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Clinton's moment of truth
By David Watts
INTERNET users will not be surprised to learn they can virtually bury
themselves in Web coverage of the Clinton impeachment trial. What might surprise, however,
is that the best coverage is at British sites.
President Clinton's moment of truth for his indiscretions with Monica Lewinsky and
subsequent actions has been propelled on to the world stage mainly by the Net. First, the Drudge Report dragged up the dirt on the affair.
Then millions of people were able to read every salacious word of the Starr Report on
their screens. This was followed by online video of the President's testimony to the Grand
Jury.
Naturally with a user base and sheer volume of sites dominated by Americans, news about
the impeachment trial is unavoidable. Every US news organisation has a special site. But,
with few exceptions, the deluge of stories and analyses is hard to wade through.
The more dispassionate UK heavyweights at the BBC
and the Guardian
have far easier Clinton specials to follow. Their ability to go to the important issues,
rather than to cover every word uttered about the case, makes them ideal places for
non-Americans.
The BBC complements its coverage in words with video snippets of the case that can be
played with RealPlayer. It also offers the now mandatory feedback page where surfers can
have their say about the trial's progress.
The Guardian's new newsUnlimited site requires users to register, but that is free. The
Clinton special can be found under the Documentaries link, and one of its highlights is a
comprehensive list of jokes about the affair.
None of this is to say that American sites should be ignored. The Washington
Post's exhaustive coverage is a must, considering the trial is in the paper's
backyard. And CNN's AllPolitics site
will provide news and video footage as it breaks. It also offers a searchable video
database of Mr Clinton's Grand Jury testimony.
The White House is Net savvy and the President was
quick to make his official views on the impeachment available online as soon as they were
ready. There is bound to be more at the White House site as the trial continues.
The better US sites to watch are perhaps those that offer distractions.
The Drudge Report fits this description. Matt
Drudge, the sleazy character who offers gossip as news, actually has an excellent site for
those who want to be informed. His Clinton special links to the Washington Post, but he
has a myriad of links to other news organisations. Drudge's own stories can be
entertaining to say the least. Last week he wrote that an online video re-enactment of Mr
Clinton's trysts with Ms Lewinsky is planned for release later this month.
For those who receive good streaming video on fast connections, RealPlayer's guide to the trial
is worth watching. This site links to a wide variety of different organisations showing
RealPlayer coverage in video or audio.
One site that cannot be ignored is ZDNet's Y-Life.
Not only has it got access to the Starr Report, Clinton video, Ms Lewinsky's evidence etc,
but it also points the way to many sites that might help relieve the feeling of stress and
seriousness that such an important trial brings on. Y-Life lets surfers branch out to the
I Love Monica Lewinsky page, Linda Tripp's official site, Create-a-Clinton Story, I Had
Sex With Clinton, Too, the Right Wing Conspirator and a few other slightly off-centre
sites.
The ultimate distraction is offered at the Skeletons
in the Closet site where dirt is dumped on American politicians. It has its own
version of the Lewinsky affair of course. But far better is the link to Severe Scandals.
Here you can read about the politician who murdered his opponent or the one who sent an
old mafia message by mailing dead fish.
All articles Copyright: © West Australian Newspapers
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