Here’s a media innovation worth watching: A new nonprofit group, Pro Publica, will pursue investigative journalism pieces uncovering corruption and wrongdoing in government and business, and provide them free to top newspapers and magazines.
Paul Steiger, who recently retired as managing editor of the Wall Street Journal, will lead the planned newsroom of two dozen journalists.
Many newsrooms would likely be leery about using these pieces, particularly if the group seems partisan. But it’s a worthy effort, considering how many newspapers and other media outlets have scaled back investigative pieces because of the time and expense involved.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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68 Comments
The Eagle already ignores free investigative journalism about Kansas political money. What’s stopping the Eagle from doing investigative journalism now? Too busy with political satire comedy videos?
Cool. At least now we’ll know exactly what stories the Mainstream Media is ignoring while they do another status report on Brittney’s panties . . .
What Panties? Did I miss something?
Ow Meadowlark…I enjoy the videos. :)
My find from yesterday shocked me in several ways, I need at least a second source before I can say it was true. But as for everything that is within the BBC documentary titled “the Power of Nightmares”. It does make me wonder about Main stream media who is accused of being basis in favor of Liberalism. Much of the documentary give a very damning portrayal of the Bush administration, the Neo-conservative movement and the war of terrorism is for the most part made up to give the masses an enemy to hate. It is all backed up with actual interviews with the key players like Kristol, Peale and other Neocons along with terrorism experts from around the world.
The question for me is, if this was available to the British people and the reporters were able to get such caudate interviews from these people. Why has not someone with in the United States main stream media reported any of this? Granted at first it would have been a career killer for any one to have reported it.
(Note see Dan Rather) But now it would be different, such a report would still be a career killer, but the Career would be Bush and Cheney. If the Main stream media was so liberal basis, one would think this would be a must do!
“”"The Eagle already ignores free investigative journalism about Kansas political money. What’s stopping the Eagle from doing investigative journalism now? Too busy with political satire comedy videos?”"”"
All politicians are criminals. That is just a fact of life. So the question is which politician is less of a criminal. Kansas politicians are probably cleaner than most politicians.
When Pro Publica is up and running, you will probably hear cries from Republicans and Democrats alike about the partisan nature of the organization. For instance, if you have a Republican president and Pro Publica does an investigative piece on the administration, then Republicans will say that Pro Publica consists of a pack of liberal journalists who are out to make a partisan point. If the Democrats ever win back the White House, though, and Pro Publica does an investigative piece on the Democrats, then you will hear it being said that the founder of the group worked at The Wall Street Journal, so what did you expect? My hope is that Pro Publica does thorough, quality work, one way or another.
Newsrooms in general should go back to doing investigative reporting. This is what newspapers do better than anyone else. To cease with that part of the business is akin to a novelist of Tolstoy’s caliber confining himself to writing from the point-of-view of only one character.
Poor Wichita Eagle. They catch it from both sides no matter what they do. For a newspaper located in south-central Kansas I suppose they would be considered a little left of center. In Kansas, that’s almost a capitol offense.The Eagle is a good source for local news I suppose, but for the real news, you need to look outside Kansas. That’s the wonderful thing about the Internet. It puts news from around the world at your fingertips.
As long as it’s not funded by Soros, we can be reasonably sure it’s going to be unbiased and factual.
As long as it’s not funded by Soros, we can be reasonably sure it’s going to be unbiased and factual.
Posted by: Joe Williams | October 19, 2007 at 07:48 AM
As opposed to being run by Paul Steiger, who recently retired as managing editor of the Wall Street Journal.Joe Williams, are you only concerned about Liberal bias?
There were light shining investigative reports done by knight ridder that might have tampered the WMD/Iraq fever, but didn’t matter, since no one would print them, and if they did it would be buried somewhere in the back pages.
Are you trying to compare Paul Steiger to those who work at Media Matters?
LOL! Oh my goodness that’s funny! :)
“(Note see Dan Rather)”
W-dog -
I hope, as you do, this investigative journalism outfit is legit. I further hope they also investigate journalism, on both sides of the political aisle. While there are plenty of skeletons in politics (god knows) there are plenty of abuses in newsrooms as well.
