Talk:David Corn

Untitled

the following comments by "Andres Kargar" were on Talk:Gary_Webb but removed by someone (but still in the history). I thought this would be a better place for this, so that we may pull out the facts that can be added to the article, so I have copied them here. Jan 4 2005

Comments removed. Please review Wikipedia:Talk page. If you feel this information is important to the article, than post just that information. If you feel you need to post the whole article, then provide a link to a web page with a comment describing how the material will improve the article. --Viriditas | Talk 00:51, 5 Jan 2005 (UTC)

I rewrote much of the article drawing on mainstream coverage of his books. Most of the stuff I dropped was filler, often taken more or less verbatim from his website. As for the section on the Plame affair itself, obviously we need some more specific coverage, since his personal involvement there is important. On the other hand, it should not come exclusively from a source like Novak, for whom it is equally personal and who has a major axe to grind. I haven't tackled that section yet, because wading through that particular hall of mirrors is likely to be rather time-consuming. Hopefully I've made the article a little more balanced in the meantime until that can be addressed. --Michael Snow 07:16, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

I've taken a stab at it now. It might or might not warrant more detail, depending on what can be independently confirmed in reputable sources. Whatever one's views of Novak, his implicit observation is dead-on that "bloating" is a problem for accounts of this episode, including as it applies to this article. --Michael Snow 06:47, 23 November 2006 (UTC)

Strange Eight Lines (about a French book)

Problem: Half of the introduction (8 of 16 lines) is dedicated to what seems to be a within-office dispute about a French book, not about his own writing or career accomplishments.

Explanation: There is a tension in the article between (a) the broad range of Corn's writing accomplishments, and (b) the emphasis given in the first 16 lines linking Corn to a small controversy.

The article seems to (rightly) list some of Corn's author accomplishments:

   * Blond Ghost 
   * Deep Background. 
   * The Lies of George W. Bush 
   * Hubris: 

However, despite this, about 8 of the 16 lines of the introduction to his career are fully dedicated to what seems to be a relatively small within-office dispute over a specific decision about a French book.

On one occasion, he criticized his own organization when Nation Books (a sibling to The Nation) chose to publish the translation of a controversial French book on Osama bin Laden and the September 11 attacks. The book, Forbidden Truth by Jean-Charles Brisard and Guillaume Dasquié (former editor-in-chief of Intelligence Online), suggested that the attacks resulted after a breakdown in talks between the Taliban and the United States to run an oil pipeline through Afghanistan. Corn argued that publishing "contrived conspiracy theories" undermined the ability to expose actual governmental misbehavior.

The amount of space given to a within-office dispute is out of balance and strange.

Was that one of his career accomplishments? Ihaveabutt (talk) 04:50, 17 February 2009 (UTC)

Agree, it's undue detail for the lead. I thought about shortening the 2nd paragraph but the incident isn't mentioned in the body text -- though notable enough -- probably because it can't be easily squeezed into an existing section. Someone would have to make a section on his non-book writings. El duderino (talk) 06:48, 3 April 2012 (UTC)

Words not neutral

The words typical and normal are not neutral:

and broke from typical journalistic practice with its explicit charge of lying, a term normally avoided as editorializing

They create a clearly negative tone, they imply a moral judgment on Corn, and they inject a judgmental standard that is arbitrary and not supported.

Corn and many authors have supported their statements.

The terms typical, normally avoided are not a neutral point of view. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ihaveabutt (talk • contribs) 05:19, 17 February 2009 (UTC)

Romney tape publication

He was involved in getting the Romney $50K party tape published. Might this be important? 76.21.107.221 (talk) 00:16, 25 September 2012 (UTC)