Rebuttal to OK Magazine/Aaron Carter/Daphne Barrak Story

[Rhilo]

Ginvid, thanks for granting my request to be on that list. Please tell me what exactly I need to do. I was out from last evening, and may have missed some imp. points.

 

[whateverhappens50]

isnt he on drugs, although those outlets reported that garbage most have seen that he lied on tmz and jermaine spoke up for mike. alot of ppl will think this is just more trash to take mj down. i dont think it will hurt in the long run but i will do what ever i can to help i have already gone to some of the sites and written in reference to aaron. i think that said he was going broke or something and that's when this got started . kind of like liberace's lover when he lied and said he slept with mj after he ran out of liberace's money. so take this with a grain of salt and do your homework.

 

[Memefan]

I'm glad I read the previous pages before I posted because I had the same idea as you, I too will go to the store and look through the pages and make a list of advertisers. Also, I did briefly look at their web page and there are advertisers there as well. I'm on CST and I will post what I locate by 6pm CST. Also, just a suggestion, perhaps the letter submitted to OK publishers/editors should be slightly different than the letter sent to the other media outlets? Somehow in a non-threatening way, mention the names of the advertisers we locate and how we would no longer financially support those companies who support (via advertising dollars) yellow journalism, just a suggestion.

Ok. Alayasha...no need for us both to go on the Ok mag advertisers hunt. I will let you in charge of it and will concentrate on the AP writer.
thank you

 

[Laura.L.]

If you still need help with emailing, you can add me to the list.

Superb job with the letter, bravo!!

 

[ginvid]

I found all of the OK! Magazine's editor's information. YAY!!!!!

http://www.heritage-potatoes.co.uk/news/documents/OK magazine.pdf

It has their phone number and email address.

Page 2 on the right hand side.

OK!
OK! Magazine,
The Northern & Shell Building,
Number 10 Lower Thames Street,
London EC3R 6EN Tel: 020 8612 7000
Outside UK: +44 (0)20 8612 7000

worldwide
Chairman:
Richard Desmond
Group joint Managing Directors:
Stan Myerson, Martin Ellice
Group Finance Director:
Robert Sanderson
Group Editorial Director:
Paul Ashford
International Director: Naouelle Tir

UK edition
Editor: Lisa Byrne
Phone: 020 8612 7067
lisa.byrne@express.co.uk

usa edition
Editor In Chief: Richard Spencer
Phone: +1 212 672 3991
richard.spencer@ok-magazine.com

Australia edition
Editor In Chief: Nicole Byers
Phone: +61 421 396 225
nicole.byers@okmagazine.com.au

China edition
Deputy Chief Editor: Jim Jiang
Phone: +86 21 5881 8511
jiangqian@stv.sh.cn

middle east edition
Editor In Chief: Sarah Bladen
Phone: +971 4 351 5316
sarah@ok-me.com

Philippines edition
Editor In Chief: Frances Sales
Phone: +63 24 51 8888 ext 1050
frances.amper@summitmedia.com.ph

Greece edition
Editor In Chief: Nikos Georgiadis
Phone: +30 210 270 5022
ngeorgiadis@imako.gr

Thailand edition
Editor In Chief: Suthiporn Jongpunyangam
Phone: +66 2204 2370
suthiporn@mediatransasia.com

india edition
Editor: Sonali Kamat
Phone: +91 22 2287 5501
sonalikamat@gmail.com

mexico edition
Editor In Chief: Katya Segura Fuentes
Phone: +52 5261 2667
kseguraf@editorial.televisa.com.mx

russia edition
Editor In Chief: Tatiana Saburenkova
Phone: +7 980 5252 1254
tatiana.saburenkova@axelspringer.ru

Bulgaria edition
Editor In Chief: Polia Alexandrova
Phone: +359 2 870 49 81
polia@atticamedia.bg

turkey edition
Editor In Chief: Unal Demirkaya
Phone: +90 212 313 6642
udemirkaya@okdergi.com.tr

Germany edition
Editor In Chief: Alex Siemen
Telephone: +49 40 411 8825 104
alex.siemen@ok-magazin.de

cyprus edition
Editorial Director: Marilena Ierodiakonou
Telephone: +357 22 580 800
marilenai@sigmatv.com

Azerbaijan edition
Editor In Chief: Konul Nagiyeva
Phone: + 994 504 49 04 04
konul.nagiyeva@ok-magazine.az

japan edition
Editor In Chief: Kana Sugamori
Phone: +81 03 5545 5577
kanas@bk.iij4u.or.jp

slovakia edition
Editor In Chief: Marek Kravjar
Phone: +421 9111 09 402
kravjar@okmagazine.sk

vietnam edition
Executive Editor: Thi Thu Thanh Nguyen
Phone: +84 435 334 512
thanh.nguyen@okvietnam.vn

ukraine edition
Editor In Chief: Evgenia Grigorieva
Phone: +38 044 206 60 65
evgenia.zefir@2k.ua

 

[ginvid]

I will be back in approx. an hour. I will put up a revised letter.

