True/Slant, R.I.P.

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Donald Douglas notes the passing of an online venue that published such luminaries as Charles Johnson and Conor Friedersdorf. Dan Riehl blames the “Culture 11” albatross factor.

Donald and Dan neglect to mention the most notorious article in True/Slant’s brief history: Rick Ungar’s “Send the Body to Glenn Beck” screed, which blamed the death of a Kentucky census worker on Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Bachmann, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, etc. 

Unfortunately for Rick Ungar’s credibility, Bill Sparkman’s death turned out to be suicide.

True/Slant editor Michael Roston reports that the site has been acquired by Forbes — does Steve Forbes know what they’re doing with his money? — while David Kaplan reports that True/Slant CEO Lewis D’Vorkin, a former Forbes staffer, is returning to the mothership.

22 comments

  1. Is Conor Friedersdorf the Ted McGinley of the online world? You tell me.

    http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/264186/the_curse_of_the_tv_show_killer_pg2.html?cat=39

    “Ted McGinley is a different kind of show killer, maybe even more dangerous than the rest. Most show killers are attached to a show from the very beginning and the show never gets off the ground but not Ted McGinley. Ted McGinley joins shows that are already successful and then sinks them. Ted McGinley joined Happy Days, gone. Ted McGinley joined the Love Boat, see ya. Ted McGinley joined Married with Children, it’s over. Ted McGinley joined Sports Night, bye bye.”

    Now Conor’s credits:

    Culture 11, That other one that went bye even before people can remember it’s name and now True/Slant.

    You be the judge.

  2. Is Conor Friedersdorf the Ted McGinley of the online world? You tell me.

    http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/264186/the_curse_of_the_tv_show_killer_pg2.html?cat=39

    “Ted McGinley is a different kind of show killer, maybe even more dangerous than the rest. Most show killers are attached to a show from the very beginning and the show never gets off the ground but not Ted McGinley. Ted McGinley joins shows that are already successful and then sinks them. Ted McGinley joined Happy Days, gone. Ted McGinley joined the Love Boat, see ya. Ted McGinley joined Married with Children, it’s over. Ted McGinley joined Sports Night, bye bye.”

    Now Conor’s credits:

    Culture 11, That other one that went bye even before people can remember it’s name and now True/Slant.

    You be the judge.

  3. We also published (and paid) such luminaries as Bill Dupray (Patriot Room/Liberty Pundits) and John Kinsellagh (Beacon Street Journal), and tried our best to promote the fine right-leaning content they produced. And guess who argued that progressives were wrong, and that it was more likely that Sparkman died on account of Clay County, Kentucky being a drug trading center?

    Noting that would be inconvenient for the dishonest narrative you’ve spun up.

    Journalism is a complicated business, especially these days. Fortunately for contributors to publications like the American Spectator, there are all manner of deep pocketed folks happy to subsidize not-for-profits like the American Spectator Foundation, shielding you and them from the queasy business cycles of media.

  4. We also published (and paid) such luminaries as Bill Dupray (Patriot Room/Liberty Pundits) and John Kinsellagh (Beacon Street Journal), and tried our best to promote the fine right-leaning content they produced. And guess who argued that progressives were wrong, and that it was more likely that Sparkman died on account of Clay County, Kentucky being a drug trading center?

    Noting that would be inconvenient for the dishonest narrative you’ve spun up.

    Journalism is a complicated business, especially these days. Fortunately for contributors to publications like the American Spectator, there are all manner of deep pocketed folks happy to subsidize not-for-profits like the American Spectator Foundation, shielding you and them from the queasy business cycles of media.

  17. can someone please find the person who murdered chuckies johnson’s credibility and charge that person with 1st degree murder?

  18. can someone please find the person who murdered chuckies johnson’s credibility and charge that person with 1st degree murder?

  21. “there are all manner of deep pocketed folks happy to subsidize not-for-profits”

    Like George Soros, right? Truth is, most conservative bloggers are not bankrolled by big spending activists like Media Matters, TPM, Think Progress, and HuffPo are. That is how/why they can enjoy high salaries and book deals, despite the bilge and poor product they put forth, while people such as Stacy and Ace have to rattle a tip jar. In fact, HotAir was started by Michelle Malkin, not some foundation. Yes, she sold it for a (presumably) handsome sum, but she started on her own.

  22. “there are all manner of deep pocketed folks happy to subsidize not-for-profits”

    Like George Soros, right? Truth is, most conservative bloggers are not bankrolled by big spending activists like Media Matters, TPM, Think Progress, and HuffPo are. That is how/why they can enjoy high salaries and book deals, despite the bilge and poor product they put forth, while people such as Stacy and Ace have to rattle a tip jar. In fact, HotAir was started by Michelle Malkin, not some foundation. Yes, she sold it for a (presumably) handsome sum, but she started on her own.

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