They both have a point: the need to know vs some pretense of due process. So in the end maybe should give them all swords and let them fight it out.

"The media and the criminals deserve each other..."?

So interviewing a victim (OK, alledged!) of Mr. Suleiman is sufficient cause to be beaten up by Mr. Suleiman? Given his visible injury, one wonders what would have happened to the reporter had he not had the assistance of the interviewee!

What SR is for is nothing but vigilante justice! and we have to remember that vigilantes are not necessarily those who have just cause!

Fortunately, we do not live in SR's fantasy world, there is a tape, witnesses and hopefully the Suleiman Goon is going to be put away for a while! And that is irrespective of what the outcome of his other legal problems may be!

I'm not proud of it, and Suleiman was the wrong one to do it, but I've been waiting for one of these won't get off my property and leave me the hell alone reporters to catch a beating for a long time.

I know, I know.

Suleiman is an ass. And a bully. And probably a thief. And I'm even a fan of investigative journalism.

But I've watched way too many pushy reporters absolutely hound the families of VICTIMS to shed too many tears for a guy that walked away a little mussed up.

"Ma'am, so sorry to ambush you while you're taking a pee in a funeral home bathroom stall, but can you tell me how you felt when you found out that your entire entire family had been pulverized down at the dog-food factory in a tragic "Take Your Kids To Work Day" accident?"

How the f*ck do you THINK she feels and what makes you think the public has the RIGHT to have it recorded on tape?

This reporter was just unlucky enough to have ticked off a guy that actually did what a lot of other people have wanted to do but didn't.

And check out the station's coverage of the incident. They think they have a RIGHT to stalk people.

The good news is that Suleiman's gonna get what he deserves because apparently, despite what the station claims, the reporter wasn't really in danger of losing his life. Had he been, I figure the cameraman would have put down his camera to help.

But maybe not.

While Sulliman and his wife were obviously in the wrong, it was rather gratifying to see a Fox News reporter get his ass kicked.

The reporter was the victim here. Regardless of what other reporters may do, this one was trying to help victims by exposing a con man who was stealing people's personal information and committing fraud (allegedly). And he wasn't hounding the guy who beat him up - he was interviewing a witness. The couple who assaulted him, meanwhile, had been stalking and harrassing him.

There's no excuse for that, regardless of whether he's a reporter. And frankly, I think the animosity towards reporters is really unfair. Yes, sometimes they take it too far (hounding victims' families and all that). But they also provide an important public service, when they are doing their jobs and now bending to pressure from the White House.

Man. Talk about a thankless job. The guy gets beat down while doing his job and people actually cheer about it. That's just wrong.

Let me see if I've got this right. We want our reporters to be tenacious with Bush and his minions but not with this couple. Either they are looking to uncover corruption however large or small or they don't. A bully is a bully no matter if it's Bushco or this douchebag and douchebaggette. Nobody deserves a beating like that for doing there job.

Just what was the purpose in posting this trashy little slice of "If it bleeds, it leads," VD?

So a self-righteous "consumer affairs" talking head from a local TV news station is pummeled by a thug. Yes? And?

Once again VD demonstrates its 13-year-old boy sensibilities, to the continuing detriment of Salon.

I'm just saying.

Not in *this* case, but in the larger context of reporters in general. And yeah, I want the White House Press to stop fellating Bush and start biting, so I admit to feeling a little cockeyed about it, but you folks know what I'm talking about.

Anon, where did you see that the couple was stalking the reporter? Wasn't he at Suleiman's house, arguing with Suleiman's wife?

Again, not defending Suleiman (the scum!), but I don't think he followed the reporter to HIS house. Did he?

Back to wherever they came from, which is obviously not the US.

I wonder what Suleiman and his wife will think now that the footage is speading toward national exposure. It is very clear that Suleiman and his wife are gulity. Why would they react so violently and full of anger if it wasn't? There is no reason to hit a reporter like that and clearly the husband and wife didn't know that assault is a crime. So they will no doubt get what they deserve on their part. Being in prison, I highly doubt their businesses will continue, especially with the assualt on camera...twice. The camera never hides the truth and since the footage is online, I highly doubt it's going to be going away anytime soon. Those two are nothing but losers. Good riddens.

When it's the high and mighty they're never dogged enough to satisfy the public, but when the criminals come from the hoi polloi they're engaging in harassment.

Fuck the Suleimans, and fuck people with such attitudes. The Fourth Estate is an important guarantor of our freedoms, and within certain limits they should be left to do as they see fit.

Last but not least, I can't understand why the reporter didn't defend himself, especially with the camera there to clearly show that he was the one attacked, and also considering that the chickenshit's left was dropped and his chin exposed. If it had been me I would have kicked that motherfucker's ass all over the damn yard, and the interviewee would have had to pull ME off of HIM.