The Damage That Is Now Flowing From A Needlessly Hard-Line PR Campaign
Posted by Peter Quennell
Click above for Andrea Vogt’s extraordinary report in today’s online Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Posted by Peter Quennell on 05/28/09 at 08:11 AM in The three defendants, PR campaigns, Reporting on the case, Best reporting, The many fall-outs
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I think it took a lot of guts to tackle this story. The misogynistic undertow to this aspect of the case, which Andrea Vogt mentions in her article, has been constant and vicious. I can understand why Chris Mellas and “Frank Sfarzo” might hope to keep it under the radar.
It is important to note that most of the harassment and all of the disrespect for the victim Meredith Kercher and her family have been posted on the Perugia Shock blog. “Frank Sfarzo” told Vogt he is being financed by an American firm. Does this American firm know or care to what ends its money is being put?
Steve Huff, with whom I co-administered the earlier iteration of the current Perugia Murder File board, is not exaggerating about the level of ugliness and aggression that this case has spawned online. And I understand why he ultimately opted out of the fray.
Posted by Skeptical Bystander on 05/28/09 at 10:22 AM | #
Andrea Vogt in her piece and Skep in the comment above mention women as being the main targets of the “defense” commentariat. Lately Perugia-Shock has really seethed with ridicule of women in the comments.
This has to be one of the dumbest PR campaigns ever set in motion on the planet, to be resulting now in THAT effect.
From our emails, it is obvious that there are large numbers of women case-followers who harbor the feeling “there but for the grace of god goes myself or my daughter”. We suspect they are in the clear majority.
Hopefully Andrea Vogt’s weighty piece might now help to take the heat off those, especially in Seattle, and most especially women, who care deeply about Meredith and have wanted true justice above all for her.
Mellas’s sanctimonious remarks have raised a few eyebrows - he has the reputation for being one of the worst slashers and burners in the online commentary on this sad affair, and we have literally dozens of examples.
And I’m mentioned by name, so two points. I do live in Jersey, across from Manhattan, but I’m more of a development economist and EM investor than a financier.
And this is a group blog rather than my blog, which we all set up to contend with an imbalance in the American commentary. The many other posters here have created the real depth and gravitas, hit back very effectively, and shown their real caring for Meredith.
Minor quibbles though, and this reporting in the Seattle PI is so timely now and so important.
Posted by Peter Quennell on 05/28/09 at 11:05 AM | #
In the Seattle PI article, Andrea Vogt writes that Amanda Knox’s stepfather, Chris Mellas, denies any involvement in efforts to harass or stifle individuals who speak out in contradiction of his beliefs. Mellas claims he is in no way connected to and does not know the person named in Skeptical Bystander’s police complaint. In fact, Mellas casts off those who post their opinions online regarding his step-daughter’s ongoing trial for murder trial as, “a bunch of idiots in a silly blogworld” and attempts to rise above it all by saying he doesn’t really care and that he doesn’t pay attention to any of it.
But the record reveals something entirely different. I was online at Steve Huff’s The True Crime Weblog in early February, 2008 when Mr. Mellas first injected himself into the ongoing online conversation. He started out by describing the message board as something that never failed to give him with a good laugh. But then Mellas went on to describe how angry he gets with people who are opposed to his cause of proclaiming the complete innocence of Amanda Knox. He stated that his purpose for posting to Steve’s board, a board devoted to finding truth and justice for Meredith Kercher, was to prove to everyone that “Amanda is not the one you should be looking at.”
Mr. Mellas clearly introduced himself to the message board as a man with an agenda and placed himself above everyone else as someone who held all the answers. This is a remarkably provocative way to enter any ongoing discussion on any topic. So, if Mr. Mellas regrets that things somehow degenerated beyond belief, as he seems to indicate in the PI article, then he ought to stand up and take some personal responsibility for having drawn the battle lines. And, regardless of who was involved or how it came to be that things “degenerated”, Mr. Mellas might have said that harassment of any kind is not promoted or tolerated by the Knox family and their supporters.
But I didn’t see anything like that in Vogt’s PI article. And what I did see was something that could even be interpreted as a veiled threat when Mellas states, “frankly an article that is going to highlight this is only going to make it worse.” Actually, my hope and strong belief is that exactly the opposite will occur. Meredith Kercher deserves far more.
Posted by Fly By Night on 05/28/09 at 01:28 PM | #
Bravo! Andrea Vogt.
What kind of respectful behaviour towards women or men really can you expect from an aggressive chauvinist like Chris Mellas? None at all!
This man proudly refers to his own wife and her daughters as shit heads. Obviously his wife never objected to this ‘term of endearment’ therefore that would encourage him to be more aggressive and rude, especially to those who he sees as not defending what he considers should be a must for everyone, his wife’s daughter should not be hold accountable in any shape or form regardless of whether she is responsible or not for Meredith’s murder! He was just as threatening and aggressive to Frank Sfarzo when he started his blog.
His Goofy friend, the one obsessed with butts and trashing women, he/she has got a lot of personal issues resulting in the misogynistic language he/she uses. He/she couldn’t give a toss about Amanda Knox even less about Raffaele Sollecito; he/she uses the blogs to vent out his/her frustrated confused existence.
These people they never had any manners mix that with a lot of personal issues and for sure they are not going to developed them now, when their intention is to stop by harassing and insulting those who have an opposed view of the case to theirs. Cowards!
Hard to believe that any reputable PR agency would consent to harrasment and intimidation.