 

[thrillerchild]

:clapping:

 

[Diplomate]

I found all of the OK! Magazine's editor's information. YAY!!!!!

http://www.heritage-potatoes.co.uk/news/documents/OK magazine.pdf

It has their phone number and email address.

Page 2 on the right hand side.

OK!
OK! Magazine,
The Northern & Shell Building,
Number 10 Lower Thames Street,
London EC3R 6EN Tel: 020 8612 7000
Outside UK: +44 (0)20 8612 7000

worldwide
Chairman:
Richard Desmond
Group joint Managing Directors:
Stan Myerson, Martin Ellice
Group Finance Director:
Robert Sanderson
Group Editorial Director:
Paul Ashford
International Director: Naouelle Tir

UK edition
Editor: Lisa Byrne
Phone: 020 8612 7067
lisa.byrne@express.co.uk

usa edition
Editor In Chief: Richard Spencer
Phone: +1 212 672 3991
richard.spencer@ok-magazine.com

Australia edition
Editor In Chief: Nicole Byers
Phone: +61 421 396 225
nicole.byers@okmagazine.com.au

China edition
Deputy Chief Editor: Jim Jiang
Phone: +86 21 5881 8511
jiangqian@stv.sh.cn

middle east edition
Editor In Chief: Sarah Bladen
Phone: +971 4 351 5316
sarah@ok-me.com

Philippines edition
Editor In Chief: Frances Sales
Phone: +63 24 51 8888 ext 1050
frances.amper@summitmedia.com.ph

Greece edition
Editor In Chief: Nikos Georgiadis
Phone: +30 210 270 5022
ngeorgiadis@imako.gr

Thailand edition
Editor In Chief: Suthiporn Jongpunyangam
Phone: +66 2204 2370
suthiporn@mediatransasia.com

india edition
Editor: Sonali Kamat
Phone: +91 22 2287 5501
sonalikamat@gmail.com

mexico edition
Editor In Chief: Katya Segura Fuentes
Phone: +52 5261 2667
kseguraf@editorial.televisa.com.mx

russia edition
Editor In Chief: Tatiana Saburenkova
Phone: +7 980 5252 1254
tatiana.saburenkova@axelspringer.ru

Bulgaria edition
Editor In Chief: Polia Alexandrova
Phone: +359 2 870 49 81
polia@atticamedia.bg

turkey edition
Editor In Chief: Unal Demirkaya
Phone: +90 212 313 6642
udemirkaya@okdergi.com.tr

Germany edition
Editor In Chief: Alex Siemen
Telephone: +49 40 411 8825 104
alex.siemen@ok-magazin.de

cyprus edition
Editorial Director: Marilena Ierodiakonou
Telephone: +357 22 580 800
marilenai@sigmatv.com

Azerbaijan edition
Editor In Chief: Konul Nagiyeva
Phone: + 994 504 49 04 04
konul.nagiyeva@ok-magazine.az

japan edition
Editor In Chief: Kana Sugamori
Phone: +81 03 5545 5577
kanas@bk.iij4u.or.jp

slovakia edition
Editor In Chief: Marek Kravjar
Phone: +421 9111 09 402
kravjar@okmagazine.sk

vietnam edition
Executive Editor: Thi Thu Thanh Nguyen
Phone: +84 435 334 512
thanh.nguyen@okvietnam.vn

ukraine edition
Editor In Chief: Evgenia Grigorieva
Phone: +38 044 206 60 65
evgenia.zefir@2k.ua

Thanks for that!

 

[BUMPER SNIPPET]

I will be back in approx. an hour. I will put up a revised letter.

Ok, I'll be waiting.

