Random thoughts on Troublemaker Ben Holder, who apparently will be profiled in an upcoming edition of Yes! Weekly:

-- Jerry Bledsoe's decision to publish the details of Ben's cooperation with the cops was tough on Ben, and caused him some concern over the safety of his family and his own reputation.

-- Ben is capable of being hostile and profane and generous and humane, sometimes in the same thread. He's done a lot of good stuff for this town, and he's got an agenda out the wazoo. He's loyal to his friends and wrathful to his opponents, real and perceived.

--- To anyone who doesn't quite get the bluster: dude poses on his blog with a wrestling belt, and invokes Ric Flair to make a point.

-- Questions about transparency and wearing a wire go well beyond the journalist/blogger divide, and well beyond GSO. I've argued that Ben is an activist with a blog (although he was working as a journalist in the context of Bledsoe's article), and one of the great things about blogging is that it cuts out the middleman and lets people -- activists, politicians, strippers, software designers, whatever -- speak directly to the public. But wearing a wire has implications for those jobs, too, and transparency matters in communication from people who don't consider themselves journalists.

-- Even if an activist is focused on full disclosure to a web audience, is disclosing the wearing of a wire a reasonable expectation, vs, say, something like "I have cooperated with police and many other interested parties as part of my activism, all to help clean up some of the bad stuff that happens in neighborhoods where the rich folks don't live"?

-- Yes! editor Brian Clary should probably find a way to disclose his published view of the profile subject in any article about Holder.

Comments

[benholder]

is disclosing the wearing of a wire a reasonable expectation

I really dont think so. I wonder why folks even expected me to reveal something that could be harmful to me. Nothing really at all happened when i wore a wire and I really did not see any reason to disclose it. It would only cause me problems...but..too late for that...we shall see what Jordan greens says...however, this story to me was pretty much over after I posted it...so..I am not sure I have much to say about it...I wore a wire...How is that any of my readers business? I have a blog not a church.

[David Hoggard]

Three words best describe Ben Holder: Heart of Gold.

Say what you will about his bluster, tactics, profanity, ego, shoulder-mounted-chip... or whatever, but he has done and does things - good things.

Bledsoe offered the best take I've heard when describing Ben's penchant for getting things done in his rough-and-tumble, take-no-prisoners, style "...attack the obvious first; never depend on committees."

Last and best thing I can say, Ben is a good and dedicated father.

When I grow up, I want to be completely unvarnished... just like him.

[David Boyd]

That's a good comment, Hoggard.

Ben's a unique guy and while the world wouldn't be a functional place if everyone were like him, his pure motive of championing the underdog (like Cara Michele), buys him a lot of goodwill.

[Dr. Mary Johnson]

" . . . his pure motive of championing the underdog (like Cara Michele), buys him a lot of goodwill."

You would not know that by the way the journalists in the GSO blogosphere treated him this week.

[benholder]

Ed,

Ahearn went to talk tot he cops about dirty cops at Otis's as well as Robert White in a dread lock wig....That was not a wire..they did not call her and tell he rto come down there..she did this on her own..Linda Miles out right lied to council...but the big discussion is..ben didnt reveal a wire he wore three years ago...I took the heat..now...lets ask Ahearn where her disclosure is...is it more impportant for me on my blog to tell you everything...or for Linda Miles to tell her clients the facts?

[David Boyd]

Goodwill with me, anyway.

[Ed Cone]

Besides Clarey in the comments at this blog, I don't think any journalists have treated Ben badly in this episode. The journalist he's had a problem with is Bledsoe.

I agree about Ben's heart of gold. I consider him a friend, we communicate frequently and openly, have through the course of this episode and in preparation for this post.

But while character witnesses can add to a narrative, they don't necessarily address all of the questions in play. Being a good guy and wonderful dad doesn't answer all of the riddles of this story.

[benholder]

What are the riddles? I wore a wire..It was bothced...I knew Otis wasnt going to reveal anything..we had talked several times previously..I wrote all about it...I cant do anymore...what has Ahearn done to clear up her official complaint to the police about Otis's and dirty cops..her direct qoute..."You guys dont do anything to watch your own" then she writes about secret police and otis's later...what gives?