Posted by Jools on 05/28/09 at 03:53 PM | #
And all of this, has been from Mellas supporters in the name of Amanda Knox. I say Mellas supporters, because it certainly hasn’t been for Amanda’s benefit, but rather the need of certain individuals to vent…and support a team.
I am one of those that believes Amanda Knox has some serious questions to answer, as raised by the evidence and police investigations thus far and the proper place for that is in court, a trial, which is taking place right now. I am not decided on guilt or innocence, but there is certainly enough to justify a trial. I want see Amanda afforded every opportunity to answer those questions, in a court of law and I don’t care what the verdict is, as long as it is a just one.
But, as members of the public, any such trial is also in ‘our’ name, for we are society. This is why trials are open and not behind closed doors. We are therefore free to discuss them, form our opinions, ideas and express them if we wish in a respectful and law abiding manner.
To go out of ones way to intimidate people into silence, as Mellas and his supporters have, is not only an offence against the public, but also against a Amanda herself who deserves a just verdict untainted by the underhanded behaviours of her own family and supporters, over which she has no control.
Despite the unacceptable abuse levelled at those that would discuss this case honourably and freely, my full sympathies are actually with Amanda, as she is the true victim of her family and supposed supporters.
She deserves HER trial without ‘their’ interference, their mucking things up for her…let her have it. Assassinating those they feel are her enemies doesn’t help her cause, it only gives her more problems and frankly, she has enough already.
Moreover, it steals focus from the person who is actually the real victim…Meredith Kercher. Meredith is not some mere inconvenience, she is not some obstacle or irritation. She is the beautiful life that was stolen most brutally. It is for Meredith this trial is taking place and it’s about time the stage was given to her.
This subject needed to be addressed and I agree, Andrea Vogt did a wonderful job of bringing the blog dissention into the public eye.
I also applaud the Seattle people who came forward and voiced their concerns. I am also in Seattle and my name, Tara, has been trashed about on the pro-Knox blogs as well. I am wary of these people who harass, so I wasn’t ready to go on the record. Hopefully, by Ms. Vogt bringing this deplorable internet behavior to light these people who have been “outed” can realize a more calm atmosphere when voicing their opinions about this controversial case.
Interesting to note that this article right now is the #1 most read article in the last hour, the #1 most read article in the last day, the #1 most printed article, and the #1 most emailed article today. It’s obviously a very hot topic.
Bravo Andrea Vogt, Skeptical Bystander, Professor Snape and Fly By Night and of course, our host here, Peter Quennell! You all are to be commended for your candor and honesty.
True Justice for Meredith Kercher.
Posted by Tara on 05/28/09 at 04:46 PM | #
Ciao,
Shocking reading about the harassment, and thanks to you all for keeping a high moral standard - for providing us with a decent public discussion of the case and making Merediths memory dignified.
Fiori
Posted by Fiori on 05/28/09 at 05:41 PM | #
Bravo Andrea Vogt for writing the plain truth about what I call a true persecution of people, who are just exercising their freedom of speech.
Or is this freedom only allowed to those who show abiding faith in the dogmatic belief that Knox simply cannot be guilty?
Posted by Nicki on 05/28/09 at 06:00 PM | #
Yes, kudos to Andrea Vogt for speaking out!
Mellas’s unscrupulous, irresponsible and unapologetically abusive behavior display for a vast public more than he could ever imagine: Amanda Knox, on trial for a vicious, violent crime against SOMEONE SHE LIVED WITH, was raised by and lived with this man.
Posted by wayra on 05/28/09 at 10:30 PM | #
Thank you Andrea Vogt for your continuing courageous journalism. Another fascinating report would be an expose on how a local PR firm executed on its contract for the Knox organization. The role of paid information packagers to beat down a victim’s voice.
Seattleite
Posted by jennifer on 05/28/09 at 10:53 PM | #
Colossal curses to the dark forces who have revealed yet another layer to their evil madness!
Denial du jour with a hint of arrogance.
Hey, look at me, Candace!! I can cook and clean up!
It sure is nice to enjoy some humor here but all jokes aside it does take true grit to put yer head out on the FOAK’ers choppin’ block, doesn’t it?!
This has not been done for personal gain or glory because any recovered dignity is humbly and gladly given back to the victim it was robbed from - Meredith Kercher.
It is done because it is the truth you believe in and it is the right thing to do.
There are laws in place which we expect to protect us.
Why were the laws not able to protect Mez?
Perhaps it’s because the types of people who commit these horrid crimes happen to come from my own backyard. Perhaps not.
But based upon the exchanges I have seen and experienced these last 12 months from the Knox/Mellas circus I suspect it won’t be too long before we all learn the good old plain truth.
RIP Meredith Kercher. Justice is coming.
Posted by Professor Snape on 05/29/09 at 01:44 AM | #
Andrea Vogt’s story sure has legs. The UPI news service has picked up the report and has offered it globally.
Right now 58 broadcast and print-media sites in the US, the UK and Italy are running the UPI version of the story, and the numbers are still growing.
Posted by Peter Quennell on 05/29/09 at 09:17 AM | #
Would love to see emails
from the Knox PR firm,Mellas,Van Sant,Ciolino,Preston,Bremner et al in
setting up Van Sant’s 48Hrs puppet show and related efforts to hide the
facts and diminish those whose only interest is fact finding.
Seattleite
Posted by jennifer on 05/30/09 at 11:36 PM | #
Where next:
Click here to return to The Top Of The Front PageOr to next entry DNA Evidence: The Myths Start To Come Crashing Down
Or to previous entry More Forensic Testimony: The Court Agenda For Friday And Saturday