Archive for the Journalism Category

2024 Pulitzer In “Breaking News Reporting” And “Investigative Reporting News”:  Jeff Gerth And The Columbia Journalism Review / Kyle Pope (March 13, 2023)

Posted in Journalism, Press/Media, Pulitzer, Russia on March 13, 2023 by e-commentary.org

. . .

K          “One can hope.  He is in the Club, but he has challenged the Narrative with Facts.  He is risking his position yet may now be old enough not to care.  The two Awards should also be awarded jointly to the ‘Columbia Journalism Review’ that showed remarkable courage and integrity.  And with a nod to Kyle Pope.”

L          “Never happen.”

K          “Of course not.”

. . .

K          “They should revoke the Pulitzers awarded for the sham and the fraud in 2018.”

L          “Never happen.”

K          “Of course not.”

. . .

K          “The individuals who were wrongly awarded the Pulitzers in 2018 should muster the dignity and integrity to return the awards.”

L          “Never happen.”

K          “Of course not.”

. . .

K          “And apologize.”

L          “Never happen.”

K          “Of course not.  That would contravene the American Way.”

. . .

[See “The Press versus the President” in four parts:  Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 of Jeff Gerth’s magnum opus in the “Columbia Journalism Review” dated January 30, 2023; see “The Press Reckoning on Russiagate” by Patrick Lawrence in “Consortium News” dated February 7, 2023; “Columbia Journalism Review Russiagate Post-Mortem Is a Good Start” by Mark Hemingway in “RealClearPolitics” dated February 6, 2023 and “Take a Bow, Columbia Journalism Review” by Matt Taibbi in “Racket News” dated February 8, 2023.]

[See the e-commentary at Russian Interference; Russian Collusion.   Epilogue (March 25, 2019) and Russian Interference; Russian Collusion (February 26, 2018).  Joe’s Award should have been bestowed for the ideas and insights in these two pieces.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

Russia exists to teach Americans hate and to hate.  If Russia did not exist, America would have to create it.

“knowingly, knowingly, knowingly lying, omitting, disinforming, fabricating, and covering up”

“For deeply sourced, relentlessly reported coverage in the public interest that dramatically furthered the nation’s understanding of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and its connections to the Trump campaign, the President-elect’s transition team and his eventual administration. (The New York Times entry, submitted in this category, was moved into contention by the Board and then jointly awarded the Prize.)”  Pulitzer Announcement in 2018.

Seventh Annual Pushitzer Prize In Commentary For 2022 (May 9, 2022)

Posted in Economics, Journalism, Pushitzer Prize In Commentary on May 9, 2022 by e-commentary.org

. . .

            “The envelope please.  . . .  This year’s Pushitzer Prize in Commentary is awarded to . . . Yves Smith (Susan Webber) with Naked Capitalism . . . for stirring the pot, asking hard questions, demanding answers, rejecting lies, spotlighting uncomfortable truths, comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable.  And being a journalist.  And choreographing a collective of journalists who comment with insight and integrity on finance, economics, politics, power and life.”

. . .

[See the e-commentary on the ongoing international crime at The Persecution Of Assange And The Feckless MSM (September 21, 2020).]

[See the e-commentary on the Commentary Award at Sixth Annual Pushitzer Prize In Commentary For 2021 (June 7, 2021), Fifth Annual Pushitzer Prize In Commentary For 2020 (May 4, 2020), Fourth Annual Pushitzer Prize In Commentary For 2019 (April 15, 2019), Third Annual Pushitzer Prize In Commentary For 2018 (April 16, 2018), Second Annual Pushitzer Prize In Commentary For 2017 (April 10, 2017), First Annual Pushitzer Prize In Commentary For 2016 (April 18, 2016), Pulitzers Are Pro-War?  Pressing The Pushitzers (April 22, 2013) and Economics And Finance:  Girls v. Boys (June 4, 2018).]

[Please send nominations for the Pushitzer Prize in Commentary for 2023 and a supporting letter by January 21, 2023 to e-ssay@gci.net and send the entry fee to your favorite charity.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

Naked Capitalism:  Fearless commentary on finance, economics, politics and power

Make journalism great again

Make journalism journalism again

“The purpose of arresting Julian Assange is to send a message to the people, especially journalists, to be quiet and don’t get out of line.  If we, the people, allow the government to control us through fear, we are no longer free, we are no longer America.”  Tulsi Gabbard

Cameo In Courage Award Nominee: Julian Assange (January 31, 2022)

Posted in Cameo In Courage Award, Courage, Hypocrisy, Journalism on January 31, 2022 by e-commentary.org

. . .

