KnightRidder paper boasting it was first news organization to reveal memo.

[blm]

This was pretty unusual. They included it with a story about today's hearing.

The Charlotte Observer featured a separate box recounting that THEY had the story on their front page and that KnightRidder was the first American news organization to run with the story.

This is amazing to see this type of boasting in print. They are PROUD of this story and their role in it. They are setting themselves apart from those news groups now hanging their heads in shame for ignoring the story while covering for BushInc.

That tells me they intend to stick to this story like glue. They are already smelling the history and their role in it.

Very positive sign.

[Kolesar]

1. To their credit, K-R had done much "reality-based" reporting of the war

Their several dozen newspapers were printing stories that the rest of the media was ignoring.

You ought to read the editorial page at the Akron Beacon Journal. It would put a smile on your face. I go to that site for news. www.ohio.com

[blm]

8. Beacon-Journal has had some real highs over the years.

It's usually a very strong paper.

[zbdent]

2. Yes, wait until everything is totally verified and three years old

then pat yourself on the back for the "Breaking Story" scoop . . .

:eyes:

[blm]

5. You're wrong. KnightRidder reported the intel books being cooked by WH

back in Oct 2002. They interviewed over a dozen CIA analysts who were furious about it at the time. The problem was that NO broadcast media chose to discuss this aspect of the Iraq issue.

Landay and Strobel have never let up on this issue. Your blame should be directed at others.

[calimary]

50. I guess they're this era's Woodward and Bernstein. Glad we have

SOMEBODY out there willing to step up to the plate.

Dear God, this delights me!!! There just might be hope!!! Manna in the desert!!!

And yes, it does seem to me, from my recollection, that most of the truthtelling about this bushco bunch over the past few years HAS indeed been done by Knight-Ridder. They stand alone. They have every right to boast. This is their coup. And I hope it does mean that they intend to run like crazy with it.

That they feel the need to draw attention to their scoop like this tells me the DSM story now has a life of its own. At least THEY seem to think it's news. Hate to break it to the Andrea Mitchells and Dana Milbanks of the world who would disagree.

[deminks]

3. Yes, they should be proud

Here is a link when I first noticed their story.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3604927&mesg_id=3604927

Here is a link to their original story:

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/11574296.htm

:applause:

[MasonJar]

4. I have noticed for two years now that K-R is the best source for

info that otherwise one has to go to the Guardian, etc. for. They are the best we have at this point, in my humble opinion.

[blm]

9. Make a point to let them know. I have heard in the last hour that they *

intend to run heavy with this story now.

AP admitting they dropped the ball really has KRT feeling the history of what they're doing.

[Eloriel]

26. blm -- please let us know how to DO that

An awful lot more activism would get done on DU if people would post the links or email addresses when they suggest actions.

Thanks in advance.

[blm]

30. Washington desk contact email

[e-mail]

[Eloriel]

41. Thank you! C'mon, folks, let's do this! n/t

[calimary]

51. Here's what I just sent 'em:

Subject: How can I thank you enough?

Bless you, Bless you, Bless you for running with the Downing Street Minutes/Memo story!!!

It feels like our nation has been locked in some horrid, nightmarish hostage hold for at least five years, while the conventional press corps has looked the other way as the Bush machine ran amok.

I am a retired AP reporter, ashamed of my former employers for dropping the ball on this story. SHAME on them! At least they finally admitted it. I have been retired from the AP in L.A. for nine years. Even so, the dereliction of duty in our media has left me repeatedly embarrassed to admit I used to be in the news business. Awful, isn't it? At least YOU guys are still doing your jobs - as WATCHDOGS, rather than lapdogs. Thank God! That gives me some hope.

Lead the way! You're doing a great job! Too bad you've been alone on it for this long.

Sincerely, and DEEPLY gratefully,

[mainer]

6. Former Washington Post reporter pal says KR is now the BEST wire service

He is so disgusted with AP for dropping the ball on everything important in the run-up to the war. Knight Ridder is now the cutting-edge wire service with the scoops that really matter.

[blm]

7. Interesting. I'm going to pass that along. It would be a good idea if we

ALL send our thanks and well wishes for them to keep up the great work. I always hit them with the import of their work - it's all we have left to try and preserve democracy in this country.

