>> Rooney: TONIGHT ON
GREATER BOSTON, GETTING RICH
ON PROSTITUTION, KRAITION
LIST FINDS ITSELF IN ANOTHER
CONTROVERSY OVER ITS ADS
KRAITION LIST.
>> PLUS HOME SALES ARE UP
BUT SO ARE FORECLOSE YOU
ARES.
UP IN YOUR BUSINESS
CONTRIBUTOR KRIS FRIESWICK
EXPLAINS.
AND WHEN SCIENCE MEETS
SPIRITUALITY, KRIST TIPETT
AND HER NEW BOOK "EINSTEIN'S
GOD"
Closed Captioning
brought to you by AFLAC:
Ask about it at work.
>> GOOD EVENING, WHILE PART
OF THE CHARM SOFT JUNK WEB
SITE CRAIGSLIST IS THE FACT
THAT YOU CAN POST YOURSELF
FOR FREE THAT'S NOT GOING TO
MAKE MONEY FOR THE OWNERS OF
THE SITE.
BUT SEX ADS DO.
CRAIGSLIST CHARGES FEES FOR
POSTING SEX ADS IN ALL OF
ITS U.S. MARKETS AND IS ON
TARGET TO BRING IN $36
MILLION THIS YEAR.
NOW THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT
IS LOOKING AT REGULATING A
SITE THAT IT CLAIMS IS
ESSENTIALLY SELLING
PROSTITUTION.
JARED BOWEN HAS MORE.
>> Reporter: THE WEB SITE
CRAIGSLIST HAS EVOLVED INTO
A MUST-USE CLASSIFIED
RESOURCE.
IT'S GO-TO GUIDE FOR CLASSES
AND JOBS, BUT THE SITE
INCREASINGLY LUCRATIVE ARM
IS ITS SEX AD, TED'S "NEW
YORK TIMES" REPORTS
CRAIGSLIST WILL BRING IN $36
MILLION THIS YEAR FOR
SALACIOUS SOLICITATION.
THE SITE CHARGES $10 FOR A
FIRST SEX AD AND $5 FOR
REPEAT POSTS.
OFTEN MASKED AS MASSAGE
OFFERS, OTHERS ARE MORE
DIRECT.
AND THIS IS ONLY A YEAR
AFTER THE ARREST OF ALLEGED
CRAIGSLIST KILLER PHILIP
MARKOFF.
>> THERE IS A POSSIBILITY
THAT PHILIP MARKOFF HAS DONE
THIS BEFORE TO OTHER WOMEN,
PERHAPS WOMEN WHO ARE
OFFERING SERVICES ON
CRAIGSLIST.
>> Reporter: MARKOFF
ALLEGEDLY USED THE SITE TO
MEET ESCORTS.
HE'S BEEN CHARGED WITH THE
MURDER OF ONE AND FOR THE
ATTACKS OF TWO OTHERS.
AIR SERIES OF CRIMES THAT
HAD AUTHORITIES REACHING O
OUT TO WOMEN OFFERING THEIR
SERVICES ON THE SITE LAST
YEAR.
>> MY PRIORITY, OUR PRIORITY
IS TO HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE
FOR EACH AN EVERY ONE OF
THOSE CRIME.
NOT TO HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE
FOR OFFERING SERVICES ON
CRAIGSLIST.
IF YOU HAVE BEEN A VICTIM,
LIKE THESE VICTIMS HAVE BEEN,
PLEASE COME FORWARD.
>> Reporter: CRITICS OF
CRAIGSLIST SAY THE SITE ALSO
DOESN'T DO ENOUGH TO CURB
HUMAN TRAFFICKING.
DESPITE ITS OWN WARNINGS ON
THE SUBJECT.
BUT AS MASSACHUSETTS
ATTORNEY GENERAL MARTHA
COAKLEY TOLD US LAST YEAR,
IT'S DIFFICULT EVEN FOR
AUTHORITIES TO POLICE THE
SITE.
>> ALTHOUGH SOME OF THE ADS
ARE QUITE CLEAR BECAUSE THEY
START GIVING AN HOURLY RATE
AND THEY ARE MUCH MORE
EXPLICIT THAN THEY USED TO
BE IS MY IMPRESSION.