 

[xthunderx2]

Aaron Carter - Aaron Carter Considering Suing Tabloid Over Michael Jackson Misquotes

04 July 2011 01:40

Picture: Aaron Carter Radioshack's HTC EVO 3D Launch Party Held At The RadioShack Pop-Up 3D Lounge West Hollywood, California - 23....
Aaron Carter Considering Suing Tabloid Over Michael Jackson Misquotes



http://www.contactmusic.com/news.ns...bloid-over-michael-jackson-misquotes_1230743#
http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u...abloid-over-michael-jackson-misquotes_1230743
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http://www.fark.com/cgi/farkit.pl?u...Over Michael Jackson Misquotes | Contactmusic

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http://www.contactmusic.com/news.ns...bloid-over-michael-jackson-misquotes_1230743#

Former child star Aaron Carter is considering taking legal action against a U.S. tabloid after he was quoted suggesting Michael Jackson had offered him cocaine when he was a teenager.
Carter, a longtime pal of Jackson's, reportedly told OK! magazine's Daphne Barak the King of Pop had offered him wine and drugs when he was 15 in an interview that recently ran in the U.S. and Australian issues of the publication.
The young singer angrily blasted the allegations, insisting he did not make the remarks and now Jackson's older brother, Randy, claims Carter is looking at his legal options.
In a series of Twitter posts on Saturday (02Jul11), Randy Jackson wrote, "I was suspicious about the Aaron Carter comment... From what I understand, Aaron Carter has already denied ever making that statement & is considering suing ok magazine.
"When negative things like this surface, it is hard not to have an emotional reaction. But the truth eventually comes out."
http://www.contactmusic.com/news.ns...abloid-over-michael-jackson-misquotes_1230743

 

[Rhilo]

The story about Aaron wanting to sue may not be true, since they picked it up from Randy's twitter, and not directly from Aaron or his camp.

 

[xthunderx2]

]The story about Aaron wanting to sue may not be true, [/B]since they picked it up from Randy's twitter, and not directly from Aaron or his camp.

may not be...I just seen it ..so I posted it..guess we wait and see.

 

[JMie]

I think we should continue with our project regardless for this article. Hopefully it's true, but we can't be sure until we hear it from Aaron's mouth.

 

[maral]

the OK crap is not an issue here really. Aaron still opened his big mouth and spit out a bunch of lies

 

[Diplomate]

the OK crap is not an issue here really. Aaron still opened his big mouth and spit out a bunch of lies

Exactly.

 

[alia]

guys i just googled Mike's name and the original story seems to died down. now i can only see they running the rebuttal story. glad that they did not cover the following clip (i'm not even going to mention it here). in view of this, should the letter only cover the rebuttal to drug/alchohol story and not the other part just so that we do not flame that and give it visibility since it seems like they are not reporting that? as we don't want them to go and search for that clip. just my 2 cent.
in singapore straits time online they did the original story (drug/alchohol) but none of the fans here posted anything on FB so i think not many know/read about it.

 

[Bridgett_361]

guys i just googled Mike's name and the original story seems to died down. now i can only see they running the rebuttal story. glad that they did not cover the following clip (i'm not even going to mention it here). in view of this, should the letter only cover the rebuttal to drug/alchohol story and not the other part just so that we do not flame that and give it visibility since it seems like they are not reporting that? as we don't want them to go and search for that clip. just my 2 cent.
in singapore straits time online they did the original story (drug/alchohol) but none of the fans here posted anything on FB so
i think not many know/read about it.

I think it should cover only what they print in the magazine. That is just what I think.

 

[whateverhappens50]

by la_cienega
On the second anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death, his former friend and confidant, Aaron Carter, 23, has come clean about his close – and controversial – relationship with the pop singer, revealing all to internationally renowned interviewer Daphne Barak during a charity visit to Marbella, Spain.

Exposing their most intimate moments together, Aaron tells OK! how MJ gave him drugs and alcohol when he was just 15. ‘I never talked about it… This is the first time. I do… I miss Michael… I have spent such incredible times with him. I did things with him that nobody else did… But I was also troubled about what he did to me,’ Aaron says.

When asked whether Michael gave him alcohol, Aaron tells Daphne, ‘Yes, he gave me wine. I mean, I could have refused, but I was 15.’ As for drugs? ‘He gave me cocaine.I felt weird about that and other stuff… We spoke afterwards, hours and hours, on the phone. I admired Michael, but his behaviour bothered me a lot. Then my mother called the police…"

http://www.okmagazine.com.au/insider...e-me-drugs.htm

In totally unrelated news he owes his former manager $100 thousand dollars, the IRS $1 million dollars and is dropping a new album.

and i heard he is on crystal meth . so

 

[Bo G]

This is just how it appears to me as I watch the trend on this in Google News.The story has largely died off, ending mostly with "Aaron denies" and nearly no mention of the later audio. You REALLY shouldn't draw any more attention to the audio unless it blows up. Or go on about Aaron turning against MJ. Seems you should just focus on getting remaining outlets to update or correct from "Aaron alleges" to "Aaron denies."

