Media Whores Online
Encyclopedia
Media Whores Online, also known as mediawhoresonline.com or The Horse or often just MWO, was a liberal
American
political
webzine that operated as a media
watchdog. The site operated from 2000 until early 2004, and quickly established a reputation for quotability. By 2002 James Carville
and Paul Begala
would frequently cite MWO on CNN
's Crossfire
. The founder, known pseudonymously as Jennifer Kelly or JennyQ, has never been publicly identified.
The activities of JennyQ apparently began on the Salon.com
Table Talk forum
s. That same year, MWO was noted for having created a Chris Matthews
drinking game
.
MWO published sometimes-daily blog
-like updates of news stories. Its best-known feature was the "Whore of the Week" item, which skewered a generally high-profile media figure for favorable coverage of Republican
s or uncritical acceptance of right-wing
talking points. A converse feature was a standing "Media in Exile" list of reporters and others that MWO deemed to "uphold the standards of journalism." Corresponding with Eric Alterman
, MWO called its strategy "mimic[ing] the tactics of the wingnuts," calling it an "easy" standard to uphold. Fans considered its writing very funny, full of "wit and sarcasm."
In 2001, liberal blogger Duncan Black
published two early pieces on MWO under his pseudonym
Atrios.
In 2002, the site was controversially profiled by Salon.com, noting how CNN anchor Aaron Brown
had received "hundreds of e-mails" after MWO criticized him. MWO began emphasizing politeness after the incident. Freelancer Jennifer Liberto claimed to have determined that the site was run by Bartcop
's Terry Coppage and Marc Perkel, a conclusion both vehemently denied. MWO had always linked directly to Bartcop's site and an essay of his, The Myth of the Liberal Media, as a kind of mission statement
. Adding to the mystery, the moniker "Jennifer Kelly" was apparently abandoned, with the operators responding only by e-mails that were signed "The Editors." The Editors confessed to having an outside underwriter, and at one point conservative pundit Tucker Carlson
demanded of liberal Joe Conason
whether MWO was his, which Conason denied. Not even regular contributors to the site seemed to know Kelly's identity.
In 2003, the site was rated 8th most influential by Brendan Nyhan
for Online Journalism Review.
In early 2004, the site was noted for having encouraged bloggers to create "watchblogs" that would dog the every move of individual reporters or conservative pundits. A The New Yorker
profile of Al Gore
by David Remnick
noted that mediawhoresonline.com was bookmarked on the former Vice President's
laptop.
In a 2004 e-mail to Salon, MWO defended its contributors' anonymity, saying exposure could "detrimentally affect their employment," and invoked the "long tradition of anonymous speech in America."
Around that point, the MWO site went dark with the note "Out to Pasture" (with two horses showing). When journalist David Neiwert
corresponded with the MWO operator, he was told simply that "real life" had prevented blogging, but that MWO hoped to return for the fall elections, which never happened.
The nickname The Horse derived from recurring errors in transcripts of TV programs which mentioned the site; the transcripts called it "Media Horse Online."
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
political
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
webzine that operated as a media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
watchdog. The site operated from 2000 until early 2004, and quickly established a reputation for quotability. By 2002 James Carville
James Carville
Chester James Carville, Jr. is an American political consultant, commentator, educator, actor, attorney, media personality, and prominent liberal pundit. Carville gained national attention for his work as the lead strategist of the successful presidential campaign of then-Arkansas governor Bill...
and Paul Begala
Paul Begala
Paul Edward Begala is an American political consultant and political commentator. He was an adviser to President Bill Clinton. Begala was a chief strategist for the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign, which carried 33 states and made Clinton the first Democrat to win the White House in sixteen years...
would frequently cite MWO on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's Crossfire
Crossfire (TV series)
Crossfire was a current events debate television program that aired from 1982 to 2005 on CNN. Its format was designed to present and challenge the opinions of a politically liberal pundit and a conservative pundit.-Format:...
. The founder, known pseudonymously as Jennifer Kelly or JennyQ, has never been publicly identified.
The activities of JennyQ apparently began on the Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
Table Talk forum
Bulletin board
A bulletin board is a surface intended for the posting of public messages, for example, to advertise things to buy or sell, announce events, or provide information...
s. That same year, MWO was noted for having created a Chris Matthews
Chris Matthews
Christopher John "Chris" Matthews is an American news anchor and political commentator, known for his nightly hour-long talk show, Hardball with Chris Matthews, which is televised on the American cable television channel MSNBC...
drinking game
Drinking game
Drinking games are games which involve the consumption of alcoholic beverages. These games vary widely in scope and complexity, although the purpose of most is to become intoxicated as quickly as possible...