BUT THERE IS AN ISSUE AROUND
EVEN IF THE UNDERLYING
ACTIVITY IS ILLEGAL, IS THE
ADVERTISING OF IT ILLEGAL.
>> Reporter: SO AS IT ALWAYS
HAS, SEX SELLS.
AND ON-LINE IT SELLS WELL.
>> JOINING ME NOW IS BOSTON
PHOENIX PUBLISHER STEVEN
MINDICH, BARTON CARTER AND
GALEN MOORE.
WELCOME TO ALL OF YOU,
STEPHEN, YOU ARE A PUBLIC
CASE, BOSTON PHOENIX ALSO
TAKES PERSONAL ADS WHAT
PARAMETERS --
>> ADULT ADS.
>> PERSONAL.
AND WHAT PARAMETER DOES YOU
HAVE.
YOU WOULDN'T TAKE AN AD THAT
SAYS $50 FOR THIS KIND OF
AIR SEX AD BUT DOW FEEL ANY
OBLIGATION TO VET THE ADS.
>> NO OBLIGATION.
BECAUSE THAT'S NOT OUR JOB.
IT WOULD BE THE SAME AS
ASKING DO WE HAVE AN
OBLIGATION TO VET A USED CAR
AD IF IT'S NOT STOLEN OR THE
A DOM TER ISN'T TURNED BACK.
IF SOMEBODY CAME IN AND SAID
I'M A PROSTITUTE AND I WANT
TO ADVERTISE WE WOULD SAY
YOU CAN'T ADVERTISE.
>> YOU CAN'T.
>> CANNOT.
>> SO IF YOU KNOW ABOUT IT,
IF YOU KNOW --
>> IF YOU KNOW WE WOULD
NEVER PUBLISH IT.
>> IF YOU KNEW, EVEN THOUGH
THAT MAY BE THE EVENTUALITY
IF YOU KNEW IT UP FRONT YOU
WOULDN'T DO IT.
>> CORRECT.
>> IT'S ILLEGAL.
>> RIGHT.
>> SO THAT IS THE ISSUE
THOUGH, HERE.
THAT THE ULTIMATE ACT MAY BE
ILLEGAL BUT THE ADVERTISING
ITSELF, WELL, WHAT WE HAVE
HERE IS A LAW CALLED SECTION
230 WHICH PROVIDES WEB-SITE
OPERATORS AMONG OTHERS WITH
IMMUNITY FOR MATERIAL POSTED
BY OTHERS.
SO AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT
THE INFORMATION CONTENT
PROVIDER, THEY ARE GIVEN
IMMUNITY.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS
THAT IF YOU HAD TO ASK WEB
SITES TO MONITOR EVERY
SINGLE ITEM GOING ON THEIR
SITE, IT JUST SIMPLY WOULD
BE IMPOSSIBLE.
THEY WOULD END UP LIMITING
WHAT COULD BE PUT ON BY SO
MUCH THAT IT WOULD REALLY
HINDER THE DEVELOPMENT OF
THE INTERNET.
>> Rooney: SOME PEOPLE MIGHT
SAY SO.
>> WELL, THE ANSWER IS THEN
YOU WOULD BE LOSING A LOT OF
THE VARIOUS BENEFITS OF
THESE TYPES OF SITES.
ALMOST ANY MAJOR SITE WOULD
BE LIMITED.
>> YOU KNOW, GALEN, WE
ALWAYS, THE QUESTION WE
ALWAYS ASK HERE IS HOW DO
ANY OF THESE WEB SITES MAKE
ANY MONEY.
I HAVE ALWAYS ASKED THAT
ABOUT CRAIGSLIST.
NOW IS BECOMING CRYSTAL
CLEAR BECAUSE IF I WANT TO
POST AN AD FOR MY OLD COUCH,
IT'S TO THE GOING COST ME
ANYTHING.
BUT IF I WANT TO PUT AN AD
OUT FOR ONE OF THESE THINGS,
THAT'S-- BUT WHAT IS THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL WANT.
I MEAN THEY WANT THEM TO
DISCLOSE THE AMOUNT OF
MONEY.
