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BHDC 'ABC' File:

Sunday January 6th, 2008 12:44 PM by BHDC Staff  
Filed under: Journalism, ABC, ABC News, Charles Gibson

charlie.jpgCharles Gibson came up the big loser in the ABC News Facebook debate last night when he made one of the cardinal sins of journalism: Not knowing what he was talking about when asking a question. Late in the Democratic debate, the anchor tried to query the candidates about tax cuts, and, in a moment worthy of George Bush (the elder) not knowing the cost of a gallon of milk, suggested that a married couple who teach at New Hampshire’s Saint Anselm College would make approximately $200,000 per year. No candidates even had to correct him before the audience started laughing, with an embarrassed Gibson realizing he was projecting his NYC sensibilities on a much different landscape.

Big Head DC has learned that a married couple teaching at the college is much more likely to earn less than $100,000 per year.

Later in the debate, when ribbed about the incident by John Edwards, Gibson had this to say about bringing up college professors: ”I shouldn’t have done that, apparently”

The full transcript of the incident follows: Read more…

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Thursday December 20th, 2007 11:37 AM by BHDC Staff  
Filed under: Journalism, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, ABC

abc_news_logo1.gifIn an article today involving two new domain names allegedly bought by the Hillary Clinton campaign, ABC News writes, “It’s the first time this election cycle a presidential campaign has launched a Web site with the express purpose of criticizing a rival.”

Not true. HillaryAttacks.com, an attack Web site by Barack Obama, and PlantsforHillary.com, an attack Web site by John Edwards, both existed long before the new Hillary sites were purchased.

ABC should correct its article.

Earlier: Flynt Confirms Sam Donaldson’s Number Appears In DC Madam’s Records, But He Chose Not to Reveal It; Signs Point to ABC News Cover-Up

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Monday December 10th, 2007 10:50 AM by BHDC Staff  
Filed under: Journalism, Arianna Huffington, Howard Kurtz, Mike Huckabee, ABC

abc_news_logo.gifHowie Kurtz, the media writer for the Washington Post, today uncovers a fishy relationship between a journalism giant and a liberal blog. While Kurtz didn’t make much wind about it, he reveals within an item about GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee that the Huffington Post and ABC News have teamed up to report the news.

“ABC, working with the Web site, interviewed a former parole board member who said Huckabee had pressed the panel to release the convict, Wayne Dumond,” Kurtz writes regarding a well-referenced story the Huffington Post published last week.

The quote raises an important question: How common is it for an apparently nonpartisan news source to team up with an admittedly liberal Web site in reporting a news item? Isn’t this a case of liberal media bias at its worst?

Also raising questions about the news relationship, Kurtz quotes Huckabee as saying he’s “amazed” that ABC News investigative reporter Brian Ross ignored information he provided to him.

Earlier: Top ABC News Investigative Journalist’s Tactics Called Into Question

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Thursday December 6th, 2007 4:08 PM by BHDC Staff  
Filed under: Journalism, Scandals, Mark Foley, Deborah Jeane Palfrey, ABC, Brian Ross

brian-ross.jpgWe’ve long been telling you that ABC News utterly and royally muffed up the telling of the “DC Madam” story in May, and may have even covered up aspects of the story because the phone numbers of Sam Donaldson, a longtime ABC newsman, and other past or current ABC news personalities appeared in her escort records.

Now comes word that Brian Ross, the network’s lead DC investigative reporter on the Deborah Jeane Palfrey story, has conducted questionable journalism — and some of his past and current news peers are speaking out.

While several of Ross’ competitors say he’s a reporter who’s capable of breaking big stories, he also has a tendency to overplay smaller ones, they say. Jim Stewart, who recently retired from CBS News, has told the New York Observer that he has reservations about some of Ross’ work on ABC’s Web site, The Blotter. “Were they wrong some of the time? Yes,” said Stewart. “I’d rather be right than be first.”

A former ABC news employee also told the publication that there is intense internal pressure from ABC News execs to create page hits for The Blotter. Also, some reporters said they have been unable to retrace Ross’ scoops.