PROFILE IN COURAGE AWARD® – SUBMIT A NOMINATION

Award nominations are accepted on an ongoing basis. Nominations received after February 15th of each year will be rolled over for consideration the following year. Ordinarily, the award will be made to living Americans who are or were elected officials.  Individuals at all levels of government—federal, state and local—are eligible for the award.  An emphasis will be placed on contemporary acts of political courage. Please consider the Award Criteria to determine whether the person you wish to nominate would be an appropriate recipient of the Profile in Courage Award®.

Tell Us About Your Nominee for the Profile in Courage Award

Nominee First Name: Julian

Nominee Last Name: Assange

Act(s) of political courage for which your nominee is to be considered: Courageously standing up for free speech and courageously challenging illegal and immoral government action.

Enter other…

Tell Us About Yourself

First Name: e-

Last Name: commentator

Email Address:  e-ssay@gci.net

Zip / Postal Code:

All information submitted will be kept confidential by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and will be used only to communicate with you about your nomination and the Foundation’s activities.  No information on this form will be disclosed to any other person or entity.

. . .

[See the Cameo In Courage Award for Julian Assange in 2019 at Fourth Annual “Cameo In Courage” Award For 2019 (April 8, 2019) and the most recent award at Sixth Annual “Cameo In Courage” Award For 2021 (April 5, 2021).]

Bumper stickers of the week:

Make courage courageous again

___________________________________________________

A Petition to President Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr.:  Pardon Julian Assange

Whereas Journalist Julian Paul Assange and his media organization, Wikileaks, has in the respected tradition of American journalism obtained and published information that is classified and newsworthy, a practice shared with the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and others and

Whereas in the fifteen years of its existence the authenticity and accuracy of materials published by Wikileaks has never been questioned or disputed and

Whereas assertion by the American Intelligence Services that Julian Assange is the agent of a “Hostile Foreign State” or the Russian government are politically suspect and completely unproven and denied by Assange and

Whereas Julian Assange has consistently denied that material obtained from the Democratic National Committee and published by Wikileaks came from the Russian State and has provided unimpeachable proof to U.S. authorities and

Whereas Julian Assange, now in failing health, is being held in solitary confinement and is being extradited by British authorities to the United States for trial and

Whereas Julian Assange is an impeccably-honest, incredibly-brave, humanitarian journalist, who provides an invaluable platform for whistleblowers and concerned citizens exposing corruption and criminality infesting governments, nullifying democracy and obliterating human rights, around the world and

Whereas there are absolutely no legitimate legal grounds to prosecute Assange and, as the U.S. Department of Justice admitted in 2013, doing so would expose all U.S. journalistic and news outlets to similar criminal jeopardy.

Therefore I urge President Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. to issue a full and unconditional pardon to the journalist Julian Paul Assange in the interests of justice, mercy, truth and unity.  This humanitarian act could be the most consequential and far-reaching action in your first term.

Pulchritudinous Pay Walls (July 26, 2021)

Posted in Digital, Internet, Journalism on July 28, 2021 by e-commentary.org

. . .

K          “Beautiful, baby.”

J          “If you barrier it, they will not come?  Hopefully.”

. . .

K          “We should be so lucky.  Some sites are bivouacked behind a paywall of some sort that may limit their fan base without expanding their profits.  That is promising.”

J          “If you build it behind a barrier, they will not necessarily come.  There is hope.”

. . .

K          “The barriers used to mine the viewer’s wallet are varied.  Either there is an absolute pay wall, or a pay wall that applies to articles on one walled day but not on another open day, or a part one ‘teaser’ and a blocked part two promising all the salacious insights, or a plebeian site that is a ‘come on’ to a patrician product accessed by a secret code available only to club members.”

J          “Some sites require one to be a premium member to view or post comments.  Easy enough.  I don’t view or post comments.  I don’t participate.  I boycott.”

. . .

J          “When you black hole yourself into a vortex, your own computer is instantly infested and infected with something quaintly called ‘cookies’ and other technological cancers.  Ads drop from above and rise from below and are hurled from the left flank and the right flank.  Things explode from nowhere and everywhere.  The assault does not end until you manage to crawl out of the maelstrom.  The Internet.  It is not a pretty place.”

. . .

K          “The few stray Prophets With Honor out there are not making much profit.  They deserve support.  They are not getting it.”

J          “They deserve a listen.”

. . .

Bumper stickers of the week:

DON’T CLICK ON IT!