I DON'T SEE WHY THEY HAVE TO
DO THAT EITHER WATCH.
DO THEY WANT.
>> IT IS INTERESTING TO SORT
OF WONDER WHY CRAIGSLIST IS
SO OFTEN THE TARGET OF THESE
KINDS OF HIGH PROFILE
ATTACKS.
IT'S RELATIVELY SMALL PIECE
OF THE ON-LINE AD MARKET.
I THINK $36 MILLION.
>> IT SOUNDED SMALLS TO ME.
THE ON-LINE ADS MARKET FOR
CLASSIFIED ALONE IS 2.2
BILLION.
>> BUT NOT FOR CRAIGSLIST.
>> CRAIGSLIST MAKES $122
MILLION.
>> Rooney: OFF OF WHAT.
>> THEY CHARGE FOR JOBS, FOR
BARTERING.
>> Rooney: DO THEY.
>> IN NEW YORK CITY THEY DO
THAT.
BUT IT IS IRRELEVANT.
HOW MUCH THEY MAKE IS NOT
RELEVANT EITHER EXCEPT TO
THE SHAREHOLDERS EYES, I
SUPPOSE.
WHY ISN'T, AREN'T THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL GOING AFTER
LET'S SAY THE MARRIOTT HOTEL
CHAIN OR PLAYBOY OR THE
HYATT CHAIN IF THEY ARE SO
CONCERNED ABOUT SEX AND WHAT
MAY, MAY HAPPEN, MAY HAPPEN.
MARRIOTT AND ALL HOTEL CHAINS
HAVE-- THEY MAKE A LOT OF
MONEY FOR THEM.
WHY ARE THEY NOT THE OBJECT
OF THE WRATH.
I THINK EMILY, FROM MANY,
MANY YEARS THIS IS A TEPID,
LOOKING AT THE WRONG SIDE OF
IT.
YOU KNOW ME A LONG TIME.
I ADVOCATE FOR LEGALIZATION
OR DECRIMINALIZATION, ANY
WAY OF PROSTITUTION.
SELLING SLAVERY OR CHILDREN,
THAT'S A HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE
THING.
AND I DON'T THINK THERE IS
ANYBODY THAT WOULD ARGUE.
>> Rooney: THAT IS A GOOD
POINT.
NOW DO THEY HAVE ANY
OBLIGATION THAT, THAT IS
ANOTHER THING THAT THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS PICKED
UP ON, BARTON THAT THEY
SHOULD KNOW THAT THEY ARE --
>> HOW DO YOU KNOW.
>> Rooney: WELL, DO THEY
HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO FIND
OUT.
>> THE ANSWER IS NOT ONLY DO
THEY NOT HAVE AN OBLIGATION
TO FIND OUT, BUT THE WAY THE
LAW IS WRITTEN, IF-- EVEN IF
THEY ARE NOTIFIED THERE IS
NO OBLIGATION TO REMOVE
MATERIAL.
>> THERE MIGHT BE FOR US AS
PUBLISHERS.
>> THERE WOULD FOR YOU BUT
NOT THE WEB SITE, SO-CALLED.
>> AND BY THE WAY, EVEN IF
THERE WASN'T AN OBLIGATION,
I WOULD DO IT.
IF SOMEBODY NOTIFIED ME.
>> Rooney: SURE.
>> PART OF THE WAY THE LAW
WAS WRITTEN, THE UNDERLYING
INTENT WAS TO ENCOURAGE
PEOPLE TO DO SOME EDITING.
BECAUSE THE OLD RULE USED TO
BE UNTIL YOU EDITED
SOMETHING, YOU WERE NOT
LIABLE.
>> CORRECT.
>> AS SOON AS YOU EDITED ONE
THING, YOU WERE LIABLE FOR
EVERYTHING.
SO THEIR THEORY WAS WITH
THAT TYPE OF VOLUME, NOBODY
IS GOING TO, THEY ARE ALL
GOING TO BE SCARED TO DO
ANYTHING.
THIS WAY WE ARE ENCOURAGING
IT.
IT HASN'T ALWAYS PROVEN
TRUE.