The Blotter was the first mainstream news outlet to break the Mark Foley tawdry IM story in 2006. While that story hasn’t been called into question, several other Ross stories, including those surrounding the “DC Madam,” continue to receive more scrutiny.

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Tuesday November 27th, 2007 7:40 PM by BHDC Staff  
Filed under: Journalism, Sex, Scandals, Scoops, BHDC, Deborah Jeane Palfrey, Shocking, Radar, Larry Flynt, ABC, Brian Ross, Sam Donaldson

sam-donaldson.JPGA press release sent this evening by Hustler publisher Larry Flynt confirms that a phone number belonging to ABC newsman Sam Donaldson appeared in the records of the alleged “DC Madam” Deborah Jeane Palfrey, as Big Head DC first revealed some time ago. Radar magazine and the Huffington Post have both falsely claimed that the Big Head DC story was somehow factually inaccurate. We have long claimed that the existence of Donaldson’s number in Palfrey’s records - combined with the existence of phone records of one or more other news personalities from the ABC network in the records - prevented ABC News from revealing a fuller report on the spectrum of politicos and others within Palfrey’s records when the network released their exclusive Brian Ross interview with Palfrey in May of this year. In essence, there was a cover-up by ABC News. Palfrey has confirmed as much to Big Head DC.

The full release follows: Read more…

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Friday November 16th, 2007 11:15 AM by BHDC Staff  
Filed under: Scandals, BHDC, Deborah Jeane Palfrey, Radar, ABC, Sam Donaldson

Blogger Matt Janovic is alleging Big Head DC believes Deborah Jane Palfrey, the accused “DC Madam,” is lying about her case:

sam-donaldson.jpgRight, Sam Donaldson IS in the phone records of Deborah Jeane Palfrey’s defunct Pamela Martin & Associates, but it isn’t significant. Have you ever dialed the wrong number before? Sam’s relatives did, since one of Palfrey’s numbers was one-digit off from Donaldson’s, so she kept getting calls from them, and over-and-over again.

Cue Radar magazine’s site editor John Cook and an overzealous…BigheadDC.com who thought they had a major scoop that required virtually no investment and could bring in those advertising dollars. A source close to the story has confirmed that there was no story to begin with. But they went and ran it anyway, and have now turned on each other claiming different stories. Readers should note that they both appear to be contending that Palfrey is lying, which is pretty low of them considering she’s a defendant. That’s how it goes in this story–guilty until proven innocent, a curiously un-American contention that runs-through the affair labeled “Hookergate” by the mainstream press…

FYI, Matt, Big Head DC’s editor has spent hours interviewing Palfrey, and we have posted most every one of her lawyer’s updates on the case. No source close to the situation has ever told us “there was no story to begin with.” You need to understand that Donaldson’s inclusion in her records speaks volumes as to why ABC News may have covered up political and other ramifications of her story when the network was researching it this past Spring. Also, what if another past or current ABC anchor appears in her records? Just another wrong number? More to come…

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Thursday November 15th, 2007 1:32 PM by BHDC Staff  
Filed under: Scandals, BHDC, Deborah Jeane Palfrey, Radar, ABC, Ronald Roughead, Sam Donaldson

This well-reasoned question just came in from a person who is quite familiar with the Deborah Jeane Palfrey case, and its implications.

sam-donaldson1.jpgLook, I understand this has all been unpleasant for you, but why do you and Mr. Cook insist on fixating on the salacious-side of this story? I mean, honestly, why not leave your desk, drive over to Alexandria, Va., and go talk to Ronald Roughead? While you’re at it, why not track down some leads on the people prosecuting Ms. Palfrey? In addition, you need to check on the SAIC connection and lobbying…oh, never mind. Ms. Palfrey stands behind my assertions that you guys wanted salaciousness and that when it didn’t pan-out with Donaldson, the problems began. Both you and Mr. Cook are a major disappointment, along with Larisa of Rawstory, Huffpo, and the rest of the media. All you’re doing is making a site that’s a copy of all the same problems the MSM currently embodies. Change the focus, and you might be doing something, otherwise, it’s just gossip. However, I was impressed with the Leola McConnell story, though I think she’s got a lot of proving to do with her story — if she’s still alive.

