Recent Journalism Commentaries

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Trust Confidence: CliffsNotes
During the 1998 investigation of President Bill Clinton, independent counsel Ken Starr compelled Secret Service agents to testify about what they may have seen or heard regarding Clinton’s relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. With the support of the Department of Justice, Director Lewis Merletti argued that if agents were allowed to testify about anything other than criminal acts,...
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September 8, 2023
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Partisanship Trumps Leadership
While Donald Trump’s death march on American democracy continues, the media has dutifully followed the former president’s every twitch. Despite four indictments, and irrefutable evidence from Trump himself where he is alleged to have willfully retained top secret documents and allegedly attempted to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election, Trump’s messianic hold over the Republican Party is alarming. In a CBS News/YouGov...
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August 22, 2023
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The Truthist v. The MAGA King
The truthist stands for facts. The MAGA King could care less. The truthist believes in the Constitution. The MAGA King believes in himself. The truthist appeals to those who believe in democracy. The MAGA King appeals to a cheering minority who believes in autocracy. Former Representative Liz Cheney’s “Great Task” leadership PAC is running an ad which shows the graphic...
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May 12, 2023
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Journalism is Not a Crime
The importance of journalism cannot be overstated. Vital to any democracy, it’s as essential to America as the Constitution. Journalism teaches us about the issues necessary to become good citizens. It confronts falsehoods with facts. It shines an important light on lies, fraud, hypocrisy, misinformation as well as illegality—anything and everything that threatens the public interest. Ultimately, journalism acts as...
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May 3, 2023
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A New Heart of Darkness
Is cobalt a savior for a greener planet? Possibly, but at great cost. The ferromagnetic metal—one of the most abundant of all metals found in the earth’s crust—is the essential element in all lithium-ion batteries used in cell phones, laptops, electric cars, and other products that depend on more efficient batteries. However, it is only economically feasible to mine in...
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March 31, 2023
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Pants on Fire
Lying has become far too pervasive in American culture today. When it’s done by politicians, it’s become normative. When it’s done by the media, it’s reprehensible. For 19 years, CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite was the gold standard of trust when it came to reporting the news of the day. Today, some 24/7 cable news programs have become a hodgepodge...
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February 28, 2023
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The War on Truth
Winston Churchill famously said, “The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.” Churchill never met Alex Jones and his many acolytes. Last November, a court found the right-wing conspiracy podcaster guilty by default in the civil suit brought by parents of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. “Connecticut...
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March 11, 2022
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Sarah Palin v. The New York Times
Note: Computer issues. Returning Tuesday. Last week, former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s libel suit against The New York Times, failed to convince both judge and jury that the former governor of Alaska had been defamed. A 2017 New York Times editorial linked a map—distributed by Palin’s political action committee—which carried a design that appeared as crosshairs over twenty Democratic congressional...
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February 22, 2022
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Let’s Get After It!
CNN’s Chris Cuomo Prime Time offered a mix of news, interviews, and insights into politics and how those in power work the levers of power in Washington. He often reserved his harshest assessment of others for a segment called, “Let’s Get After It!” His approach throughout was straightforward as he fearlessly held political figures accountable, and on more than one...
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December 10, 2021
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It’s Time
“…to live with integrity, it is sometimes necessary to take that difficult step – to get involved – to fight openly for what one believes to be true and right and good, even when there is risk to oneself.” – Stephen Carter, Integrity Republican Representatives Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, and Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse unquestionably meet that standard. This is...
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February 10, 2021