Meet the Journalist Spreading Michael Hastings Conspiracy Theories

[SidDithers]

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/08/michael-hastings-conspiracy-theories-kim-dvorak

The Los Angeles Police Department has ruled out foul play in journalist Michael Hastings' fatal car crash two months ago in Hollywood, but several media outlets are continuing to promote conspiracy theories about the circumstances surrounding his death. The theories, which suggest Hastings was assassinated shortly after sending friends a frantic email, have received attention beyond the usual fringe suspects partly because of ongoing reporting by freelance blogger Kimberly Dvorak for the CW Television Network affiliate San Diego 6.

Dvorak, whom the station touts as an "investigative journalist," is a "National Homeland Security Correspondent" for Examiner.com, a blog network owned by Republican billionaire Philip Anschutz that has minimal editorial oversight. Since Hastings' death, San Diego 6 has repeatedly given Dvorak airtime to float conspiracy theories—that the crash was not consistent with a car accident, that Hastings was cremated to cover up foul play, that federal officials may have ordered him killed. None of these theories, which often come from unnamed sources, are backed up by convincing evidence, but reputable media outlets keep falling for Dvorak's reporting anyway.

Last month, for example, the Independent, a major British newspaper, picked up Dvorak's report claiming that Hastings' body "was cremated and it wasn't the request of the family…in fact, the family wanted Michael's body to go home." But on Tuesday, veteran journalist Russ Baker dispelled the myth on his news site WhoWhatWhy by talking to a family member who confirmed that the cremation was done at the family's request. Dvorak later removed the passage saying Hastings' family wanted his body to "go home," but her story still hints at a cover-up, calling the cremation a "macabre twist."

Dvorak's other theories are just as questionable. She claimed on air that the engine of Hastings' Mercedes C250 coupe had been found behind the crash site, which would have been impossible with the forward velocity of an ordinary accident. The engine was found in front of the crash site. Her suggestion that a grainy video of the crash showed evidence of a "pre-explosion" sabotage has been dismissed by car experts. She has also reported that the intensity of the resulting fire might suggest the use of thermite accelerants—a popular theory among 9/11 truthers who believe thermite was used to melt the World Trade Center towers' steel columns. She's written credulously about the theory that President Barack Obama may not have been born in the United States. And Dvorak has repeated speculation by Richard Clarke, the former Bush- and Clinton-era counterterrorism czar, that Hastings' car's computer system may have been remotely hacked—something that's technically possible but highly unlikely.

Previous thread about Dvorak:
http://sync.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3409274

Sid

[snooper2]

1. You don't expect people to believe this do you?

She is on a quest for the Truth!


How long has motherjones.com been working for the man anyway?

[Cali_Democrat]

2. Many folks here are convinced he was murdered

Even though there is no evidence to suggest that:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023508815

[99th_Monkey]

3. Just because ONE nut-case believes something

does not automatically make that belief untrue or invalid.

just sayin'

[rhett o rick]

4. You of all people posting CT in GD. Criticism of CT belongs in the CS Group. But you know that.

But I doubt if any of the anti-CT posse will alert on you. They only alert on CT that goes counter to their agenda.

There has been a rash of alerts re. CT. CT is the new "Meta" for attempting to lock threads. But I dont suppose you know anything about that.

[SidDithers]

6. ...

Then you should send an SOP alert, and we'll see what GD Hosts think.

Sorry if your 'Hastings was murdered by evil Obama' opinion is horseshit.

Sid

[rhett o rick]

8. I am not thread lock happy like some here. It seems to be a power thing.

"Sorry if your 'Hastings was murdered by evil Obama' opinion is horseshit. " Please! You are misrepresenting my "opinion". I dont know if Hastings was murdered, but I try to keep an open mind and be skeptical of authoritarian power as I would hope all Democrats would do.

I feel bad that we have Democrats that will stick their heads in the sand just because an authoritarian figure tells them to.

I see you are again using the signature emoticon.

