MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARING DOCUMENTATION RE-EMERGES ONLINE
When Alaska Dispatch News publisher Alice Rogoff crash landed her plane into Halibut Cove on July 3, an eye-witness travel blogger, Scott Frederickson, captured the whole scene with photos and a written account. He posted it, but the item disappeared mysteriously soon thereafter.
Fortunately, Frederickon has reposted his account at his travel blog, where he added this paragraph:
Several days later, in the local paper, no article appeared telling the truth of what happened. I then published my post and it was picked by local media and television stations. Since then, I have had conversations with the FAA, NTSB, and the pilots attorney. Oh, just write a simple travel blog for my friends can get you in a shit load of trouble. Remember, the rules are not made for the rich, they’re made specifically for the little people – to keep us in line. Keep your eyes on the rich and make them follow the same rules ALL people have to follow in order to preserve a great and honest society.
BLOGGER HOLDING HIS CARDS CLOSE
Must Read Alaska contacted Frederickson, who said that his blog has everything in it that he wants to say about the incident and that he does not wish to be quoted anywhere. But a careful reader might infer that the travel blogger felt pressure from Rogoff’s attorney, which led to the three-week disappearance of his written account while he sorted out the threat. Journalist Craig Medred was the first to raise the issue of the blog posting being removed.
As the Rogoff accident shows, the world is a much more documented place than it was a generation ago. Citizen bloggers, citizen journalists, and social media hobbyists have tools on them at all times to record events as they happen, whether they’re in Ferguson, Missouri or Halibut Cove, Alaska.
Thus, the line between journalist and citizen documentarian has been blurred, and citizens like Frederickson can find themselves in uncomfortable positions once the lawyers start calling.