If you are not paying for the product, you are indubitably the prey

The Internet.  It is not for the fainthearted.

The Persecution Of Assange And The Feckless MSM (September 21, 2020)

Posted in Cameo In Courage Award, First Amendment, Journalism, Newspapers, Press/Media on September 21, 2020 by e-commentary.org

. . .

K          “Most media outlets are not concerned about press freedom because they are completely free to say precisely what they are directed to say.”

J          “The only journalists commenting on the most critical freedom of the press case of our time are commentators such as award-winning Caitlin Johnstone and historian and human rights advocate Craig Murray, those at Consortium News, and a few other heroes, stragglers and renegades.”

. . .

K          “What would RBG say?”

J          “I respectfully dissent.”

. . .

[See “Empire’s mask slips at Julian Assange trial” in “The Asia Times” dated September 18, 2020 by Pepe Escobar.]

[See some of the e-commentary by typing “Assange” in the search box.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

Have a peaceful International Day of Peace

“First they came for the journalists.  We don’t know what happened after that.”

Have a peaceful Equinox

Ruth Bader Ginsberg

Fifth Annual Pushitzer Prize In Commentary For 2020 (May 4, 2020)

Posted in Awards / Incentives, Journalism, Press/Media, Pulitzer, Pushitzer, Pushitzer Prize In Commentary on May 4, 2020 by e-commentary.org

[Google continues to block access to https://e-commentary.org/ with no justification or recourse.]

. . .

          “The envelope please.  . . .  This year’s Pushitzer Prize in Commentary is awarded to . . . Whitney Webb . . . for stirring the pot, asking hard questions, demanding answers, rejecting lies, spotlighting uncomfortable truths, comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable.  And being a journalist and a patriot for the Planet.”

. . .

[See “Dr. Fauci Backed Controversial Wuhan Lab With Millions Of U.S. Dollars For Risky Coronavirus Research” in “Newsweek” dated April 28, 2020 by Rusty Guterl.]

[See the e-commentary at “Fourth Annual Pushitzer Prize In Commentary For 2019 (April 15, 2019)”, “Third Annual Pushitzer Prize In Commentary For 2018 (April 16, 2018)”, “Second Annual Pushitzer Prize In Commentary For 2017 (April 10, 2017)”, “First Annual Pushitzer Prize In Commentary For 2016 (April 18, 2016)” and “Pulitzers Are Pro-War?  Pressing The Pushitzers (April 22, 2013)”.  See the e-ssay written fifteen years ago titled “Ohio – Not Forgettin’ Ohio; The Battleground State Battles On (May 2, 2005)” on the fiftieth anniversary.”]

[Please send nominations for the Pushitzer Prize in Commentary for 2021 and a supporting letter by January 24, 2021 to e-ssay@gci.net and send the entry fee to your favorite charity.]

. . .    

Bumper stickers of the week:

“Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome.”  Charlie Munger

For good and honest stuff

Dissent is patriotic

Plant a garden

 

Poor journalism

Need integrity, courage

Need to save Planet

Tulsi, MSM, NYT, CNN, FOX, MSNBC, Real News, Fake News, Neo-McCarthyism.  Oh, And Happy Halloween! (October 28, 2019)

Posted in Awards / Incentives, Boycott Series, Journalism, Newspapers, Press/Media, War and Wall Street Party on October 28, 2019 by e-commentary.org

. . .

K          “She is a direct threat to the Ruling Class and the War and Wall Street Party.”

J          “They absolutely will not tolerate her threat under any circumstances.”

. . .

K          “Defining the MSM as they dub it – this Main Stream Media gang – takes some finesse, yet ‘The New York Times’ is certainly a charter member.  Tulsi spoke truth and sincerity and had to be taken down and out.  The NYT assigned one of their journalist assassins to do the hit job and draft the hatchet report.”

J          “And for her obedient efforts, Lisa Lerer will be given a Pulitzer in 2025 if not in 2020.”

. . .

K          “The corporate mouthpiece MSNBC engages girls and boys who sound like a cackle of envious nerds.  The politicians are trapped in high school; the faux journalists are the wannabees trapped in junior high school willing to conform and perform at any and all costs to be accepted by the high school kids.”

J          “And for their obedient efforts, Kimberly Atkins and Jonathan Allen will be given Emmys in 2030 if not in 2020.”

. . .

K          “I try not to buy any product advertised on the Clinton News Network or Fox or MSNBC.  True to agenda, the Clinton Network also decided that Tulsi represented a threat to CNN’s corporate masters and did not challenge a slanderous comment by one of their mouth pieces that was implicitly endorsed by the others.”

