Talon News site closes to re-evaluate operations [chron.com]

[truthisfreedom]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/3056444

Feb. 24, 2005, 10:13PM

Talon News site closes to re-evaluate operations

The negative online traffic and publicity made it difficult to work, publicist says
By JUSTIN GEST
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau


  Bobby Eberle, the owner of Talon News, has disconnected his phone amid a wave of negative attention.
WASHINGTON - The Texas-based online news site at the center of a White House media controversy has temporarily shut down because its founder "can only take so much of a beating" over the page's political slant, the site's publicist said Thursday.


It's the latest step that Talon News owner and Pearland resident Bobby Eberle has taken to distance himself from James Guckert, the former Talon News Washington correspondent accused of being used by the Bush administration to spread conservative propaganda.

<snip>
Until the Talon News site reopens, Ohman said she would direct devoted readers seeking dependable information to the Drudge Report.

---------


BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA! direct devoted readers seeking dependable information to the sludge? man, these people are on ACID.

[Quakerfriend]

1. Do you suppose it's all those freepers getting mad??

OR is this just another attemp to appear to be bullied by liberals?

[MSgt213]

2. I hope no one is buying this bullshit. He is trying to melt away

[NoSunWithoutShadow]

3. This deserves a Kick

:kick:

[sabra]

4. CBS: "Lights Out For Talon News"

<<SNIP>>
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/25/politics/main676503.shtml

Lights Out For Talon News

(CBS/AP) The conservative online news outlet that employed a reporter who sparked a controversy by asking the president a loaded question has shut down.

Jennifer Ohman, a publicist for Talon News, told the Houston Chronicle that Talon had temporarily gone offline because the site's founder, Bobby Eberle, "can only take so much of a beating" over its political slant.

....

Guckert later resigned after liberal bloggers raised questions about his identity and found links between Guckert and gay pornography Web sites. The Talon publicist said the controversy has drawn many people to the site and that "the attention by and large was negative."

....

Eberle has asserted that Talon News was a "straight news site," despite running prominent advertisements for conservative causes and links to GOPUSA.com, a conservative site also run by Eberle.

<</SNIP>>

[Just Me]

5. Oh, I see. These radicals can politically beat the shit out of whomever,..

,...they please but they can't freakin' take it!!!!!

Well, I'll respond to you the way you respond to anyone who doesn't toe your line: "BOOFUCKINHOO! Pull yourselves up by your damned bootstraps and get over it! Don't be a whiner! What's the matter,...can't handle a bit of competition,...LOSER?"

Weenie!!!

[Canuckistanian]

6. What do they mean, 'take a beating'??

They're a fake new organization whose only job seemed to be to cut-and-paste WH press releases and GOP talking points.
There doesn't seem to be any "journalism" to them at all.

Now they're moaning that people are criticizing them for that? I don't care what political stripe you are, but being called on your shoddy sleazy reporting is not a 'beating', but rather a well-deserved critique.

[NV Whino]

7. Wait a minute

I thought the spin was that they were down to redesign the site because they were getting so many hits due to recent "publicity." They wanted to make it look pretty for all the new people who have discovered this fine "unbiased" site.

[BOSSHOG]

8. Poor lil PooPoo Head

All that negative attention. Poor baby. Conservatives just hate the truth huh lil booboo.

[DeusIrae]

9. Goodnight Sweetheart!

Wonder why they choose not mention JG's moonlighting escapades? I know they are afraid of biting the hand that feeds them, but there's so much red meat here. Whose the insider who arranged the press credentials? What is the insider\JG relationship? Professional (By that of course I mean the oldest profession)?

[TygrBright]

10. Huh?!?

"The conservative online news outlet" (emphasis mine)???

Yikes!

CBS is a news outlet (albeit not a very good one.) So, they put "Talon News" in the same category with themselves?

Does this mean they are finally acknowleging that "news outlet" is a code word for "Administration propaganda shill?"