A

guys i just googled Mike's name and the original story seems to died down. now i can only see they running the rebuttal story. glad that they did not cover the following clip (i'm not even going to mention it here). in view of this, should the letter only cover the rebuttal to drug/alchohol story and not the other part just so that we do not flame that and give it visibility since it seems like they are not reporting that? as we don't want them to go and search for that clip. just my 2 cent.
in singapore straits time online they did the original story (drug/alchohol) but none of the fans here posted anything on FB so i think not many know/read about it.

 

[ginvid]

The letter we have does not mention the later audio. Those magazines I listed were those who had not updated their information or run a rebuttal piece.

Besides those, though, we were going to send to Frank, Daphne, the editors of OK, Chris, the estate, and some of the more reputable media outlets such as CNN, USA Today, AP. As for the background of MJ's relationship with Aaron and the inconsistency in his stories, I think that is still very appropriate to speak about. As well as bringing attention to the mis-journalism of Daphne.

 

[LiberianGhost]

I think we should continue with our project regardless for this article. Hopefully it's true, but we can't be sure until we hear it from Aaron's mouth.

Exactly. As far as I'm concerned this is not an authentic retraction. That would be one coming directly from Aaron Carter, himself, or at the least, his legal representatives, so I ain't buying. Aaron should be ashamed and OK mag should be shut down, imoo. False reporting is a criminal offense.

Not only that, I don't even see this half-cocked retraction anywhere in the magnitude of the original story! I say, Jackson fans, press on!!!

 

[mjzfille]

Can l send the letter to the Norwegian news agency. The story has started to circulate these sides too. Am already on the MJ legancy project. Just read the email that was sent out to the group?

 

[Ashtanga]

 

[Bo G]

Sounds like we're on the wavelength, ginvid, great work!

The letter we have does not mention the later audio. Those magazines I listed were those who had not updated their information or run a rebuttal piece.

Besides those, though, we were going to send to Frank, Daphne, the editors of OK, Chris, the estate, and some of the more reputable media outlets such as CNN, USA Today, AP. As for the background of MJ's relationship with Aaron and the inconsistency in his stories, I think that is still very appropriate to speak about. As well as bringing attention to the mis-journalism of Daphne.

 

[Victory22]

I signed the petition yesterday, and if anymore help is required I'm volunteering.

Agreed about the sponsors, and how much does a a full page ad cost in NYT and Hollywood Reporter? I'd contribute towards exposing DB. That's a really great idea, although I'm not sure how feasible that is. She deserves a dose of her own medicine.

This is a perfect idea that I fully support. Please tell me what I can do to help. I have a FB page and two group pages I can use to get the word out.

 

[Victory22]

Even though the story is somewhat dying down it is still circulating around the globe. I feel we must draw a line in the sand here and punish Daphne and OK. Otherwise we will be continuously chasing out tails and trying to put out fires every time some filthy little scumbag wants to make money slandering MJ.

 

[MJStorm]

Guys... I now have direct contact with the AP entertainment reporter....

I want to send her the letter directly & ask her to cover the story.

Can we wrap this up by tomorrow...?

Hopefully, Mesereau will get back to us by then.

I do not know if it's a good idea.

 

[loveforever]

Originally Posted by alia

guys i just googled Mike's name and the original story seems to died down. now i can only see they running the rebuttal story. glad that they did not cover the following clip (i'm not even going to mention it here). in view of this, should the letter only cover the rebuttal to drug/alchohol story and not the other part just so that we do not flame that and give it visibility since it seems like they are not reporting that? as we don't want them to go and search for that clip. just my 2 cent.
in singapore straits time online they did the original story (drug/alchohol) but none of the fans here posted anything on FB so
i think not many know/read about it.



I think it should cover only what they print in the magazine. That is just what I think.
​

I think it should cover only what they print in the magazine. That is just what I think.

I also think the letter should cover only what the media had been reported. Isn't this letter about media's incompetence, Aaron Carter's motive and Daphne Barrak's history? IMO we shouldn't spread the things media didn't report. we all know how media work when it come to Michael Jackson, they don't care about the truth, they just want someone give them "juicy stuff" to defame him.





