Americablog

• John Aravosis, lawyer, journalist, Democratic political consultant, and civil rights advocate who served five years as the senior foreign policy adviser to United States Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK), and wrote as a stringer for the Economist.[https://www.linkedin.com/in/aravosis John Aravosis bio on LinkedIn]
• Joe Sudbay, Democratic political consultant and former gun control activist, held staff positions with Violence Policy Center, and Handgun Control, Inc.[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0210/12/cst.05.html CNN.com]{{Cite web |url=http://www.commondreams.org/news2000/0504-03.htm |title=Handgun Control |access-date=2007-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061122002714/http://www.commondreams.org/news2000/0504-03.htm |archive-date=2006-11-22 |url-status=dead }}
• Chris Ryan, who lives in Paris, France.
• Steven Kyle, a professor in economics at Cornell University.
• Naomi Seligman, a communications professional from Santa Monica, California.

Americablog first received widespread media attention after it revealed that Jeff Gannon, a member of the White House press corps with a reputation for asking "softball" questions at opportune moments for Press Secretary Scott McClellan, was actually James Guckert and had advertised his services as an escort.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27730-2005Feb15.html |title=Online Nude Photos Are Latest Chapter In Jeff Gannon Saga |author=Howard Kurtz |author-link=Howard Kurtz |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=February 16, 2005|access-date=2007-02-12 |quote=The latest developments were first reported by John Aravosis, a liberal political consultant and gay activist who has a Web site called americablog.org. 'What struck me initially was the hypocrisy angle,' Aravosis said. He said he was offended by what he called Gannon's 'antigay' writing.}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A28866-2005Feb16?language=printer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918072048/https://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A28866-2005Feb16/?language=printer|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 18, 2018|title=Guckert Watch|author=Dan Froomkin|author-link=Dan Froomkin|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=February 16, 2005|access-date=2007-02-12 |quote=Joe Strupp wrote in Editor & Publisher ... 'In addition, evidence emerged on the site Americablog yesterday suggesting that Guckert not only set up sex sites but also offered his services as a male prostitute. When asked by E&P today about such accusations, Gannon declined to confirm or deny. "I am not going to talk about that," he said.'}}{{cite news | url=http://dir.salon.com/news/feature/2005/02/15/guckert/print.html | title='Jeff Gannon's' secret life | work=Salon.com | date=February 15, 2005 | access-date=September 28, 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607032705/http://dir.salon.com/news/feature/2005/02/15/guckert/print.html | archive-date=2011-06-07 | url-status=dead }}{{cite news | url=http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/02/25/gannon_coverage/print.html | title=See no Gannon, hear no Gannon, speak no Gannon | work=Salon.com | date=February 25, 2005 | access-date=September 28, 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607032715/http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/02/25/gannon_coverage/print.html | archive-date=2011-06-07 | url-status=dead |quote=Americablog 'has been instrumental in breaking news on "Gannongate."'}}

In 2006, Aravosis learned that a number of commercial websites were selling people's private cell phone records, and that the practice was legal. In order to publicize what he considered a problem, Aravosis purchased the call records of former presidential candidate and Supreme Allied Commander of NATO General Wesley Clark for $89.95, and then published the records (with the numbers blacked out) on Americablog, bringing the issue widespread attention.{{cite news |url=http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0113-08.htm |title=Blogger Buys Presidential Candidate's Call List |author=Frank Main |newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times |date=January 13, 2006 |access-date=2007-02-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061121044531/http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0113-08.htm |archive-date=November 21, 2006}} Republished on the Common Dreams NewsCenter.{{cite news |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/12534959/ns/technology_and_science-security/t/whos-buying-cell-phone-records-online-cops/#.VGAWnfTF-WE |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141110014325/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/12534959/ns/technology_and_science-security/t/whos-buying-cell-phone-records-online-cops/%23.VGAWnfTF-WE |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 10, 2014 |title=Who's buying cell phone records online? Cops |author=Bob Sullivan |work=NBC News |date=June 20, 2006}}{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/sites-selling-cell-phone-records-shut-down/ |title=The Spy in Your Pocket |agency=Associated Press |publisher=FOX News |date=February 9, 2006}} In September 2006, California passed a state law banning the practice of pretexting, or pretending to be someone else, used by the websites, with the bill's sponsor specifically citing the Americablog coverage.{{cite news |url=http://www.senatorsimitian.com/entry/governor_signs_simitian_bill_to_outlaw_pretexting_prohibit_purchase_and_sal/ |title= Governor Signs Simitian Bill to Outlaw 'Pretexting,' Prohibit Purchase and Sale of Phone Records |publisher=Joe Simitian |date=September 29, 2006}} Clark became an advocate of cell record privacy bills in Congress.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1174705,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060512083813/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1174705,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 12, 2006 |title=The Spy in Your Pocket |author=Kristina Dell |magazine=Time |date=March 19, 2006 |access-date=2007-02-12}} Within months, Congress passed a law restricting these records.{{cite magazine |url=http://archive.wired.com/politics/law/commentary/circuitcourt/2006/12/72330?currentPage=all |title= The Bush Era Draws to a Close |author=Jennifer Granick |magazine=Wired |date=December 20, 2006}}

