The Memory Hole (web site)

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The Memory Hole is a website edited by Russ Kick and first launched July 10, 2002.[1] It is devoted to preserving and publishing material that is in danger of being lost, is hard to find, or is not widely known. Topics include government files, corporate memos, court documents, police reports and eyewitness statements, Congressional testimony, reports from various sources, maps, patents, web pages, photographs, video, sound recordings, news articles, and books. The name is a reference to the "memory hole" from George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, a slot into which government officials deposit politically inconvenient documents and records for destruction.

One of the most noticeable actions was the publication of several hundred photos depicting the coffins of U.S. soldiers fallen in Iraq. These were obtained by Russ Kick by filing a request based on the Freedom of Information Act. The photos sparked a controversy regarding the publication of war photos, public opinion and the behaviour of the U.S. government. [2]

The website is the 2005 winner of the Project on Government Oversight's "Beyond the Headlines" Award.[3]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Kick, Russ (2002). About The Memory Hole. Retrieved on 2006-10-18.
  2. ^ Photos of Soldiers' Coffins Spark a Debate Over Access. New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-5-6.
  3. ^ Beyond the Headlines Award Project On Government Oversight. pogo.org. Retrieved on 2006-10-18.

[edit] External links

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