A Howie Carr fan tipped off bostonherald.com Monday early-morning (8/3) about similarities between Barnicle's 8/2 column and the Carlin book. It was not "a Globe reader" or Mark Robinson from Maine, who's been claiming responsibility (including saying he called the Herald Monday night).

On Monday afternoon, I cleared the tip with the editor of the Herald newspaper and the website's Online News Manager, Mark Perigard, began pursuing the story. A story was prepared to launch on the website Tuesday night, then the server crashed. (Technology is a wonderful thing!) The story, written by Perigard, broke simultaneously in the Herald newspaper and on bostonherald.com on Wednesday morning.

The Globe was notified about Barnicle's recommendation of Carlin's book on "Chronicle" by Perigard, not by WCVB. In fact, we tipped off WCVB about what they had aired when we called looking to grab a photo off the video from the June 22 show. (It also was on the station's website.)

The rest, as they say, is history.

Bill Weber
Editor
bostonherald.com