IT'S ACTUALLY GIVEN RISE IN
OTHER AREAS TO SITE, THERE
WAS ONE CALLED JUICY CAMPUS.DOM
WHOSE WHOLE IDEA WAS TO PUT
UP THE MOST JUICY RUMORS
ABOUT STUDENTS AND FACULTY.
THEY ENCOURAGED EVERYBODY TO
PUT THEM UP.
AND THEY PROMISED THEM ALL
ANONYMITY SO YOU ENDED UP
WITH THIS BIZARRE SITUATION
WHERE YOU COULDN'T SUE THE
ONE YOU COULD IDENTIFY.
AND YOU COULDN'T IDENTIFY
THE ONE YOU COULD SUE.
>> Rooney: TALK A LITTLE
ABOUT THE ECONOMICS.
YOU ARE WERE TALKING BY
SECOND AGO THAT THE $36
MILLION ISN'T THAT AMOUNT OF
MONEY.
"THE NEW YORK TIMES" MADE IT
SUNDAY LIKE A LOT OF MONEY.
BUT IT REALLY ISN'T.
BUT THEY WANTED DISCLOSURE
TO BE PART OF IT WILL.
I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT
PART OF IT.
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK
CRAIGSLIST HAS ALWAYS BEEN
VERY CAGEY, YOU MIGHT SAY B
WHAT THEY WILL TALK ABOUT
AND WHAT THEY WANT IN TERMS
OF THEIR BUSINESS.
IT'S HARD TO SAY WHY THEY
ARE THAT WAY.
MAYBE IT'S A DEFENSIVE
MECHANISM BECAUSE THEY DO
BECOME THE HIGH PROFILE
TARGET IN THESE CASES.
I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO
KNOW IF PUBLIC-- PUBLICATIONS
LIKE THE PHOENIX ORVILLE AGE
VOICE HAS EVER BEEN SINGLED
OUT IN THIS WAY.
BECAUSE ALTERNATIVE WEEKLYS
HAVE BEEN RUNNING ADS LIKE
THIS FOR DECADES.
>> WE'VE BEEN SAYING THAT
FOR YEARS IT THIS MUST BE MY
476th APPEARANCE WITH EMILY
ON THIS SUBJECT.
AND YOU KNOW, IT IS THE SAME
STORY.
WHY DO YOU DO IT, AREN'T YOU
EMBARRASSED, DON'T YOU-- HOW
YOU CAN MAKE MONEY FROM THIS
AN ON AND ON AND ON.
WE DON'T DIVULGE HOW MUCH WE
MAKE EITHER.
AS A PRIVATE COMPANY, WHY
SHOULD WE.
WHY SHOULD CRAIGSLIST.
I WAS ALSO AMAZED
WHEN-- SAYS I AM OFFENDED
THAT THEY DON'T ANY LONGER
DONATE TO CHARITY PART OF
THOSE FUNDS.
>> Rooney: EXACTLY, WHY
SHOULD THEY BE FORCED.
>> FIRST OF ALL WHEN THEY
ANNOUNCED THAT DURING THE
MURDER SITUATION IN
PROVIDENCE, I SAID WHAT ARE
YOU GUYS DOING.
THAT MEANS THAT SOMEHOW YOU
ARE SAYING YOU HAVE A
PROBLEM AND THEREFORE ARE
YOU GOING TO MAKE AMENDS.
NOW THEY DECIDED THEY DON'T
WANT TO OBSESS ABOUT THAT I
DON'T THINK THERE IS A LEGAL
BASIS TO STAND ON.
THE FIRST AMENDMENT ALTHOUGH
NOT THE SAME EXACT THING,
ALSO COMES INTO PLAY HERE.
>> Rooney: WHICH BRINGS TO
THE QUESTION WHY WOULD
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, THE
CONNECTICUT AG WADE INTO
TWHNS HE'S RUNNING FOR
GOVERNOR.
>> THAT'S ACTUALLY T IS A
MEDIA PLOY IN A WAY.