And Rather wasn’t destroyed by those awful “neo-cons,” he did it to himself. He was caught peddling an obvious forgery. That destroyed the credibility of his story. Simple enough.
The real story was the media was all over the forgery, and not the more important issue, whether the forgery depicted actual events!We’ve seen this slight of hand played over and over during the bush regime.
Phantom -
While I agree with you, in part, don’t you think that once the document supporting the story is proven to be a forgery, that the story, and those advocating the document lose all their credibility on the issue?
At that point it doesn’t really matter whether it’s “true” or not. The ability to tell a credible story is lost.
Ya think?
In real journalism the peripheal should never become more important than the substantive story line.
It is akin to where a poster makes a good point, but attention is only paid to technical clerical considerations. In this case, it was a bright, shiney forged document.
Actually, I have to agree with GMC on this one.
Rather and his 60 minutes had a lot of support for their story without the suspect memo.
When I wrote for a college newspaper at a major Midwestern university, our rule was two sources for any controversial facts. We never would have used PHOTOCOPIES of anything which is what the CBS team used. In fact, they used a FAX of a photocopy.
Furthermore, their source claimed he got the document from an officer in the Texas Air NG. Turned out that CBS people could be bothered to check with that officer. Turns out the officer didn’t ever have possession.
That is just bad journalism. They didn’t do their damn jobs.
Agreed, but that shouldn’t have shaped further investigation into the matter.More investigating should have been done to see if the statements were correct or not. If not by CBS, then by others. Instead, the forgery became the whole story.
I used Rather as an example of what could have happened if a reporter said something that was at the time seen as un-American. But yes Rather failed in many aspects of good journalism, he has not been alone in that those. Our media no matter what the slant has fallen for the simple repeat without seeking the truth of what they are repeating. Then they can use the excuse of it was not me whom is saying it I was just quoting the source. I said it once before, “To not report the truth is a greater sin then to report the lie!”.
About the US media, I wondered just where the hell it went! At the risk of being outlandish, did the neo-cons replicate the Gorbels era in Germany when the press, pastors, protesters and people were cowed into silence lest they be damned as unpatriotic? Every repressive law passed by the Nazis received overwhelming support by elected lawmakers, praised by the media. And this is before 1936. Many good, close friends of American were and are saddened.
SursamAgain:Neo-Con or New Conservatives — you use a loaded term.
It is odd to use that term and then say, somehow, that neo-cons are “like” Nazis.
The term “Neo-Con” was coined to describe Jewish Republicans.
This did not necessarily mean that their brand of Republicanism was new, only that they were a new force in the GOP.
And, folks.
Bush served honorably in the Guard.
John Kerry, on the other hand, probably received a less than honorable discharge, which was later rehabilitated under the Clinton Amnesty program.
Why has the press refused to follow THAT story?
Excuse meUnder the Carter Amnesty program, though somethings might have changed under Clinton as well.
John Kerry’s discharge:
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=41200
probably Paul? Got any evidence? Or are you just blowing it out of your ass again slandering a COMBAT veteran?
worldnetdaily – less reliable than moveon.org.
BenDid you LOOK at the link?
Did you ever look at any of the many other links I have posted, on this Blog, about Kerry?
Kerry’s own discharge paperwork shows that he was disharged after 12 years — TWELVE YEARS — of service.
Did this anti-war radical sign up for an additional 6 year hitch?
yes paul, I did. WND is an extreme right-wing rag. At least Kerry saw COMBAT – that is more than your hero can say.
BenThis thread is about “investigative journalism” and you are avoiding the point:
Why does Kerry’s OWN webpage post a DD-214 which would indicate 12 years of service?
By the way, this would make ALL of Kerry’s anti war activity, during that period, illegal!
And, where is the “Guard Duty” record for John Kerry?
Hunt for it Ben.
There is not a scrap of evidence that John Kerry ever went to even one Naval Reserve Drill.
John Kerry has refused to release all of his military records.
Why do you think that is?
