The Memory Hole (web site)
Encyclopedia
The Memory Hole was a website
edited by Russ Kick
; first launched on July 10, 2002, last post on May 11, 2009. Before being hacked in June 2009, the site was 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 behavior of the U.S. government.
The website is the 2005 winner of the Project on Government Oversight
's "Beyond the Headlines" Award.
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
edited by Russ Kick
Russ Kick
Russ Kick is an American editor and publisher. He is editor of the website The Memory Hole which published and archived U.S. government documents, including scientific studies and reports, civil rights-related reports, intelligence and covert action reports, consumer safety reports, and images...
; first launched on July 10, 2002, last post on May 11, 2009. Before being hacked in June 2009, the site was 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
Memory hole
A memory hole is any mechanism for the alteration or disappearance of inconvenient or embarrassing documents, photographs, transcripts, or other records, such as from a web site or other archive, particularly as part of an attempt to give the impression that something never happened...
" from George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four
Nineteen Eighty-Four
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell is a dystopian novel about Oceania, a society ruled by the oligarchical dictatorship of the Party...
, 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
Freedom of Information Act (United States)
The Freedom of Information Act is a federal freedom of information law that allows for the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the United States government. The Act defines agency records subject to disclosure, outlines mandatory disclosure...
. The photos sparked a controversy regarding the publication of war photos, public opinion and the behavior of the U.S. government.
The website is the 2005 winner of the Project on Government Oversight
Project on Government Oversight
The Project On Government Oversight , founded in 1981, is an independent non-profit organization in the United States which investigates and seeks to expose corruption and other misconduct. POGO assists whistleblowers and investigates federal agencies, Congress, and government contractors...
's "Beyond the Headlines" Award.