Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Email Dump Wednesday Could Push Media To Confront Walker

An email trove built by now-convicted felon Kelly Rindfleisch while working for then-Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker will be released to the media Wednesday following her unsuccessful effort to keep it secret.

This will give Wisconsin reporters - - and perhaps some national political reporters - - a chance to be as enterprising as New York and New Jersey journalists who chased the Christie Bridgegate story energetically and used emails to fuel a dozen still-unfolding spinoffs.

And in that light, please read former Journal Sentinel editor and critic Dom Noth's very timely blog posting:

The contrast and similarities East and Midwest raise questions not just about these governors’ pursuit of the GOP presidential nomination but about integrity in mass media. Will East Coast aggressive journalism infect Wisconsin --  or will Wisconsin journalism continue to settle for nibbling delicately around the edges?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry James, but I think you are being WAY too optimistic here. There is no way that the two biggest corporate media conglomerates in Wisconsin, Gannett & the Journal Sentinel, will EVER do any in-depth reporting on Scott Walker. If they did, someone might question their 100% unwavering support of everything Scott Walker has done since his election in 2010.

Walker's Wisconsin is the most corrupt state in America. I would be absolutely shocked if those emails ARE released tomorrow; likely there will be a last minute injunction preventing their release-forever. That's how things work in Walker's Wisconsin.

James Rowen said...

I think they're coming out.

Jake formerly of the LP said...

I think the bum rush by the GOP Legislature to shove though every screwball bill they can tells me they're coming out. And with the large number of GOP retirements that were recently announced, the news is going to be bad for Walker and WisGOP.

Also, a last- minute injunction would scream "COVER-UP ", and maybe the national media's appetite would look for a crooked Guv west of I-95.

Barbara With said...

I agree James. The Sheep like reporters of Wisconsin will turn on Walker as soon as it becomes undeniable, and when it's evident that if they don't report, they will be on the wrong side of the law. It's an expensive lesson for Wisconsin reporters, so many of the above mentioned have followed the lot since 2011. But I have personally seen changes, like, Gannett publishing our group letter to the editor to repeal the mining law, Cap Times publishing ALL the names... just wait. As soon as one major starts the attack the others will follow.

Sue said...

The bigger question will be:
How will a decision to cover this like serious journalists affect ad buys?
That's the question that will determine coverage.