This is the guy that claimed he spent Christmas in Cambodia, remember? Another HUGE Kerry whopper!
BenGeorge W. Bush flew armed combat missions, ready to shoot down Soviet nuclear bombers.Many pilots died flying the same missions as Bush.It was dangerous duty.
“ready to shoot down Soviet nuclear bombers.”
Yea, right!
Many more drivers died driving their cars during that same period Paul. Your slavish devotion to Bush is rather amusing.
BenI am simpy telling the truth.
It is your side that makes up lies about Bush, and his Guard duty, even to the extent that you forge documents.
My side only asks for Kerry to release HIS records, something Kerry refuses to do!
And the few records Kerry did release make very clear that his records have been altered from their original form.
Kerry used the Carter Vietnam Amnesty program to upgrade his discharge.
You will find it absolutely impossible to prove me wrong on that point.
Paul – PROVE that Bush did not have each and every one of his records forged. PROVE that such an allegation is false.
Then PROVE yourself right about Kerry using the Carter amnesty program to upgrade.
BenThe record is clear.
If real documents existed for the FALSE charges against Bush, we would have them by now. Instead, Dan Rather went forward with forged documents.
The documents damning Kerry were posted on Kerry’s own website.
So the Navy gives out silvers stars to fake’s? Didn’t Bush get grounded for not taking a physical? rumours of Blow?
Paul – I’m still asking you to DISPROVE the allegations. Just like you ask me to DISPROVE YOUR allegationa against a brave COMBAT veteran.
TomActuallyThe “Silver Star with a Combat V” is NEVER GIVEN TO ANYONE!
That is a FAKE award.
Another weird point on the Kerry DD-214, thanks for bringing it up.—-By the way, Benedict Arnold got a few ribbons before his discharge.
That does not reverse his treason.
BenI have done that several times.
The entire chain of command, above Bush, supports Bush.
Bush was admired by those who served with him.
None of those people support the Left wing kooks who are forging documents to smear Bush.
Paul – you miss my point. You asked me to prove a negative (i.e. prove your allegations fales). I simply turned that back on you. PROVE your allegations against COMBAT VETERAN Kerry.
As for the ‘admired him’ those claims are dubious at best. There have also been many come forward saying your non-combat vet hero was a classic underachiever.
BTW Paul, the plane I flew at that same time was also rather dangerous – a lot of people died in them too.
Here are the accounts of those who actually served with Bush:http://www.wingmenforbush.com/
BenWhy did Kerry “serve” 12 years, by his own documentation?
Why did Kerry receive a “combat V” on his Silver Star? The only person in history to do so, since that award combination is dumb, it is duplicitive or redundent and never, ever done.
Why did it happen?
Probably because the Clerk who did the paperwork under the Carter Amnesty program didnt know any better. The war had been over for a long time.
A carefully selected subgroup Paul. Kerry also listed his best friends who said nice things about him. Still proves nothing.
Paul – still only suppositions. NO PROOF. Show me your proof.
Econ101: Connie Rice is Jewish? Regardless of the origins of the term, those who adhere to a crede accept must the same nomenclature. Hitler wasn’t German he was Austrian, nonetheless he was a National Socialist as were many ethnic Germans, where he came to power. I think perhaps you are parsing a denifition too finely. I thought the term meant “new” conservative, ie., one who had defected from another political thought process. I didn’t know there was a Jewish plot to take over the Republical raison d’etre, I thought it was the Chrisitan Right!
BenI have a GREAT circmustantial case that Kerry received an upgrade of his discharge:
1.)Kerry refuses to release his records.
2.) The DD-214 on Kerry’s website showed a 12 year “hitch”
3.) The DD-214 on Kerry’s website also showed a “Silver Star with a Combat V” and no such award exists.
4.) There is NO record of any Naval Reserve Drill that Kerry ever attended.
5.) Kerry DID violate the UCMJ rules with his anti-war activity while still in the Reserves.
“The term “Neo-Con” was coined to describe Jewish Republicans.”