In 2011, Aravosis received a tip that British oil giant BP (British Petroleum) was posting falsified photos to its website during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He analyzed the photos, then published an article on Americablog proving that the images were doctored electronically.{{cite news |url=http://americablog.com/2010/07/bp-photoshops-fake-photo-of-command.html |title=BP photoshops fake photo of oil spill crisis command center to make it look busy |author=John Aravosis |publisher=Americablog |date=July 19, 2010}} The story received widespread coverage in the media.{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/07/22/bp.altered.photos/ |title=BP acknowledges another altered photo, posts originals |author=Jason Hanna |publisher=CNN |date=July 22, 2010}}{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/19/AR2010071905256.html |title= Altered BP photo comes into question |author=Steven Mufson |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 20, 2010}}{{cite news |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/38333456/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/t/bp-digitally-alters-press-photo-confesses-its-fake/#.VF_5wPTF-WE |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110040513/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/38333456/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/t/bp-digitally-alters-press-photo-confesses-its-fake/#.VF_5wPTF-WE |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 10, 2014 |title=BP digitally alters press photo, confesses it's fake |author=Wilson Rothman |work=NBC News |date=July 20, 2010}}{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bp-and-the-gulf-oil-spill-misadventures-in-photoshop/ |title= BP and the Gulf Oil Spill: Misadventures in Photoshop |author=Kirsten Korosec |work=CBS News |date=July 30, 2010}}{{cite news |url=http://blogs.ft.com/energy-source/2010/07/21/erasing-the-mistakes-bps-lessons-in-photoshop/ |title= Erasing the mistakes: BP's lessons in Photoshop |author=Anjli Raval |newspaper=Financial Times |date=July 21, 2010}}{{cite news |url=http://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2010/07/21/quand-bp-truque-les-photos-de-sa-communication-de-crise_1390742_3244.html |title= Quand BP truque les photos de sa communication de crise |newspaper=Le Monde |date=July 21, 2010}}

Americablog ceased posting new content in February 2022.

A study of blogs and the 2004 U.S. presidential election ranked Americablog as the 18th most popular liberal blog for October–November 2004.[https://web.archive.org/web/20050310100048/http://www.blogpulse.com/papers/2005/AdamicGlanceBlogWWW.pdf Adamic, Lada and Glance, Natalie, The Political Blogosphere and the 2004 U.S. Election: Divided They Blog](March 4, 2005) In 2005, less than one year after its launch, Americablog was ranked fifth in page views among all political blogs in an analysis done by MyDD.{{cite news|url=http://www.mydd.com/story/2005/2/27/16243/2951 |title=Partisan, Political Blogosphere Traffic Rankings s |publisher=MyDD |date=Feb 27, 2005 |access-date=Sep 28, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907162851/http://www.mydd.com/story/2005/2/27/16243/2951 |archive-date=2008-09-07 }} In 2008, PC Magazine ranked Americablog as one of the "20 best political Web sites." At the time, PC Magazine wrote: "You'll want to keep Americablog on your radar."[https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2329081,00.asp The 20 Best Political Web Sites | PCMag.com] In 2009, Americablog was ranked as one of the top ten political blogs by the Personal Democracy Forum,[http://personaldemocracy.com/blogs/top Top 50 blogs | Personal Democracy Forum] and as the 23rd most popular political blog by Wikio. In 2010, Technorati ranked Americablog in the top 100 political blogs and top 100 US politics blogs, and in 2013 Pingdom cited Americablog as one of the top 100 blogs.{{cite web |url=http://royal.pingdom.com/2013/05/07/wordpress-top-100-blogs/ |title= WordPress increases its domination of the top 100 blogs |publisher=Pingdom |date=May 7, 2013}} The New York Times includes Americablog among 17 "politics & government" blog that it recommends.{{cite news |author= Meislin, Rich |url= https://www.nytimes.com/ref/technology/blogs_101.html |title= Blogs 101 |work= The New York Times}} Rolling Stone once wrote of Americablog: "We trust you are all reading Americablog ... you'll be better Amurricans for it."{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

• {{official website|https://americablog.com/}}
• [http://www.politicstv.com Politics TV]

Category:American political blogs

Category:Internet properties established in 2004