the request of powerful Republican Congressman Tom Feeney.

Progressive bloggers and mainstream journalists are invited to participate in BlogCall by submitting their credentials at BlogCall.org.


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[Jade Fox]

1. What a great ideal! n/t

[Mist]

2. This is a great idea - hope they keep up w/the weekly

schedule. Tho' it pisses me off that the bloggers are doing all the "heavy lifting" in terms of investigation, while MSM "reporters" are glorified Gannons, transcribing rather than reporting.

[benburch]

3. MSM are dinosaurs. We are the tiny mammals eating their eggs. nt

[deacon]

4. great idea, it's an end around the MSM, who thought they were all

powerful.

[paineinthearse]

5. Great work, Ben

....May I suggest that you spread this in two ways:

1. Press release via www.usnewswire.com

2. Hold a press conference at the National Press Club (you can rent a room). If the DC freepers can do it, we can, too.

[benburch]

6. I can't take much credit for it.

I'm just the archivist.

I'll pass on the suggestions.