[I agree with the estimable St. Clair. A few thoughts: (1) Google's advertising policy is unquestionably silly and short-sighted. (2) But Anita Roddick knew or should have known that when she signed the contract to advertise her blog. Complaining that her ads were yanked after she agreed to the contract is a little like complaining that your home was foreclosed on after you didn't pay your mortgage. (3) The practical effects of Google's ad-word policy are also well known (http://www.politechbot.com/p-03260.html). (4) In addition to excellent content, which Laura Flanders mentions below, good uptime is essential. As I write this, www.anitaroddick.com is offline. --Declan] --- Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 08:47:12 -0700 From: "Jeffrey St. Clair" <sitkaat_private> To: CP List <counterpunch-listat_private>, Dave Marsh <marsh6at_private>, David Vest <davidvestat_private>, Declan McCullagh <declanat_private> Subject: Gagged by Google Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="4D4F5353" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-UIDL: b4ab2532ea6face2ccd2a8873de81288 [it's silly on google's part. but is it really censorship to reject an ad? the peeved roddick begins to sound like Mitch McConnell on campaign finance. moreover, here's laura's fine story about the affair, giving it much more attention that it would have otherwise engendered, which appears ONLY on the....yes....Internet.--jsc] Laura Flanders <WorkingForChange.com> 05.30.02 Printer-friendly version Email this item to a friend Most e-mailed stories Gagged by Google Body Shop founder censored by search engine Media activists have a lot to put up with these days. Not only is there more to complain about than ever when it comes to the timidity and lap-doggishness of most journalists _ not to mention the shrinking spectrum of views that get aired _ but, in addition, there are the cliches one has to contend with. The one that peeves me most right now is the one about the glories of the Internet. According to the oft-repeated mantra, those who have a problem with the networks, the cable channels, the newspapers and Clear Channel radio, have their own outlet now _ it's the World Wide Web. I heard this argument most recently in Charlottesville at the University of Virginia from a co-panelist at a public forum, Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA),Co-Chairman of the Congressional Internet Caucus. You've got the Internet, you've got the Internet. The Representative said it so often that finally I proposed a trade: let Disney, Viacom, GE and AOL/TIME Warner take the Internet, I suggested. We'll give it to them _ in exchange for the broadcast television networks, cable, publishing and Hollywood. The Congressman said it was an idea he hadn't heard before. Indeed. The World Wide Web is a fabulous phenomenon. It's fantastic for getting news out that can be spread no other way, but is it the answer to the media-related prayers of social change activists? Hardly, as Anita Roddick found out this month. Roddick is the founder of the Body Shop, the notable socially-responsible health-and-beauty store chain. She resigned as co-chair of the company this February to dedicate herself to activism full-time. Roddick has lots to say (she recently edited a book called Take it Personally, it's out now from Harper Collins) and she keeps a politically-oriented "blog" (or Web log). Driving major traffic to one's site is almost impossible without advertising or good search engine placement, as bloggers know. Roddick advertised on the popular Google engine _ or did until they took exception to what she had to say. It began when Roddick posted a short comment on her site about actor John Malkovich's public threat to shoot Scottish Member of Parliament George Galloway and Independent reporter Robert Fisk. (Malkovich railed against critics of Israel at a high-profile speech at Cambridge University.) "John Malkovich often plays disturbed and dangerous men in his films," wrote Roddick, "maybe he's not acting. His threat to shoot Robert Fisk for his honest reportage on Israel is but further evidence that Malkovich is a vomitous worm." "Vomitous worm" didn't go down well with Google. Shortly after Roddick made the comment, she got word that the advertising staff at the search engine were suspending her ad campaign. "They said that my ad violated their editorial policy against 'sites that advocate against groups or individuals,'" writes Roddick. Apparently Google saw no irony in the text of the ad they pulled. It read: "<AnitaRoddick.com:> Uncensored." By this logic, points out Roddick, "no one could advertise who maligned any human being, be it Stalin, Hitler or even Bin Laden." She could have added "George W. Bush" to the list. When Roddick's website editor spoke to the Google team about their policy, they told her they do not accept ads for sites with any political content that could be perceived as "anti" anything. It'd be funny, and it's riduculous on its face, but Roddick's ads have in fact, been pulled. "I am virtually invisible," says Roddick. Actually, the former CEO's visibility is hard to suppress, but the lesson should sober up bloggers everywhere. Big media are happy to sell their critics the crumbs that fall from the corporate table. Blog away, be happy, they tell the activists. But far from a free-speech paradise, the Internet is fast becoming the next corporate-controlled universe, going the way of cable TV or publishing. As long as censors operate as gatekeepers, dissenters can speak all they like _ but they won't be heard. Journalist Laura Flanders is the host of Working Assets Radio and author of "Real Majority, Media Minority: The Cost of Sidelining Women in Reporting." Her Spin Doctor Laura columns appear weekly on WorkingForChange. You can contact her at <lauraat_private> To respond to this article, report a problem or provide general feedback to the editors of this site, click here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like Politech? Make a donation here: http://www.politechbot.com/donate/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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