.
MWO published sometimes-daily blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
-like updates of news stories. Its best-known feature was the "Whore of the Week" item, which skewered a generally high-profile media figure for favorable coverage of Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
s or uncritical acceptance of right-wing
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
talking points. A converse feature was a standing "Media in Exile" list of reporters and others that MWO deemed to "uphold the standards of journalism." Corresponding with Eric Alterman
Eric Alterman
Eric Alterman is an American English teacher, historian, journalist, author, media critic, blogger, and educator. His political weblog named Altercation was hosted by MSNBC.com from 2002 until 2006, moved to Media Matters for America until December 2008, and is now hosted by The...
, MWO called its strategy "mimic
In 2001, liberal blogger Duncan Black
Atrios
Duncan Bowen Black , better known by his pseudonym Atrios , is an American liberal blogger living in Philadelphia. His weblog Eschaton is one of the most popular political weblogs, receiving an average of over 100,000 hits every day...
published two early pieces on MWO under his pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Atrios.
In 2002, the site was controversially profiled by Salon.com, noting how CNN anchor Aaron Brown
Aaron Brown
Aaron Brown is an American broadcast journalist most recognized for his coverage of the September 11, 2001 attacks, his first day on air at CNN...
had received "hundreds of e-mails" after MWO criticized him. MWO began emphasizing politeness after the incident. Freelancer Jennifer Liberto claimed to have determined that the site was run by Bartcop
Bartcop
bartcop is a liberal blogger from Tulsa, Oklahoma, active on the web since 1996 and has produced his own internet radio show since 2004. "bartcop" is the moniker of Terry R. Coppage, born September 1, 1953....
's Terry Coppage and Marc Perkel, a conclusion both vehemently denied. MWO had always linked directly to Bartcop's site and an essay of his, The Myth of the Liberal Media, as a kind of mission statement
Mission statement
A mission statement is a statement of the purpose of a company or organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a path, and guide decision-making...
. Adding to the mystery, the moniker "Jennifer Kelly" was apparently abandoned, with the operators responding only by e-mails that were signed "The Editors." The Editors confessed to having an outside underwriter, and at one point conservative pundit Tucker Carlson
Tucker Carlson
Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson is an American political news correspondent and conservative commentator for the Fox News Channel...
demanded of liberal Joe Conason
Joe Conason
Joe Conason is an American journalist, author and political commentator. He writes a column for the weekly New York Observer newspaper, for Salon.com and has written a number of books, including Big Lies , which addresses what he says are myths spread about liberals by conservatives.-Life and...
whether MWO was his, which Conason denied. Not even regular contributors to the site seemed to know Kelly's identity.
In 2003, the site was rated 8th most influential by Brendan Nyhan
Brendan Nyhan
Brendan Nyhan is an American liberal to moderate political blogger, author, and political columnist. He was born in Mountain View, California and now lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.-Education:...
for Online Journalism Review.
In early 2004, the site was noted for having encouraged bloggers to create "watchblogs" that would dog the every move of individual reporters or conservative pundits. A The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
profile of Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
by David Remnick
David Remnick
David Remnick is an American journalist, writer, and magazine editor. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1994 for his book Lenin's Tomb: The Last Days of the Soviet Empire. Remnick has been editor of The New Yorker magazine since 1998. He was named "Editor of the Year" by Advertising Age in 2000...
noted that mediawhoresonline.com was bookmarked on the former Vice President's
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
laptop.
In a 2004 e-mail to Salon, MWO defended its contributors' anonymity, saying exposure could "detrimentally affect their employment," and invoked the "long tradition of anonymous speech in America."
Around that point, the MWO site went dark with the note "Out to Pasture" (with two horses showing). When journalist David Neiwert
David Neiwert
David Neiwert is a Seattle-based freelance journalist and blogger. He received the National Press Club Award for Distinguished Online Journalism in 2000 for a domestic terrorism series he produced for MSNBC.com....
corresponded with the MWO operator, he was told simply that "real life" had prevented blogging, but that MWO hoped to return for the fall elections, which never happened.
The nickname The Horse derived from recurring errors in transcripts of TV programs which mentioned the site; the transcripts called it "Media Horse Online."
External links
- MWO archive - from the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
(2000-2004; much of 2003 missing) - MWO archive - from the Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
(2002 only) - Rabid watchdog - Salon.comSalon.comSalon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
story