[Cali_Democrat]

7. Wait...the OP is CT?

Seems to me like it's debunking a known conspiracy theorist who is also a right winger (Dvorak).

[SidDithers]

9. I know, eh?...

It's like we're entered bizarro DU.



Sid

[Cha]

21. You just have to understand Bizarro language. Up is down Facts are

Hype, Bad is good, and good is not really. "Putin is good/Obama bad"

[zappaman]

24. San Diego seems full of phony journos..

http://sandiegofreepress.org/2013/08/real-journalists-vs-real-journalism-and-why-its-important-in-san-diego/

[Cha]

26. Sounds like the DC press corp.. mahalo

for the article, zappaman.

I use to live in San Diego(all over) for 15 years in the '70s and 80s,

[rhett o rick]

11. So you are saying we can discuss debunking CT in GD but not support the CT?

What if someone objects to the debunking and provides a pro-CT rebuttal? Would the rebuttal be hidden?

Discussion of CT whether in favor or against should be in CS.

[Cali_Democrat]

17. There are a number of threads in GD which theorize Hastings died as a result

of one or more of the following:

- Boston brakes
- Remote hijacking
- Planted explosives

None of those threads were locked. At least, none that I can recall. There are also threads which aren't specific in terms of the means of assassination, but they do theorize the government was involved in his killing and subsequent cover up. Those haven't been locked.

Creating a thread debunking those theories is only fair IMO and it shouldn't be locked either.

[rhett o rick]

19. Actually I dont mind. But it seems a little hypocritical for those that have been doing all the

alerting on CT in the last few days. It almost looks coordinated, maybe even a conspiracy. Wouldnt that be ironic.

I would rather error on the side of letting post stay unlike those that get off on getting people PPR'd, or getting threads locked, or hiding posts.

Looks to me like there are a number of posters in DU that dont ever discuss issues but spend all their time ridiculing others and trying to get posts locked. These posters were devastated when Meta was shut down. Meta was bully heaven.

[Whisp]

10. well I guess I know which hat you were wearing in the debate...

bet it was shiney.
Are you dissappointed that Obama wasn't at the scene with his foot stuck out to cause the crash?

[rhett o rick]

15. Is ridicule the best you can do? An open-minded Democrat wouldnt ridicule either side of a debate.

Using ridicule to close down discussion is not a Democratic trait.

Not that you are interested, my side is that I believe in being skeptical of authoritarian power.

[Whisp]

18. hehe.

keep talking.
some democrats don't have a mind so open that everything falls out.

Like most stories, it is best to wait instead of jump on things that fit your scheme of the world and the evils in it. And if one is wrong you either apologize or just fade away from the topic instead of making extra big arrows of sillness pointed at oneself.

but for You to say, stop the ridiculing, whahahaaaaaa! is quite interesting.

[msanthrope]

12. Given the amount of threads in GD given to the theory of Michael Hasting's death being

caused by remote, by drone, or by poison (or a combination of all three) I find your critique without substance.

[SidDithers]

14. I find it disingenuous...

but hilarious.

Sid

[msanthrope]

16. It is pretty goddamn hilarious....and I suspect that in CS, the right-wing c

connections would be conveniently hid from a majority of the board.

[zappaman]

23. Oh yeah

[cali]

5. that's a mean, mean loon picture

my favorite bird.

otherwise, I agree with you. Now stop slandering those lovely birds.

[11 Bravo]

28. My family vacations in Maine every summer. We always stay in a camp about 30 feet ...

from the shoreline of one of Maine's many gorgeous lakes. Two weeks ago I was falling asleep while listening to the call of the loons. They are truly lovely birds. (Sadly, the mate of one of our lake's loon population passed away last winter. Knowing that they mate for life, the cries of the surviving bird seemed a bit more plaintive this year.)

[Rex]

13. "Whether it turns out to be true or not, that's a whole other issue," says Kim Dvorak.

[zappaman]

22. Kick and Rec! n/t

[SidDithers]

25. Thanks for the kick...

Sid

[X_Digger]

27. K&R n/t