McClatchy—one of the few major news outlets that demonstrated skepticism about now-discredited intelligence reports during the run-up to the Iraq war—turned in, yesterday, another commendable example of skeptical political reporting. This one, a systematic fact-check of Dick Cheney’s speech on torture enhanced interrogation techniques. Kudos to Jonathan Landay and Warren Strobel for a solid and valuable piece, and here’s hoping that their fellow Washington reporters will follow their critical—in every sense—example.
The Kicker
02:05 PM - May 22, 2009
McClatchy Fact-Checks Cheney
#Realtalk: This isn’t another ‘golden age’ for print - But it is one for media
Social media in smaller markets - How three social media managers deal with smaller markets and more local coverage.
A rally for laid-off Sun-Times photogs - A protest Thursday morning drew about 150 picketers to the newspaper’s headquarters
Reporting, or illegal hacking - Scripps reporters are accused of violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
Exchange Watch: California Dreaming - Low healthcare premiums on the West Coast were trumpeted as a big, good-news Obamacare story. But: “Compared to what?”
Things have always been getting worse
Yes, women’s magazines can do serious journalism
In fact, we’ve been doing it for a while
The people who run the American security apparatus are in the overwhelming majority diligent people with a deep concern for civil liberties. But their job is to find creative ways to collect information. And they work within an institution that, because of its secrecy, is fundamentally inimical to democracy and to a free society
Fast Company is hacking the newsroom
Here’s why
Rachel Maddow’s tribute to Michael Hastings
“Michael was angry … he was angry about things that weren’t right in the world. He was angry with war and with loss, and that drove his reporting.”
CJR's Guide to Online News Startups
Uptown Messenger – Hyperlocal news for a neighborhood in New Orleans
Who Owns What
The Business of Digital Journalism
A report from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Questions and exercises for journalism students.
Rather than being a "solid and valuable piece" this was a poorly executed partisan hack job.
Find someone who disagrees with Cheney and their viewpoint is fact? Are you serious?
The sad fact i that many Washington reporters will follow this exact strategy to justify their own biased view rather than engaging in any serious fact-checking.
#1 Posted by Joe Zekas, CJR on Fri 22 May 2009 at 08:04 PM
Cheney is just trying to protect his awfull legecy. He is nothing more than a pimple on the _ _ s of progress. Cheney, Palin, Limbaugh what a lineup. They think that that group will win back their power after such a dismal last 8 years. At least Bush has brains enough to keep his mouth shut.
#2 Posted by Paul Ehrhard, CJR on Fri 22 May 2009 at 11:41 PM