Our response:

You make excellent points about the media, [NAME REDACTED]. The point in this situation is that Donaldson’s number IS in Palfrey’s records. I’ve always maintained that the bigger story here is that ABC News likely killed a larger story once it was determined that possibly more than one of their reporters appeared on the list. Radar has managed to muddle that aspect of the story because they were angry that Big Head DC did its own independent reporting to confirm that part of the story — with sources that they couldn’t possibly have spoken with. Just because they asked me for help does NOT mean I was beholden to report a story for them. Their pontifications about Big Head DC’s scoop makes it more difficult for people to see the problematic way ABC covered this story. And that’s a shame.

Earlier: Jossip Weighs In on Big Head DC / Radar Online Flap Over Sam Donaldson’s “DC Madam” Escort Business

And: EXCLUSIVE: Sam Donaldson’s Number Appears in DC Madam’s Escort Records

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Sunday November 11th, 2007 10:30 PM by BHDC Staff  
Filed under: Sex, Scandals, Scoops, Deborah Jeane Palfrey, David Vitter, ABC, Sam Donaldson

Must credit Big Head DC:

sam-donaldson.jpgBig Head DC has independently confirmed that a phone number belonging to longtime ABC newsman Sam Donaldson appears within the escort records of Deborah Jeane Palfrey. Palfrey, who is better known as the “D.C. Madam,” owned the Washington-based Pamela Martin & Associates escort business for several years through 2006.

Palfrey has told Big Head DC that she has communicated with Donaldson via telephone on at least one occasion. Once when she talked to Donaldson, she says, he was immediately panicked and asked how she got his number. Other times he left messages on her voice mail. Donaldson has not returned repeated requests for comment.

Big Head DC has determined that several media organizations, including ABC News - the employer of Donaldson - have long been holding information that indicates Donaldson’s number was listed within the records of the alleged “DC Madam.”

ABC News interviewed Palfrey last spring, and failed to uncover several prominent names on her list, including that of Sen. David Vitter. Sources indicate that ABC may have been withholding some information at least in part because their researchers had long ago discovered the Donaldson connection.

When ABC News was researching Palfrey’s story in April and May, she says they told her that they had found two prominent news anchors’ numbers in her phone records.

Donaldson married his wife Janice C. Smith in 1983.

Related: A BHDC Greatest Hit: Interview With the “DC Madam”

And: Flynt Teases New “Huge” GOP Senate Sex Scandal

New Criminal Lawyer for “DC Madam” & New Subpeonas for Brian Ross, Cindy Adams & Bill Bastone

And: EXCLUSIVE: “DC Madam” Insists ABC Knew More Than It Reported

And: ABC News Offers Weak Defense

And: “DC Madam” Case Reveals Serious ABC News Flaws

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Monday November 5th, 2007 9:48 AM by BHDC Staff  
Filed under: Gay, ABC

lesbian-kiss.jpggays-kissing.jpg“ABC is conducting a social experiment gauging the reactions of the general public to displays of affection between members of the same sex,” reports PageOneQ. “An actor inside an RV parked in the area confirmed a witness account of ABC’s week-long project.” Indeed, the actor told MyFox Birmingham that he and several other men who were kissing in public were “working for ABC News.”

Earlier: Is LAT Sitting on New Gay Political Sex Story Involving Hillary?

And: EXCLUSIVE: “DC Madam” Insists ABC Knew More Than It Reported

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Wednesday October 24th, 2007 12:12 AM by BHDC Staff  
Filed under: Al Gore, Climate, ABC

ABC News’s John Stossel, most famous for his “give me a break” tag line, is mad at Al Gore for saying the debate on global warming is over. To prove the former VP wrong, he interviewed several scientists who have a contrary view, including John Christy and Roy Spencer who won NASA’s Medal for Exceptional Achievement for figuring out how to get temperature data from satellites.

“We all agree that it’s warmed,” Spencer told Stossel. “The big question is, and the thing we dispute is, is it because of mankind?” Read more…

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