Wisconsin 'news service' is a front for pro-Walker conservatives

[Newsjock]

http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/dave_zweifel/article_952159d8-538d-5813-87cf-22ed015487a9.html

Lately, I’ve noticed a new credit — WisconsinReporter.com — appearing at the top of political stories mainly running in weekly newspapers in the area.

... Curious, I went looking on the Web for WisconsinReporter.com. What is this new wire service-like provider of news to local papers?

Turns out it’s a new service concocted by the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, a conservative nonprofit that has had its hands in the tea party movement and the pro-Scott Walker rallies on the Capitol Square. The group refuses to disclose its funders.

...
In other words, it’s yet another endeavor by opportunistic conservatives to jump in to fill a void created by the economic woes of traditional media. Media that want to use the stories can do so for free. You have to take your hat off to conservatives for being creative in spreading their message and masking their true identity.

[Blue Owl]

1. Thank you for looking into that, Newsjock

And what a surprise -- more manufactured-reality bullshit from the GOP.

[Original_Redstone]

2. Yeah but no one here will help counter all these statements

as I asked for help on those other boards.

Keep preaching to the choior gang. Yes temm me how bad the GOP is here, we all agree what does that accomplish tell others that think the same?

You need to go into the GOP camps and defend the way we think.

But alas
no one here is willing to do that.

[Historic NY]

3. Another Goebbels inspired media contrivance.........

FOX NEWS media corp uses the exact same tactics the plant an article in one of their newspapers and then broadcast it as factual.........check it out lots of instances

[starroute]

4. This Franklin Center is behind other stuff too

Just a little googling turns up the items below -- and I'm sure there's a lot more like them. This bears keeping a eye on -- it's all very state-level and under-the-radar, and it uses terms like "independent," "transparent," and "watchdog" that give no hint of its ideological bias.

http://statehousenewsonline.com/about/

StateHouseNewsOnline.com is a collection of independent journalists covering state-specific and local government activity. StatehouseNewsOnline.com is the national leading news website dedicated to providing news from the nation’s state capitols. The news website networks with dozens of state-based news organizations to provide in depth coverage of state legislation, government & special interests, state budgets and political/campaign news.

The program began in June 2010, the brainchild of the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to promoting new media journalism.

It also affords reporters across the country an opportunity to share information, investigative techniques and resources. By enhancing communication between reporters, the consortium hopes to promote a vibrant 4th Estate, a well-informed electorate and a more transparent government.

State House Online utilizes a state-specific approach, in order to provide readers with information that is of proximate and practical interest. Interested parties can contact [email protected] for more information.


http://blogs.kansas.com/gov/tag/franklin-center-for-government-and-public-integrity/

New government gadfly site, Kansas Watchdog
Sept. 16, 20095:33 p.m.

For the past five years, conservative blogger Earl Glynn has been keeping a watchful eye on the government through his blog Kansas Meadowlark.

He announced Tuesday in a post that he was shutting the site down and focusing on a new Kansas gadfly project Kansas Watchdog.

The site describes itself as “a project of the Flint Hills Center for Public Policy and the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, is part of a nationwide effort to give citizens and their elected representatives solid, factual reporting on issues that matter.”

[starroute]

6. The domain is registered with a fake address and phone number

http://wisconsinreporter.com.websiterecord.com/

Administrative Contact:
Watchdog, Liberty [email protected]
Liberty Ln
Watchdog, District of Columbia 00000
United States
+1.8885551212

[Historic NY]

8. Jeeze....couldn't someone report them like happened here for domain stuff.

[starroute]

7. And these all have the same domain as wisconsinreporter.com

http://website.informer.com/204.236.225.129

204.236.225.129

watchdog.org - Statehousenewsonline.com
Daily visitors: 2 849
Keywords: watchdog, watch dog, fox 4 kc, watchdog.org, shawnee mission school district, investment watch blog, watchdogz.org, susana martinez director probation parole, nm watchdog, nmwatchdog

statehousenewsonline.com - Statehousenewsonline.com | State House News Online
Daily visitors: 890
Keywords: Illinois Lottery, illinois statehouse news, illinois state board of education, obama illinois statehouse, illinois workers comp reform, illinois workers comp reforms, illinois workers compensation reform, illinosi statehouse news, mcpier changes, kevin lee illinois

newhampshire.watchdog.org - New Hampshire Watchdog

[Proles]

5. Media is a HUGE problem in this country.

Something ought to be done about it.

Next, repugs will want to control the Internet medium.