Anothe false statement from Paul:
Prominent neoconservatives are associated with periodicals such as Commentary and The Weekly Standard, and with foreign policy initiatives of think tanks such as the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), the Project for the New American Century (PNAC), and the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA).
Neoconservative journalists, policy analysts, and politicians, are often dubbed “neocons” by supporters and critics alike; however, in general, the movement’s critics use the term more often than their supporters.[8][9]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservatism
PAuls favorite source WND would be an example.
circumstantial …
And I have a great “circumstanial” case that the Waco raid was initiated by Bush Sr. as revenge against clinton for defeating him in 1992.
Neo Con means what I told you it means:
http://neo-neocon.blogspot.com/2005/03/so-why-neo-neocon.html
Timeline … barely a month after inauguration …
*******************************
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1993:At about 9:30 a.m. agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms attempt to execute arrest and search warrants against David KORESH and the Branch Davidian compound. Gunfire erupts. Four ATF agents are killed and 16 are wounded.
MONDAY, MARCH 1:In the early morning, Acting Attorney General Stuart GERSON gives an update to CLINTON, who implicitly endorses a negotiated solution and asks to be advised if there is any change in strategy. Larry POTTS at FBI headquarters in Washington and JAMAR in Waco are in command.
********************************
Note the ACTING AG – a Bush holdover. Note that the raid had to have been in planning long before Feb 28. Note that Clinton was informed AFTER the raid.
Conclusion: an embittered Bush Sr. set the raid in motion after the 1002 election with orders that it not be carried out until after inauguration.
Prove my circumstantial case false paul.
BenThe case that Kerry is hiding something is HUGE.
The case that Kerry’s DD-214, printed on his website, damns him, is obvious.
I have far more evidence against Kerry than the garbage your side forged against Bush.
Wro9ng again Paul – “Thursday, March 03, 2005″
Maybe that is what the term means to HER. That is not the accepted definition.
While Wiki may not be the most authoritative source it beats some anonymous blog that you just used.
Sure you do Paul. After all, with Kerry, since he is a COMBAT veteran he had infinitely more opportunity to have created a paper trail that you can then interpret and ‘re-context’ to your hearts content.
BenNeo Con is code for Jewish Republican.It is used much more loosely, now, but that is how it started.
BenThere is no such thing as a Silver Star with a Combat V.
Why did Kerry’s own DD-214, listed on his own website, show such a medal?
And why did that same document show that Kerry was in the Navy for 12 years?
PROVE IT! I found a reasonably neutral source claiming you are wrong.
Maybe that is how YOU use the term for whatever reasons you have; not the rest of us.
Paul – ready to PROVE my circumstantial case about Waco false?
Asked and answered:
“What are the roots of neoconservative beliefs?
The original neocons were a small group of mostly Jewish liberal intellectuals who, in the 1960s and 70s, grew disenchanted with what they saw as the American left’s social excesses and reluctance to spend adequately on defense. Many of these neocons worked in the 1970s for Democratic Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson, a staunch anti-communist. By the 1980s, most neocons had become Republicans, finding in President Ronald Reagan an avenue for their aggressive approach of confronting the Soviet Union with bold rhetoric and steep hikes in military spending. After the Soviet Union’s fall, the neocons decried what they saw as American complacency. In the 1990s, they warned of the dangers of reducing both America’s defense spending and its role in the world”
http://www.csmonitor.com/specials/neocon/neocon101.html
Well Paul – now we have one source that says ‘largely Jewish’ and one that does not.
All I can say is that the general useage I have seen is not Jewish; also some neo-cons (and some liberals) are Jewish.
A change in dircetion – I’d sure like to see some LOCAL investigative journalism. There is a lot of muck to rake in those buildings straddling Central at Main.
BenWe agree on something. There is much more we should know about City and County government.
However, I stuck up for Democrat Jan Kennedy, when she was trashed by the Eagle.
As County Treasurer, Jan Kennedy wanted to hire a consultant who had programed the Kansas Department of Revenue automobile registration, tag and tax system.
She wanted to open up tag renewals online, and to put tag renewals into retail outlets, like Dillons.