​

 

[ginvid]

The part in blue I would prefer not to change. It is a direct quote from Chopra. Therefore, I think it should be left as is.

 

[ginvid]

On 29 May 2011, 90s pop singer Aaron Carter was filmed for an interview with freelance 'journalist' and friend Daphne Barak for OK! Magazine's 27 June Australian edition. The article and excerpts that have been released have spread rapidly across the media for one reason - it involves Michael Jackson.

Mr. Carter’s friendship - and we use that word loosely - with Mr. Jackson is not in question. What is in question are the elements in the interview suggesting that Mr. Jackson would have given Aaron Carter drugs or alcohol, or that he would have acted improperly towards him in any way- something that the Michael Jackson Fan Community strongly disagrees with.

Any such claims made by Mr. Carter can be easily debunked simply by referring to his previous consistent assertions. It is well known that Mr. Carter had always spoken highly of Jackson’s positive influence on his life and work, and had unquestionably denied that anything inappropriate had ever occurred between them (see Howard Stern interview: http://youtu.be/nE2Cq6WGCpk) even as recently as 2010. In several past interviews, including his interview with Howard Stern referenced, he claimed that he only spent one night at Neverland, which occured on the occasion of Mr. Jackson's 45th birthday party. On that particular night, Mr. Carter said he slept in the theater with Chris Tucker - he on one side of the theater and Mr. Tucker on the other. Furthermore, Mr. Carter emphasized that he never slept in a bed with Mr. Jackson, nor did he go into Mr. Jackson's room. As a matter of fact, Aaron Carter so steadfastly denied any inappropriate behavior in his friendship with Mr. Jackson, that he was on the witness list for the defense in the 2005 trial.

Indeed, after all the years of defending Mr. Jackson, the Fan Community finds it quite puzzling that Mr. Carter would all of a sudden give such an inconsistent interview.

Let's not lose sight of the fact that Frank Cascio, who had maintained his friendship with Jackson since his childhood, tweeted in defense of Mr. Jackson on 30 June 2011 as follows: "I knew Michael for over 25 years and NEVER once did he use cocaine or suggest to anyone else to use cocaine. Never!!!!" (http://twitter.com/#!/fdcascio/status/86547254990733312). Mr. Cascio and his family had been visited by Mr. Jackson on a regular basis. Also, Mr. Cascio frequented Neverland and had even traveled with Mr. Jackson from a young age. In addition, Mr. Cascio also attended the party at Neverland to which Mr. Carter refers.

In light of the above mentioned and all other undeniable evidence, the Michael Jackson Fan Community is questioning the real motive behind this seeming change of heart and story.

The timing of the interview is also extremely suspect. In June, while millions around the world were mourning the passing of Mr. Jackson, some- with even a remote connection to him- seemed to find it an ideal opportunity to promote their book, CD, or project, or to use an acquaintance with Mr. Jackson as an opportunity to get free promotion and make profit. Mr. Carter's current $1,000,000 debt to the IRS cannot be downplayed. Neither can it be ignored that he is currently promoting the impending release of new music as well as a reality show. Aaron Carter’s willingness to jump on the aforementioned bandwagon, although quite disappointing, is not surprising.

The slanderous story published by OK! Magazine, surfaced on 15 June prompting some concerned Jackson fans to immediately reach out to Aaron Carter via twitter, only to be rebuffed and ignored by the latter for not less than two weeks. An official and strong statement of denial would have obviously halted this slander in its tracks. Indeed, this is what an honorable person would do in love and respect for a deceased friend and mentor. Unfortunately, the sickening speculation and insinuations have been allowed to linger. As a result, the only person who has been fully damaged in this appalling debacle is Mr. Jackson --an easy target-- who is unfortunately not here to defend himself.

Now that this story has been thoroughly reported, Mr. Carter, through his representative, has issued a statement saying that he was misquoted in the article. Yet in still, as the edited excerpts of the interview clearly demonstrated, Mr. Carter skillfully and purposely answered questions in an ambiguous way which has allowed for speculation and has resulted in apparent innuendo. Consequently, the public opinion has been utterly misled.

Carter's denial through TMZ on 1 July 2011 is now being widely reported, nevertheless, more needs to be done. Ideally, Mr. Carter must demand a full retraction from OK! Magazine, if it is indeed misrepresenting what he really said. However, as the slander continues to unfold, it is increasingly clear that the Carter camp has seen the benefits of tying his name in a negative way to Mr. Jackson’s and is taking full advantage of the frenzy and (inter)national media coverage.

