28 August 2007

Subject: Hello from ABC News
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:56:59 +0000
From: "Fannin, Zach R" <Zach.R.Fannin[at]abc.com>
To: <cryptome[at]earthlink.net>

Mr. Young,

My name is Zach Fannin and I am a producer for ABC's World News Webcast. I d 
love to create a short video segment about your website, cryptome dot org.  
Could you let me know what I can do to make this happen?

The World News Webcast is anchored by Charles Gibson and downloaded about 
5 million times a month. For a promo clip of what our webcast looks like, 
click here: http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2760432

To get an idea of what the piece would look like at the end the day take a 
look at these pieces I produced and edited: 

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3157194
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3395066
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3274836
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3317715
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3467919

You can reach me either at 212.456.2879 or on my cell phone at 718.344.5001 or 
you can e-mail me.

Thanks,

Zach

Subject: RE: Hello from ABC News
Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 16:09:57 +0000
From: "Fannin, Zach R" <Zach.R.Fannin[at]abc.com>
To: "John Young" <jya[at]pipeline.com>

John,

Unfortunately this week is a very hard week to get a cameraperson at
night at our NY bureau.  Would you mind if you came to our office on
Monday 8.27.07 at 6:30 for the interview?

Again my address is:

ABC News 
47 W 66th St
NY NY 10023

Please accept my apologies for the delay.

When you enter the building ask the security guard to call me at ex 2879
or ex 4553.

Thanks,

Zach

Subject: RE: Hello from ABC News
Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 20:09:12 +0000
From: "Fannin, Zach R" <Zach.R.Fannin[at]abc.com>
To: "John Young" <jya[at]pipeline.com>

No problem. I'm sorry I can't make the interview work this week.  Could
you commit to Tuesday or Wednesday of next week now?  If you can't,
letting me know on Monday, confirming our 6:30 PM Monday interview will
be fine.

Thanks,

Zach 



Subject: Just checking in...
Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2007 21:41:54 +0000
From: "Fannin, Zach R" <Zach.R.Fannin[at]abc.com>
To: "John Young" <jya[at]pipeline.com>

Hello, 

I wanted to check in and see if you were able to come to our office 
for an interview on Monday 8.27 at 6:30. 

Again we are located at: 47 W 66th st NY NY 

When you arrive, please ask security to call me at ex 2879 or 4553. 

Thanks, 

Zach 

Last night the event took place at ABC News headquarters, a vast pile of dreary-corporate buildings along West 65th and West 66th Streets in Manhattan. Hundreds of little windowless cells interspersed with photos of celebrities and a couple of lobbies with portraits of media titans.

After winding through the labyrinth we came to rabbit hut filled with equipment and a tiny ad hoc stage composed of a wooden stool and a green fabric backdrop, a big camera and operator, sound equipment and operator, Zach introduced the team, and directed me to the dunce stool.

Zach said the session no matter how long would be edited to three minutes max. He sat on the floor and instructed me to talk to the camera not him. He commenced asking the usual inane questions about Cryptome. I dutifully delivered what a mystery guest called "tinfoil hat crap."

More baiting by Zach, "what do you think of the threat of terrorism." Me answering, "the threat of terrorism is way overblown by fevered minds of national security addicts."

"Conspiracy theory and rabid rant," the mystery guest hissed.

After about 15 minutes Zach ordered, "now say directly to the camera, 'I posted the names of 2,619 CIA sources.'"

I shouted, "enough of this shit," then to the cameraman, "turn the camera on Zack, I want you to film him while I question him."

I yanked out my spy camera and began taking shots of him and the narc-stakeout setup.

I ordered, "get on the stool." He did.

I said "why are you fucking with me with obnoxious 'do this' and 'say that?' Why the same tired brainless questions and baiting like Jake Tapper of ABC News did a few years ago?" [Does Web Information Help Terrorists?]

The camera switched to Zack on the stool to me photographing Zack and the sprawled gear, carefully avoiding the mystery guest who appeared to be the main narc.

I said, "Give me a copy of your tape. I'll put it on the Internet."

He said, "I can't do that, against policy, the liability."

I said, "all the media assholes say that, then they crop the take to fit the ad slot."

"But its TV exposure," he said, "isn't that valuable."

"No," I said, "your three minute ABC News-edited package isn't news, its a lie. You don't want to know about Cryptome, you just want to spread fear."

He said, "you're attacking me like you did to the Radar writer."

"You bet," I said. "It's the perfect response to your thinking you control these events. Put you  on the Internet tonight."