By Michael Davis
Staff Writer
The Internet is changing the way in which information is spread, and that means elected officials or political candidates and their families are put before the public eye, new media experts said.
An Internet Web log, or blog, called Wonkette, has posted pictures of public officials and political candidates’ children. Glenn Reynolds, a University of Tennessee College of Law professor who runs the Instapundit blog, said politicians have less privacy than they did before the advent of the Internet.
“In a world where the rest of us have less privacy, that seems only fair,” Mr. Reynolds said.
On Wednesday, the Wonkette blog posted pictures purportedly from the Web site Facebook.com of one of former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker’s daughters. In one picture, the daughter is kissing another female.
Todd Womack, political director for Mr. Corker’s U.S. Senate campaign, said in a statement, “Bob’s teenage daughter was acting silly, and it’s very disappointing when media outlets usually thought to be responsible bring attention to this.”
The Wonkette blog, at www.wonkette.com, previously has posted a picture of one of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s sons at a party wearing a belt ringed with cans of beer.
Sen. Frist’s spokesman, Matt Lehigh, declined to comment.
“Senator Frist’s sons are private citizens, and as such the majority leader’s office will not comment on their activities,” he said.
E-mail Michael Davis at michaeld@timesfreepress.com
See tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press for full coverage.
Staff Writer
The Internet is changing the way in which information is spread, and that means elected officials or political candidates and their families are put before the public eye, new media experts said.
An Internet Web log, or blog, called Wonkette, has posted pictures of public officials and political candidates’ children. Glenn Reynolds, a University of Tennessee College of Law professor who runs the Instapundit blog, said politicians have less privacy than they did before the advent of the Internet.
“In a world where the rest of us have less privacy, that seems only fair,” Mr. Reynolds said.
On Wednesday, the Wonkette blog posted pictures purportedly from the Web site Facebook.com of one of former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker’s daughters. In one picture, the daughter is kissing another female.
Todd Womack, political director for Mr. Corker’s U.S. Senate campaign, said in a statement, “Bob’s teenage daughter was acting silly, and it’s very disappointing when media outlets usually thought to be responsible bring attention to this.”
The Wonkette blog, at www.wonkette.com, previously has posted a picture of one of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s sons at a party wearing a belt ringed with cans of beer.
Sen. Frist’s spokesman, Matt Lehigh, declined to comment.
“Senator Frist’s sons are private citizens, and as such the majority leader’s office will not comment on their activities,” he said.
E-mail Michael Davis at michaeld@timesfreepress.com
See tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press for full coverage.