Daphne Barak has also had an extremely dubious past. She is known to have previously "forged" stories.

Grace Rwaramba, who had been Jackson's children's nanny for several years, was approached and befriended by Daphne Barak with the sole aim of taking advantage of her in the hopes of finding out information about Michael Jackson. In a story written by Mallika Chopra and published in The Huffington Post on 28 June 2009, Mallika said the following: "I witnessed Daphne act as a friend while trying to bait information from Grace on her conversations with Jackson family members and friends about his death... I found that Daphne indeed had written an article full of quotes by Grace for a tabloid magazine. (A quick search of her other work not surprisingly shows she did a recent feature on Amy Winehouse.) Grace’s quotes are now being picked up by other tabloids and will find their way into more magazines and articles. (People Magazine is also featuring some inaccuracies today, such as the claim that Grace pumped Michael’s stomach on several occasions. For the record, Grace never pumped Michael’s stomach. She has not the slightest idea how she would even do such a thing.)... " (http://tinyurl.com/nbqshd 'Bloodsuckers and the World of Michael Jackson')


Daphne Barak was also at the center of controversy in reference to an inteview with Sanam Bhutto. An article published by SouthAsiaWatch on 24 March 2009 chronicles her faux journalism.
It says, "Daphne Barak [...] has been foisting herself upon the famous and noteworthy families of the world for years now. Her living is made by offering "exclusive" interviews, scintillating gossip, and manufacturing rumor and innuendo at every turn. She is often spotted interviewing members of families in crisis, taking advantage of their grief and need for hope, in order to fuel her personal drive for fame, access, and notoriety. Daphne portrays and tarnishes the image of Bhutto by revealing or blatantly manufacturing details that cannot be independently verified about Bhutto's life... any references to Bhutto or Pakistan that she writes should be taken as near-fiction or nothing less than a complete fabrication... In more recent Pakistan news, Daphne Barak has done the nation of Pakistan and its people a grave disservice by manufacturing a news story featuring "statements" from Benazair Bhutto's sister, Sanam, regarding the President of Pakistan, Asif Zardari. While biased journalism may be tolerated in many circles, Daphne Barak crossed the line into complete fiction. Sanam Bhutto, outraged and distressed at the lies attributed to her, vigorously denounced the fiction produced by Daphne Barak, via print and video ." The article also mentions how she "cozied" up to the parents of Amy Winehouse, "feeding off their grief and concern for their daughter" in order to get a story on Amy Winehouse. (http://tinyurl.com/3luq3ge)

Her methods have been consistent: befriending a person for the purpose of interviewing them so that she can then put a spin on said interview. Is this what happened with Aaron Carter? Note her tweet about him on 29 May:

daphnebarak Daphne Barak
So glad, my friend Aaron Carter is joining me, for a charity gala in Marbella. What a perfect place, to kick off his upcoming record?!
29 May Favorite Retweet Reply

This speaks volumes about Ms. Barak's ethics and values as a journalist. It also speaks volumes of the character of both Ms. Barak and Mr. Carter. As far as they and others who have been involved are concerned, they have been able to raise their profiles on the back of Mr. Jackson.

Furthermore, it is quite disturbing that we live in a time when our media is blindly willing to copy-paste a story without first verifying its accuracy and veracity. Very few media outlets made mention of Carter's previous denials, not to mention the reputation of the interviewer. Although the slanderous story about this interview originated from OK! Magazine, which is most certainly not known for being a reputable publication, it hasn't taken long for over 150 media outlets to copy-paste the story as fact and run with it. This becomes even more disturbing when this practice is adopted by news outlets that are supposed to report factual stories, such as CBSnews, USA Today and CNN. It is frustratingly apparent that facts are not of great concern to the media, which is regrettable.

Now that some aspects of the interview have been denied, we can only hope that there will be a more rigorous screening process before stories are aired or published, especially when the source is a tabloid and the author has a questionable reputation (see http://youtu.be/x9Dz7rs8VfA).

We call on all Michael Jackson fans to boycott the magazine and to express their disagreement to the editors of OK magazine as well as their distress to Daphne Barak (the author). Fans also need to let their sources of news and information know that they are no longer interested in uncorroborated, salacious stories.

Michael Jackson was defamed and maligned in life. His fans are committed and determined to see that this defamation does not continue in death.