J          “And for his obedient efforts, Bakari Sellers will be given a Kennedy Award for Cowardice in 2035 if not in 2020.”

K          “Anything said or read on CNN, Fox or MSNBC is presumptively false and misleading.  However, the presumption is rebuttable.”

. . .

K          “In the past, the psychopaths and sociopaths congregated in politics, yet now they are finding a haven and a refuge in faux journalism.”

J          “No rational and emotionally health person with a modicum of integrity and courage would enter politics or conventional journalism today.”

. . .

K          “Even one of America’s worst and most vicious and deplorable war criminals, Ms. Hillary, is terrified that the concerns expressed by Tulsi reflect the concerns of the average American and threaten the interests of the War and Wall Street Party.”

J          “Lock her up.  Hillary.  After a fair trial.”

K          “Lock her up.  Lock him up.  After fair trials.”

J          “How about co-ed prisons for politicians whose greatest punishment is seeing each other every day in and every day out for decades out in the Yard.”

. . . 

K          “One of the many problems, both a cause and a symptom, in a failing Empire is the lack of an Elite.  The American Empire is sans an Elite.”

. . .

[See “Everyone Is a Russian Asset” in “Rolling Stone” by Matt Taibbi dated October 21, 2019, “This MSNBC Clip Is Everything Ugly About Russia Smears” in “Caitlin Johnston.com” by Caitlin Johnston, the recipient of the Fourth Annual Pushitzer Prize In Commentary For 2019, dated October 20, 2019, “Green Party Torches Hillary Clinton For Claiming Jill Stein Is ‘Totally’ a Russian Asset” in “Rolling Stone” by Tessa Stuart dated October 18, 2019, “Tulsi Nails it on National TV … US Regime-Change Wars” in “Strategic Culture Foundation” by Finian Cunningham dated October 18, 2019, “The Media War On Truthful Reporting And Legitimate Opinions – A Documentary” in “Moon of Alabama” dated April 21, 2018 and “What You Think Is Controlled By What You Watch, And What You Watch Is Controlled By The Elite” in “The Economic Collapse” by Michael Snyder dated October 24, 2019.]

[See the e-commentary at “The Medium Mandates The Message.  Analog v. Digital: Monopolization & Monetization. Oh, And Happy World Press Freedom Day! (May 7, 2018)”, “A ‘Journalist’ Declares War On Journalists . . . And Journalism (November 28, 2016)”, “Dispatches From The War On Journalism:  The New ‘Nixon’s Enemies List’ (December 5, 2016)”, “DNC:  ‘We’re Losers.  Vote for Us.’ (February 27, 2017)” and “Pulitzers Are Pro-War? Pressing The Pushitzers. (April 22, 2013)”.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

ABCNNBCBS does not have many answers; Faux/Fox does not even ask the right questions

“You may think you know what you’re dealing with, but, believe me, you don’t.”  Noah Cross (John Huston), “Chinatown”

Psychopaths and Sociopaths for Hillary

Please comment here

[Don’t] Support Public Media? (June 10, 2019)

Posted in Boycott Series, Journalism, NPR, Press/Media, Radio on June 10, 2019 by e-commentary.org

. . .

K          “Not really a boycott, rather a commitment to make a more specific allocation of resources.”

J          “No one cares.”

K          “I could not agree more.”

. . .

K          “Remember our conversation a year ago when I raised the question.  Now I have my answer.  I am supporting programs not stations.  I only contribute to stations in America that broadcast enlightened programs but am not contributing to my local station.  And then I listen to podcasts rather than the local station on my own time.  I will send money to ‘Alternative Radio’ and ‘Counterspin’ and ‘Democracy Now’ and ‘51 percent’.  That is the benchmark of commitment.”

J          “And the one you canonized as Saint Terry Gross.”

. . .

J          “No one cares.”

K          “I could not agree more.”

. . .

[The Raytheon Company and United Technologies Corporation are merging to create United Ray Guns Corporation.]

[See the e-commentary at “National People’s Radio?; National Public Radio?; National Petroleum Radio?; National Propaganda Radio? (June 11, 2018)”.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

No one cares.  I could not agree more.

Attempting to Care . . . Loading Please Wait

The Release Of The Redacted Robert Rorschach Report (April 22, 2019)

Posted in Courage, Journalism, Newspapers, Press/Media, Pulitzer on April 22, 2019 by e-commentary.org

. . .    

J          “Not as carefully yet.”