WELL! Kudos to CBS for coming clean and admitting what we all knew, but they coyly avoided mentioning for so long.

flabbergastedly,
Bright

[DeusIrae]

11. Speaking of Outlet

Outlet is the broadest qualifier they could think of to use in conjunction with 'news'.
I would say that the 'news' that CBS reports is shit, making "news outlet" analogous with the much more fitting term asshole.
Ahh, poetic justice....:smoke:

[TygrBright]

12. Wait... wouldn't that be...

..."Ashcroft?"

innocently,
Bright

[lovuian]

13. Eberle shut down cause the paychecks stopped coming in!!!

No money No site!!!... I think the deal is over!!!

What a very inexpensive way to give Bush softball questions and hand out News for Bush!!!

[Moderator]

14. Kick to combine threads

n/t

[Mark E. Smith]

15. Talon News Web Site Closes Amid Heavy Criticism

Reuters 2/25 8:42 PM ET

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A Texas-based Web site whose conservative connections touched off a White House media controversy has shut down "to reevaluate operations," according to a message posted on the site.

A spokeswoman for Talon News said the site was closed because its founder, Bobby Eberle of Pearsland, Texas, "can only take so much beating" over the page's political slant, the Houston Chronicle reported on Friday.

Talon, which could not immediately be reached for comment, came under fire after its White House reporter, who identified himself as Jeff Gannon, asked a politically loaded question at a White House press conference and was accused by critics of being used by the Bush administration to spread conservative propaganda.

Since the, Gannon, whose real name is James Guckert, has been linked to gay porn Web sites and prostitution, and photos of him naked have circulated on the Web.

(Later...)

Talon News said in its message that the Web site would be redesigned and "a top-to-bottom review of staff and volunteer contributors" would be performed.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=548&ncid=584&ncid=584&e=2&u=/nm/20050226/pl_nm/politics_talon_dc
___________________________________________________________________________________

Seems old Bobby Eberle has been a little embarrassed by his Washington reporter and some of the ensuing speculation regarding possible favoritism gained through sexual relationships. That Eberle thinks he can somehow live this down is kind of, well, amusing.

[Webster Green]

16. Typical right-wing persecution complex....

...As if its actually about "taking a beating over the page's political slant".

Bwahahahahah!

Get a grip asshole!

[opiate69]

17. So much for the "Big, Tough Righties"..

Assholes.. can dish out all kinds of nasty, nasty shit, but tuck tail and run like little fucking chimps when some of it comes back at 'em.

[MidwestTransplant]

18. VOTE IT UP!

[TroglodyteScholar]

19. Does this picture make anyone else feel uncomfortable?

Bobby Eberle, the owner of
Talon News, has disconnected his phone
amid a wave of negative
attention.

[MADem]

20. What a load of HORSESHIT!

They closed because their mole in the press room was outed, the site was established solely as a vehicle for JimmyJeff--he was the only one getting a "stipend" for his service, the rest were volunteers. Bobby Eberle knows where the money came from to pay JimmyJeff his little stipend, and he needs to share that info.

The reporter who gets the interview with Eberle is a good reporter. That guy knows what the real story is--the challenge is finding a way to convince him to tell us what he knows. Right now, he's hiding out, probably figuring he could have a bad accident, if ya know what I mean....

[Seeing Red]

21. Talon News Web site closes amid heavy criticism

-snip-
"A spokeswoman for Talon News said the site closed because its founder, Bobby Eberle of Pearland, Texas, ''can only take so much beating'' over the page's political slant, the Houston Chronicle reported Friday."

http://famulus.msnbc.com/famulusgen/reuters02-25-173030.asp?t=renew&vts=22620051149

it really speaks for itself ...

[rodeodance]

22. one down, a million to go (maybe more)

[mourningdove92]

23. Mark one up for the Good Guys!

Of course, this act shows just how cowardly the dark side really is. It demonstrates that they had full knowledge that what they were doing was wrong. Can you spell BUSTED?

[Demeter]

24. So, We Win One Battle of the "Culture War"

Did you know that they wanted to impeach Clinton for the sake of their stupid Culture War? Their culture war is a total repudiation of the Founding Fathers' intent and the very essence of treason.

[daleo]

25. Eberle plans to slink away.

He has to be connected to someone in the White House, and between the three of them they set the whole thing up. They are going to ground if they can, to avoid any questions. The FBI should be questioning this whole operation.

[Lizzie Borden]

26. kick!

:kick: