Throwing journalism to the dogs – the watchdogs
by Stan Zoller, MJE
Watchdog reporting can make a difference.
When you think of watchdog reporting, chances are you’ll think of mainstream media – The Washington Post, New York Times, NPR, etc.
Don’t however, look past non-profit organizations dedicated to enhancing transparency in government.
The BGA staff includes a number of outstanding and award-winning journalists who do more than report and investigate.
They advocate.
One of the best is the Chicago-based Better Government Association. In addition to being an invaluable resource for information about open meetings, freedom of information issues, the BGA also aggressively addresses issues related to government actions, transparency and openness not just by blogging about them, but through outstanding and dogged reporting.
Student journalists, as the voice of their school’s student body, have an obligation to not only report on what’s happening at school, but to be the voice and advocates for the student body.
It’s not something district and building administrators are going to buy into, but as more and more school districts are required to teach civics, the bar of journalistic excellence and advocacy rises.
It’s easy for cynics to call investigative and watchdog journalism “fake news” because the reality is, to paraphrase Jack Nicholson as Col. Nathan R. Jessep in the 1992 classic, “A Few Good Men,” they can’t handle the truth.
What student journalists can do is go above and beyond fundamental journalism to ensure they avoid allegations of fake news.
Earlier this year, the BGA posted BGA Fake News, a brief post by David Greising, the president and chief executive of the BGA. The post served as a segue to Greising’s full piece in the Chicago Tribune.
In general, Greising touts grants being bestowed on non-profit media companies to bolster their news operations.
“All this money is going toward expanding and strengthening news media in the city of Chicago and across the state. The commitment comes at a time when the notion of objective truth is under overt attack, and the persistent barrage is eroding the underpinnings of our democratic system,” Greising wrote.
Just because he’s writing about news organizations in Chicago and other parts of Illinois doesn’t diminish the importance of his message – the erosion of the democratic system.
The onslaught of cash to mainstream media comes on the heals of political action committees that have funded production of bogus media. While Greising’s piece ran just before the recently held mid-term elections, it needs to serve as a warning as to what lies ahead. Serious? Greising wrote “…the big contributions are landing just as the people of Illinois right now are targeted by a fake-news perpetrator called People Who Play by the Rules PAC.”
Greising noted that “The PAC-publisher’s name — “Play by the Rules” — itself is a nontruth. As regards the mega-sized leaflets, a basic tenet of its business strategy seems to be, “Break any rule you see.” Be honest with readers? Broken. Adhere to the facts? Broken. Be a positive force in the community? Broken.
What can student journalists do? Student scribes should doggedly stick to journalistic fundamentals by reporting the truth by providing attribution, being honest with readers, adhering and documenting facts and being a positive force in the community.
Any community expects it, but as more and more states become New Voices states, expectations are even higher.
What will your news consumer expect? That they can handle the truth.