K          “But that does not seem to be an impediment for most people.”

. . .

J          “Others claim to have mined the Report for nuggets.  What is in the Report and whether it is incriminating or exonerating turns on who one turns to for direction and indoctrination.” 

K          “The Report could be one thousand empty white pages allowing one thousand empty-headed babblers of all political planks to fill in the blanks.”

J          “Or one thousand redacted black pages that could be divined by one thousand self-appointed secular priests and priestesses.”

. . .

K          “I never shared your faith in Mueller.  Anyone concerned about Truth cannot not be disappointed by the longevity of the investigation and the superficiality of the Report that is available for review to date.”

J          “Further proof that America does not produce individuals who can serve competently as lawyers or judges or special counsel.”

K          “But it has produced a generation of journalists who cannot even ask insightful questions.”

J          “They parry and riposte, but do not read Parry or reason.”

. . .

K          “Reminds me of the tony cocktail party at Tony’s a half dozen years ago when Assange’s picture exploded on a television monitor/mirror parked haphazardly off in a corner.  Everyone ceased barking mid-sentence and simultaneously branded him either a ‘Traitor’ or a ‘Hero’ before inhaling another suspire and exhaling further unsolicited opinions.”

J          “The more things change.”

. . .

K          “With all the hired help doing all that investigating all that time, they should have been able to confirm the findings of William Binney and the ‘Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS)’ that the documents were downloaded not hacked which further supports those who contend that he is a hero.”

J          “Assange or Binney?  . . .  Or Assange and Binney?  I now understand that my man Mueller never even consulted with either of them.  That is another major failing.”

. . .

K          “Assange should receive a pardon and a Pulitzer.”

J          “Pardons are given to those in the Club, but not to great and courageous citizens.  Pulitzers are given to those in the Club, but not to great and courageous journalists.”

. . .

K          “So the Russian involvement in the election was incidental and insignificant particularly in comparison to the Dark Money and other nation-state actors such as Israel that played major roles with no public scrutiny or even mention.”

J          “Agree.”

K          “Trumpi may have had some limited communication but no active and on-going collusion which is not surprising because Trumpi just does not play well with others.”

J          “Agree.”

K          “Trumpi is engaged in on-going racketeering, money laundering, tax evasion, obstruction of justice and jay walking.”

J          “Agree.  However, I still don’t trust the Russians.  They are up to no good.  And I never trusted Trumpi.  He is down to much bad.”

. . .

[See the article titled “VIPS Fault Mueller Probe, Criticize Refusal to Interview Assange” in “Consortium News” crafted by the “Steering Group of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS)” dated April 16, 2019 and the article titled “ROBERT PARRY:  All Investigative Journalists Do What Julian Assange Did” in “Consortium News” by Robert Parry first published on December 16, 2010.]   

[See the e-commentary at “Hero or Traitor? (June 10, 2013)”, “Russian Interference; Russian Collusion.  Epilogue (March 25, 2019)” and “Russian Interference; Russian Collusion (February 26, 2018)” for the earlier conversation.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

The Robert Rorschach Report

Most investigative journalists today are neither investigators nor journalists

Happy Earth Day!

Fourth Annual Pushitzer Prize In Commentary For 2019 (April 15, 2019)

Posted in Journalism, Newspapers, Press/Media, Pushitzer on April 15, 2019 by e-commentary.org

. . .

          “The envelope please.  . . .  This year’s Pushitzer Prize in Commentary is awarded to . . . Caitlin Johnstone for stirring the pot, asking hard questions, demanding answers, rejecting lies, spotlighting uncomfortable truths, comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable.  And being a journalist and a patriot for the Planet.”

. . .

[See the e-commentary at “Third Annual Pushitzer Prize In Commentary For 2018 (April 16, 2018)”, “Second Annual Pushitzer Prize In Commentary For 2017 (April 10, 2017)”, “First Annual Pushitzer Prize In Commentary For 2016 (April 18, 2016)” and “Pulitzers Are Pro-War?  Pressing The Pushitzers (April 22, 2013)”.]

[Please send nominations for the Pushitzer Prize in Commentary for 2020 and a supporting letter by January 24, 2020 to e-ssay@gci.net and send the entry fee to your favorite charity.]

. . .    

Bumper stickers of the week:

For good and honest stuff

Dissent is patriotic

“The purpose of arresting #JulianAssange is to send a message to the people, especially journalists, to be quiet and don’t get out of line.  If we, the people, allow the government to control us through fear, we are no longer free, we are no longer America.”  Tulsi Gabbard