[meteorite-list] NYT article on Chebarkul meteorite

From: Mark Ford <mark.ford_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:41:12 +0000
Message-ID: <3D7A674A041FFB4DBA68772C82FB4A079ED17457_at_GAMMA2.ssl.atw>

Since the NYT has accused us 'all' of undertaking 'largely illegal activities' by trading meteorites - I say we bring a class action of libel.. ?

M.

-----Original Message-----
From: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com [mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Sent: 19 February 2013 16:38
To: Joshua Tree Earth & Space Museum
Cc: Meteorite list
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] NYT article on Chebarkul meteorite

The NYT is tabloid pseudo-news along the lines of the National Enquirer. They are the same publication that put out that hit-piece against meteorites last year where all of us were declared as a "black market" of illegal activity. It was little else besides slanderous statements, half-truths, and propaganda. In my eyes, what shred of journalistic integrity the NYT had (and that of the article's author) went out the window after they published that mess.

I recall the IMCA even wrote a quasi-official (or official?) statement to rebut the lies and errors in the NYT article. You know an article is really really bad when the meteorite community feels it necessary to put together and release an official rebuttal.

Of course, this NYT tripe will get picked up by tons of news wires and aggregators who will republish and churn it back out endlessly.
While it's new, unknowing people will repost and "like" or "recommend"
the article Facebook, further spreading the misinformation via social media. It's like a dirty herpes virus and I'm sure I won't be the only today playing "damage control" on Facebook with this latest NYT torpedo-job.

This type of event is what makes me excited to wake up every morning and be involved in some small way with the world of meteorites and meteoritics. It's the reason almost everyone reading this is a member of a mailing-list like this - because Cherbarkul is what meteorite falls are all about. This is good good stuff and I loathe to see another rehash of the slanderous BS put out into the media. So if you are reading this, and later on you see a discussion in a forum/list/site somewhere about this event and somebody is quoting or referencing these craptastic NYT articles - please chime in politely but firmly and correct the misconceptions. It will be tedious, but it's necessary.

Best regards,

MikeG

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On 2/19/13, Joshua Tree Earth & Space Museum <dorifry at embarqmail.com> wrote:
> A quote from the article: "While trade in material from meteorites is
> largely illegal, there is a flourishing global market, with fragments widely
>
> available for sale on the Internet, usually at modest prices."
>
>
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/19/world/europe/russian-scientists-say-they-found-meteorite-fragments.html?_r=0
>
> Phil Whitmer
> Joshua Tree Earth & Space Museum
>
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Received on Tue 19 Feb 2013 11:41:12 AM PST