Corporate power tried to steal my life work.
ABC TV and Ted Koppel tried to censor the free speech of a free man in a free country.
Fuck that.
ABC TV stolen pictures frame grab from my copyrighted work. Count them–four separate credits demanding ABC be given credit for photographs taken when ABC did b not even have a staff person in all of Southeast Asia. This photo was hand delivered to the New York Times, The AP and posted on ABC’s website
Discuss freedom.
I would like to define this discussion, where it belongs: The power of corporate thugs using their money to put their jackboot on the necks of of freelance creative artists must stop.
It is time to draw the line and demand that we, as writers, photographers, musicians, creative artists are worthy. Our work should be respected and compensated as such.
Unlike the Atlantic magazine headache of a few months ago, let’s use our power to define the debate.
Please discuss.
Whatever the content of your opinion, of the discussion, is fine. Whatever point of view you have, is legitimate.
But the censoring of free speech is not. Full stop. I will be damned before I allow a 10 cent lawyer to tell me when I can open my mouth and say what I want, or not, especially if it is the documented truth.
Fuck their money and their self delusion of power. I am free and intend to remain so.
My earlier blog post on the raw facts of the failed attempt of ABC TV–and their corporate owner–Disney–and Ted Koppel allowing himself to be a common streetwalker for his pimps, has gone viral.
I would like to hear from @ABC and @TedKoppel and @Disney what their response is. Are you selling quality journalism to free people, or are you only trying to deliver viewers and page hits to advertisers?
I respect Ted Koppel. It is why I chose him to bring the story of Pol Pot to North America. But he allowed himself to be a pimp for ABC/Disney in exchange for cash money. That is a fact. Of course he feels guilty. Ted Koppel, I believe, is a moral man. He was, ironically, the best that American TV had to offer. So take responsibility, Mr. Koppel. You will further contribute to the return of quality journalism to free people by doing so. You will be able to look yourself in the mirror without flinching at what you see. I can, mostly, now. As can you. But mostly isn’t good enough for you or me.
natethayer 
Nate,
On a related matter, your Nieman Report from 2001, Freelancers’ Vital Role in International Reporting, is a well-thought out and clearly articulated explanation of that role and that life. I don’t know how to add a link, but here’s the URL: http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reports/article/101508/Freelancers-Vital-Role-in-International-Reporting.aspx
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Watch your back.
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Nate, kudos for writing this. Your dispute with the Atlantic Monthly was the subject of a blog entry of mine last March. I’m bringing this to the attention of a number of other writers who will be interested.
http://thumbnailtraveler.blogspot.com/2013/03/pay-writer.html
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I believe that people should be paid for the work they do. I also believe that people need to protect their own property, be it intellectual or physical, with a minimum of effort on their own part. Watermarking pictures, for example, has been a common practice for over 20 years now. The same with copyrighting written works, making your name a registered trademark, and on and on and on.
If you have done all of these things, you have solid ground on which to stand. Otherwise, they can accuse you of stealing the work from someone else and putting your own name on it; and they paid the original author/photographer/whatever instead of you.
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