[Ed Cone]

Ben, the riddles are the issues of role (journlist, blogger, activist, etc) and disclosure. As I've said repeatedly, they go well beyond your case, and well beyond GSO.

Also, the botching of the wire is not relevant. The wearing of the wire is the point.

That said, I agree that we've squeezed the juice from this particular lemon, at least for the moment.

I will pat you down when we have lunch tomorrow, but that's just my way of saying hello.

Ahearn and activism: good question. I was getting to that the last time you told me to fuck off, for asking you and Sean to quit slap-fighting in a thread about something else. Are we ready to move on to that question now?

[Outdated]

In my opinion Mr. Holder is the triad’s only purebred investigative journalist/blogger. That he can compete against the N&R, with his limited resources, is a result of his resourcefulness and ingenuity. That he doesn’t have a cozy relationship with the powers that be makes me more than willing to cut him some slack.
Ed, if Drew Pearson or Jack Anderson were starting out their careers today as bloggers, would they be activists or journalists?

[Bubba]

"Ed, if Drew Pearson or Jack Anderson were starting out their careers today as bloggers, would they be activists or journalists?"

Good point.

Those two gentlemen stirred up LOTS of hate and discontent in their time.

I started understanding politics by reading Drew Pearson's "Washington Merry Go Round" in the WaPo back in the very early 60s.

It was on the last inside page of Style (or whatever they called that section then) opposite Bill Gold's "The District Line" on the facing page.

Both were must reads for me.

[Ed Cone]

OD, I think it's up to people to define their own roles, and do so clearly. If the great old muckrakers were starting today, they'd have to make some choices. I could see them becoming bloggers. I think people define "journalism" far too narrowly in any case, meaning just objective news reporting.

Ben is hardworking and resourceful for sure, and I think he adds a lot to the local scene. But there are many powers that be, and details of his long-understood close relationship to some of them was the starting place for this conversation.

[Outdated]

If I am not msitaken I beleive that Jack Anderson's column was placed in the comics section at one time.

[Bubba]

To my knowlege, it always appeared in the comics in the WaPo, on purpose, I believe.

The last four pages of the Post contained a healthy dose of the top strips of its day.

Made sense to place it there too. If I remember correctly, the comics were the most viewed pages in the entire paper.

[ben holder]

I am sure we are past the fuck off thingy...at least me and you are...now....Ahearn..it blows my mind how Miles can lie to council and not get anyhting close to the attention I got for wearing a wire...amazing for sure

[Ed Cone]

What evidence is there that Ahearn interjected herself into the story rather than, y'know, reporting the story?

Is it possible that she talked to Wray about the club because she wanted to know about it as a reporter?

[Ed Cone]

An email from Lorraine Ahearn, N&R metro columnist, used with permission:

I made an appointment with Chief Wray the fall after he was appointed to ask in confidence about rumors of police corruption, and about a club in Glenwood that a neighbor told me about. This was an off-the-record conversation about unsubstantiated rumors. I am not going to betray what was said off-the-record, but I can tell you, there was no mention of former Chief White, or of Otis Dunlap, whose name I'm not sure I even knew at that point.

This was in no way a "complaint" by me, nor was anything discussed later reported by me.

In looking for stories, reporters very often do check on rumors. That does not put them in the employ of the police department, or make them part of the story. And it is not news.

ps Also, we attached an editor's note to our first story about Wray's version of events, noting that this meeting with me was referenced in Wray's memo to the city council. We have never tried to hide the fact that the meeting took place. There is nothing to hide. You may find it interesting to compare this version given the council to the later version of this story.

[benholder]

dread lock wig?

[Roch101]

What's up with Ahearn's explaination by email? I mean, Lorraine, there's a comment box at your disposal right here.

[Joe Killian]

Send a respectful e-mail response to someone who's asked a question or get into a 30-post argument with anonymous people who call you names, hurl obscenities at you and baselessly question your integrity?

I think we all know which masochistic decision I usually make, but I see where she's coming from.

[Ashanti]

Least anyone forget Brian Clary is a piece of s--t. Ben Rocks

[Ed Cone]

No need to restart the flame war, thnx.

Anyway, it's "grain" of salt, not "piece."

[Uncle Remus]

Dang. And I was gonna order me one of them black books, too.