I was in several meetings of County officials when she announced her plans.
Everyone, from the County Manager, to the County Counselor, to the County Commission, knew about it. They actually got mad at Jan Kennedy for “wasing their time” on getting their approval for something that they ALL told her was within her power to do on her own.
Then the Eagle trashed her for her actions. This was the guy that knew the MOST about the car tag and registration system. Hiring anyone else would have been a waste of time and money. Posting a competitive bid would have been a waste of time and money. It was cheaper to hire a private contractor than it was to hire this guy, outright, and put him on staff.
However, the Eagle never printed any of the letters to the editor that I sent in to them, defending Jan Kennedy.
The Eagle even attacked Jan Kennedy, again, when announcing her death.
My point?
The Eagle rarely cares about the facts.
I remember that with Jan Kennedy Paul and agree with you. At about the same time I stood ur for Thorpe and Fry. Funny when we actually know people like that and know that; although I differed a lot with both Thorpe and Fry I knew them both to be straight.
Well, the Eagle has an editorial policy of “consolidation” of the role offices or roll offices.
I have heard both terms.Tax roll offices or the role of the office in tax issues.
Generally, the Eagle does not want the Register of Deeds, Treasurer and County Clerk to be elected.
Jan Kennedy and I had a great deal to do with fighting off the last “power grab” by the County Manager to do just that. Our point was that these offices, however imperfectly, do serve as a “check and balance.” When dealing with 105 different taxing authorities, in a system that allows any “undistributed” revenue to be sent to the County General Fund, there is a huge conflict of interest in allowing the County Manager to control these offices! Rounding errors, alone, can cause debates about who gets how much funding in a particular transaction. The county files liens against property all the time. Do we want the County Manager to put pressure on the Register of Deeds to accept a filing after the deadline?
We made several strong, real life cases as to why these offices should remain independent.
The unfair attack against Jan Kennedy had a great deal to do with the Eagle’s huge political loss in the “consolidation” issue.
If they got it in for you, they don’t care about any other point of view but their own!
“When dealing with 105 different taxing authorities, in a system that allows any “undistributed” revenue to be sent to the County General Fund, there is a huge conflict of interest in allowing the County Manager to control these offices! ”
Again – agreed.
Remember the tempest in a teapot against Fry (sp?) over the Berger flap? She got hammered unfairly IMO on that.
Yes, that was awful.I saw Fry a few times during that ordeal.She took it personally.
Actually, it is odd to me that the largest portion of our local tax dollar goes to education, yet the local and state school boards don’t get paid a dime.
The Eagle is way to eager to go after cell phone bills and the like, for school board members. Just once, I would like them to figure out how much we would owe these people, if we had to pay them minimum wage for all the time they spend on school issues!
The isiotic thing is that both Fry and thorpe knew I disagreed with them a lot on issues but we could saty on the ‘up and up’ with it. I remember suggesting to fry that she offer to resign – as a aprt os a package deal with Berger. I think she saw my dark humor there.
One thing that irked me is that she got a lot of cowardly anonymous phone calls. I make it me policy to leave my name and number if i call someone at their home. She told me she could appreciate that – even when we were at each others’ throats.
When I heard Pat Buchanan (a few years ago) tell a TV interviewer that the Iraq policy was not in the best interests of the US but for Israel, I felt he was being quite shocking and delivered a rather low blow. Some of these posts, if correct, might lead one to conclude he had the inside dope right the first time.
The Wichita Eagle is terrified to print or review any story about the corruption at the Courthouse.
I am sure they have been threatened by the DA that some day there will be another national story like BTK,and they will have to wait outside in the rain.
The WE,even in the face of uncontroverted evidence of wrongdoing simply hides under the bed and only comes out wagging their tale when called by the likes of Pilshaw,Foulston,Ladner.
The reporters for the Eagle should have to stand in the unemployment line (with their SG demigods) when finally investigative reporting bring the wrongful acts under the color of law to the light of day.
Maybe Foulston will let you wash her car again this Saturday,and be sure not to forget to pick up her dry cleaning,you cowardly,wimpy,punks!