Important Note to Journalists Writing About Pamela Geller: Please Stop Calling LGF a “Conservative Site”
Tonight I want to draw your attention to two good pieces on hate group leader Pamela Geller, but even though I agree with the basic direction of these articles I want to make a separate point, and I’ll quote the paragraphs that I have issues with.
First, Alan Feuer in the New York Times: Pamela Geller, Organizer of Muhammad Cartoon Contest, Trumpets Results.
After getting her start in new media as a frequent commenter on the conservative website Little Green Footballs, Ms. Geller, who once worked on the business side of The New York Observer and The Daily News, began taking on issues relating to Muslims and Islam after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Second, Margaret Hartmann at New York Magazine: What You Need to Know About Pamela Geller.
Her activism was sparked by 9/11. She said she “felt guilty” that she knew little about those who attacked the country, so she started studying Islamic extremism and commenting on the conservative site Little Green Footballs (Charles Johnson, who runs the blog, has denounced her).
Again, I completely agree with the basic thrust of both of these articles, pointing out that Pamela Geller is driven by hatred of Muslims that goes far beyond any reasonable criticism.
But what do I have to do to get mainstream journalists to stop labeling Little Green Footballs as a “conservative site?” Seriously. All they have to do is read the front page to see that’s no longer remotely close to an accurate description, and it hasn’t been for many years now.
Yes, there was a time when this description was (sort of, with caveats) accurate, but that time has long passed.
Please, folks. I appreciate the mentions of LGF in these articles, but I don’t appreciate the out of date, misleading descriptions of what this site is about.
Thanks to Margaret Hartmann for correcting her article: What You Need to Know About Pamela Geller.
A previous version of this post incorrectly identified Little Green Footballs as a conservative site. Charles Johnson notes that hasn’t been the case for many years. We regret the error.
No correction at the New York Times, although author Alan Feuer did apologize to me in an email and said he had a word limit that precluded adding any more detail.