I MEAN IF YOU GO AFTER "THE
BOSTON PHOENIX", OR THE
VILLAGE VOICE, OR THE
GUARDIAN YOU ARE NOT GETTING
AS MUCH MEDIA ATTENTION AS
IF YOU GO AFTER CRAIGSLIST
WHICH IS A RELATIVELY NEW
PON, KIND OF SOMETHING THAT
SWEPT INTO PLAY.
AND EVERYONE SORT OF MAYBE
CURIOUS ABOUT IT.
>> Rooney: WHAT IS
INTERESTING TO ME, AND OTHER
THAN AND I DON'T MEAN TO
MINIMIZE THIS, OTHER THAN
THIS CHARACTER, PHILLIP
MARKOFF WHO IS ACCUSED OF
MURDER AND SOLICITATION AND
BEATING UP A COUPLE OF OTHER
WOMEN, THERE HASN'T BEEN A
LOT OF TROUBLE ASSOCIATED
WITH THIS.
AND I HAVEN'T READ ABOUT TOO
MUCH.
>> WELL, JUST IN QUINCEY THE
OTHER DAY THERE WAS A BUST
OF A PROSTITUTE, A BOTH EL
OPERATING DOWN THERE.
THAT WAS RUNNING ADS IN-- .
>> Rooney: THAT IS
DIFFERENT.
>> IN PHOENIX AND CRAIGSLIST.
>> Rooney: BUT THAT
IS-- DIFFERENT AS OPPOSED IT
BEATING UP A PROSTITUTE.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU
THAT IN ALL OF THE YEARS,
ALL OF THE YEARS THAT WE
HAVE BEEN CARRYING ADULT
ENTERTAINMENT OR ADVERTISING,
NOT ONCE, NOT ONCE HAVE WE
GOTTEN A CALL, A COMPLAINT
FROM A USER.
>> Rooney: DISSATISFIED
CUSTOMER.
>> EVEN A DISSATISFIED
CUSTOMER.
BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT
SOMEONE WHO SAY I WHATS
ATTACKED, HURT, THREATENED.
ANYTHING.
AND THIS IS THOUSANDS AND
THOUSANDS IT OF ADS OVER
YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.
>> Rooney: I'M STILL JUST, I
MEAN I ADMIT TO MY NAIVETE
THAT PEOPLE POST THE ADS AND
THAT THEY RESPOND TO THE
ADS.
IT'S LIKE YIKES.
THAT THERE IS THAT MUCH
INTEREST OUT THERE IN THIS
STUFF.
>> IT'S PORNOGRAPHY IS STILL
BIG BUSINESS ON THE
INTERNET.
>> Rooney: BUT IT IS FREE.
SO MUCH OF IT IS TREE.
>> BUT THAT'S THE THING.
I MEAN THE FREE STUFF T ONLY
RECENTLY THAT IT WASN'T THE
TOP RANKED SEARCH ACTIVITY
ON THE WEB.
>> Rooney: PROBABLY BECAUSE
THERE IS A WAY TO GET AROUND
IT.
>> WHAT WAS THE MOST
VALUABLE SUPPOSEDLY SINGLE
WEB ADDRESS, WWW.SEX.COM.
THE SINGLE MOST VALUABLE ONE
IN HISTORY.
>> Rooney: WHO HAS GOT IT.
>> SOMEBODY HIJACKED IT AND
IT ENDED UP IN THE COURTS.
>> Rooney: I THINK WHITE
HOUSE.COM HAS ENDED UP BEING
A PORN SITE, PEOPLE
HIJACKING THOSE THINGS.
>> AND A LOT OF MONEY IN FOR
THE VARIOUS WEB SITES AND
MANY ARE DEALING WITH SEX.
>> WE'RE IN AN EFFORT NOW TO
GET THE DOT XXX TOP LEVEL
DOMAIN FOR PORN SITE
OSTENSIBLY WHICH HAS
SOME-- CHURCH LEADERS UP IN
ARMS.
>> Rooney: STEPHEN MINDICH,
BARTON CARTER AND GALEN
MOORE, THANKS SO MUCH.
WHEN WE GET YOU CONFLICTING
ECONOMIC SIGNALS AND THE
RECESSION, WHAT DOES IT ALL
MEAN.
Share
Embed
Transcript
Podcasts
