My Name Is Ben Swann and I left Fox 19 to Bring Truth To Media, Ask Me Anything

reply to post by Octave


Thank you! Really enjoying my time in the Queen City!

reply to post by flipflop


The thing that will make us different from many other alternative media outlets is our ability to convey information in a way that most closely resembles mainstream content but digs into issues the mainstream will not touch. Our goal is to be the bridge for viewers from mainstream to alternative media.

Hello & welcome Mr. Swann!

Let me start by congratulating you as being one of the last true investigative reporters we have left in this country. Your very well liked here at ATS as well as by myself! I've watched many of the Reality Check videos from your time at Fox in Ohio, and it was brilliant, hard hitting journalism that seems to be an indangered species these days.

Anyways back to a question.

During your career have you ever been threatened by anyone (RNC, govt. agency, etc.) being researched for a news piece?

Thanks for devoting your time here, and you may want to stick around. ATS can be a great source of information, AND we also have a great group of really interesting people here.

reply to post by overratedpatriotism


I have never been told not to run a story but I have been ripped for certain stories. When I covered the killing of Chris Dorner by LAPD, my bosses were not happy. When I confronted President Obama on the NDAA and on his Kill List I was blasted for not talking about Cincinnati centric issues.

reply to post by BardingTheBard


my 'aha' moment came while covering the drug war in Mexico and then the 2012 Republican primary. Was a real awakening experience for me.

On the story I want to dig into, I am currently working a story that I can't share too much about but seems like a false flag in the making. Two very good sources are giving me info and I am vetting it presently.

reply to post by burntheships


The most important answer is to expose and change the two party hold on Presidential debates and elections. If we could break even just the debate hold and allow the American public to hear alternative positions and ideas, we could re-engage much of the electorate.

I don't have a question, just want to welcome you to ATS, and thank you for your really good coverage of the 2012 election cycle. I really enjoyed your expose on both the DNC and RNC conventions. Also fair coverage of Ron Paul too. I am also looking forward to your presentation on 9/11 in the next couple of days.

I hope you stick around, after this thread too.

reply to post by BenSwann


What makes alternative media alternative? What's the criteria for determining what news/stories are relevant just stories that are not being covered or are reported by major media outlets and heavily biased? How do you appeal to a target audience that will believe anything anyone makes up and posts on YouTube, when you become a reliable source of information this same audience will turn on you for being too mainstream.

reply to post by Springer


great question. I believe that the rise of independent journalists will not stop until it is "stopped" by government and corporate forces. Sen. Feinstein recently insisted that only "professional journalists working for a corporate media" should be recognized as real media and protected by Shield laws. There is an effort to crack down on independents. Having said that, part of the difficulty is that many people want BIG results from their independent work. Move public opinion quickly and have a big affect on the national debate with the stories covered. That takes a great deal of time. Influence is not gained quickly but when it is, it is nearly unstoppable.

Welcome, Mr. Swann. I'd like to thank you for the steps that you have taken and give a little kudos to you for taking the stance that you have taken.

My question is based on what would appear to be some shenanigans taking place via presidential executive orders in regards to declassified information (particularly Executive Order 13292). Here's my question: When information is declassified, is there any sort of system set up to notify the media or is it simply quietly declassified without any public notification whatsoever?

Thank you for your time.

reply to post by aboutface


Having credible contacts is difficult, perhaps the most difficult part of the job. Though I will say that social networking has helped in that respect tremendously.

Originally posted by BenSwann
reply to post by BardingTheBard

 

my 'aha' moment came while covering the drug war in Mexico and then the 2012 Republican primary. Was a real awakening experience for me.

On the story I want to dig into, I am currently working a story that I can't share too much about but seems like a false flag in the making. Two very good sources are giving me info and I am vetting it presently.

Head to San Diego and look around.

Especially look up.

Welcome...

reply to post by PsykoOps


Glad that print journalism is going through its change (print has just become internet newspaper). The rise of alternative media, as we have been discussing on this board, is changing everything. MSM is now increasingly following the lead of alternative sources.

Mr. Swann,

We all know that media outlets require journalists to adhere to a certain style of writing. AP, Chicago, etc.....

1) Are these requirements in place in order to help dictate how readers perceive what is written?

2) Do you practice this now that you are out of the mainstream?. In other words, is the content on your site more technically written leaving the reader with a dry analysis of what was written? Or is it more freestyle, cutting close to the bone, leaving your reader with a better "real world" understanding of what is written.

Personally, based on what you wrote in your OP, I envision a site (which I haven't clicked on yet) that would need to be written in a style that is easily accessible to the average reader. This would, in turn, lead to the more realistic possibility of positive actions taken by readers in order to effect positive change.

3) Do you agree with that statement?

Thank you for your time sir. I'm not here a lot so an answer via PM would be more quickly seen. Your call.

This is the first time I've actually felt motivated to post in one of these "ask me anything" threads. I don't really have any good questions but I just wanted to say that I appreciate all the work you've done, I've been following your reports for over a year and there aren't many journalists like you around. I especially appreciate your work on the Ron Paul situation during the last US elections, as well as your coverage of the Libya conflict and now the conflict in Syria. You've gained a very loyal crowd of followers here on ATS, and for a good reason.

Wow this is very Nice too see you here. I would like too say that you are one of my fav. Journalist.

See you as one WHO would dó fine with Ron Paul and like manning. Fighting fore the better good


But before asking to much. I would like to ask / request that you could take a pic of you. With Holding a papir with a text like " Hi ATS. Yes i am on......." And with you on with a big smile

I would be happy to see that.

Really enjoy and love all of what you are doing and what you have done.

Ben Swann, the Press Secretary for the Ron Paul White House!

Effing legit!!!

Hi Ben, thank you so much for joining us!

Have you ever encountered evidence of direct government manipulation of the press/media through "shills" or collaborators, such as in the case of Operation Mockingbird?




(You may consider me a fan, by the way.)

reply to post by BenSwann


Hi Mr Swann,

Great to see you here. Your broadcasts are a breath of fresh air. Usually I yell at the tv.. not with it.

Keep up the good work.

With all the corruption in government & the private sector today, how can Americans insure truth & justice? that is to say.. how can America return to Constitutional rule of Law, when those institutions are they themselves perverting Justice covering each others criminality?

peace.

reply to post by BenSwann


I'm glad you're here Ben

I've got nothing to say but I hope you're here full time