Coporate Journalism at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Imitates Real Journalism (Uppity Wisconsin)

[hue]

http://www.uppitywis.org/blogarticle/coporate-journalism-milwaukee-journal-sentinel-imitates-real-jou

This Recent Article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Illustrates How the Corporate Media Imitates Real Journalism. (With apologies to Patrick Marley who is only doing his job as a corporate journalist)


John Doe probe raises issue of potential conflicts with justices

By Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel

April 28, 2014 4:00 a.m.

Madison — A recent court filing raises questions about whether four of the state's seven Supreme Court justices can hear one or more challenges to an ongoing probe into whether a conservative group illegally coordinated with Gov. Scott Walker's campaign.

Two nationally known legal ethics experts said Justice David Prosser should step aside in the case, adding others may have to do so as well. Two others said they saw no reason for any of the justices to recuse themselves. (Note: These are REAL experts who have published regarding judicial ethics in refereed journals)

The investigation is shrouded in secrecy, as are the legal fights challenging the ability of prosecutors to conduct their probe. In many instances, even the names of those fighting the investigation are unknown. (Note: True)

The Kansas City law firm Graves Garrett is involved in the matter, and a recent court filing shows the firm represents the Wisconsin Club for Growth, one of the probe's targets. (Note: A real journalist would tell us something about who funds the Club for Growth)

In recent years, the club has spent about $1.8 million to help the four justices who make up the conservative bloc controlling the court — $400,000 for Annette Ziegler in 2007; $507,000 for Michael Gableman in 2008; $520,000 for Prosser in 2011; and $350,000 for Patience Roggensack in 2013. Those figures are estimates tabulated by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which opposes undisclosed spending by groups such as the Club for Growth. (Note: True)...

...The club's spending helped the four, but the group was by no means the only one spending on the races. Some of those contests cost nearly $6 million when accounting for spending by all candidates and outside groups. (Note: This is a place where the journalist comment on how that $6 million was split among candidates.)

In addition, the club was the sole funder of Citizens for a Strong America in 2011, and that group spent an estimated $985,000 that year to help Prosser. Both the club and Citizens for a Strong America were subpoenaed as part of the investigation, according to The Wall Street Journal. (Note: True)

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So with the $520,000. from Club for Growth + $985,000. from Citizens for a Strong America Prosser got > $1.5 million for his election in 2011. Now who thinks Prosser shouldn't recuse himself??

[Scuba]

1. The Urinal has done some great work, to wit their Pulitzer reporting, Great Lakes coverage, etc.

But they've been in the tank for the neo-cons/Republicans/Walker cartel since day one, to their eternal shame.

[Wellstone ruled]

2. This reminds one of the early 1950's

when the great paper from Milwaukee was running story after story how Tail Gunner Joe was such a positive force for Wisconsin. Sentinel has been and will always be a tool of the Rethug Party. This rag owes it soul to the Koch's and Kleenex fortunes. Nothing new with f--d up Judges in Wisconsin just a new decade.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Yes, the old Sentinel always was a hack rag

(its name was better rendered as Scent-inel to reflect the odor it gave off), but the Milwaukee Journal in its heyday was consistently rated as one of the 10 best papers in the country. Unfortunately its virtues died in the "merger" with the Scent-inel. Its name as a fragment in the hyphenated "Journal-Scentinel" title serves only to memorialize it.