[Jacobin]

10. What a fucking scoop. They cut and past from a UK newspaper

Oh well, they get two points for at least printing it.

[blm]

11. Except they reported the story about cooked intel in Oct2002 after

interviewing over a dozen CIA analysts accused the White House.

I suggest you check into the work of Landay and Strobel over the last 3 years before you smear them further.

You also missed the greater point. KnightRidder is gearing up to run BIG with this story.

[Jacobin]

36. Didn't know that

thanks for educating me, but I could do without the snippy shit.

[blm]

40. And keep all the snip to yourself?

Nope. If you deal it, you must expect it to be dealt back.

[converted_democrat]

48. Also, wasn't it a KR rep that you called to clear the story for C-span?

C-span hung up on me several times when I tried to talk about the DSM story. Didn't you say you talked to a KR rep you knew and they laid into C-span over it? At any rate they stopped ignoring the story, and look where we are now.

[yodermon]

12. And *I* boast that i was the first to post the Char. Obsever link

in LBN.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1449744

:P :P :P :P :P

[blm]

14. Grazie. The awareness of KRT's work is what helped us to contact them

for kudos and to beg for more from others ignoring the story and the broadcast news treating it like an internet rumor like Cspan.

Way to go, patriot.

[Jo March]

43. *I* was the first to tell my hubby, "I saw that on DU"

when he called to tell me about it, so there!!

:P

[Stinky The Clown]

13. I find this particularly interesting .... and heartening

In this post of mine

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1856881

I postulate that, when the wave starts to break, every news organization will pile on with more and more stories harmful to idiot son,

That could easily start with a little gloat like this.

[blm]

15. Bingo. You GOT the greater point.

IMO, they can smell the history and know they are the only ones holding the front row ticket.

[Stinky The Clown]

16. I also like the fact that they're not the NYT or the Wash Post

but the Charlotte Observer. Down there. In a Red State. Feeling the pulse (of their readers?).

[blm]

17. It's Knight Ridder national pushing the story. They own a number of papers

around the country.

The Observer just happened to put this added explanation box into the story and that spoke volumes to me.

[wildeyed]

21. Charlotte Observer is my home town paper.

I woke up and saw that story on A1 above the fold and though, yeah!!!!! it is finally breaking. Then I log on here to find out that we were one of the only cities in the country to receive the news.

I AM proud of the Observer for running the story. I thought that allot of their election coverage was better than what I was reading in the nationals, too.

[Ron Green]

27. The Charlotte Observer has been a top paper for many years.

I always wondered how North Carolina got such high-quality journalism, and the much bigger state in which I grew up (Texas) had nothing but suckage.

[wildeyed]

34. When I first moved to Charlotte, I had nothing but disdain for

the Observer. I grew up in DC reading WaPo, so I was incredible snotty about the lack of international coverage, the inferior writing style and on and on. But as I have been in Charlotte longer, I have come to appreciate the Observer more. Or maybe they are getting better..... but anyway, their pre-election coverage was good, I think their editorial page is fair and recently, they even have their own reporter in Iraq. When the ran the DSM story early, I was really impressed.

[Jo March]

44. it's my paper, too

I was so excited to see the Conyers hearing on the front page. I wanted to do a little dance!

:woohoo:

[Nothing Without Hope]

19. Yes - look at this huge corruption story in today's NYT- very hard-hitting

And sure looks like a high crime to me - 120 BILLION worth of corruption:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3871928
Thread title: NYT: Bush pal overrode Justice Dept lawyers in huge tobacco industry break{/b]

Don't miss this one, it's big, and the coverage really points to Bush, personally.

[Nothing Without Hope]

18. Conyers' meeting has top billing now on KR-Washington home page:

A big article right at the top of the page:

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/11902946.htm
Posted on Wed, Jun. 15, 2005

House Democrat's forum to examine Downing Street memo

By Ruby L. Bailey

Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON - The secret British memo of 2002 that reported that President Bush was determined to go to war against Iraq months earlier than he publicly acknowledged will get its first official hearing on Thursday - sort of.

In the closest version so far to a congressional hearing on the Downing Street memo, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., will head a forum examining the document. That will be followed by an Internet-organized rally in front of the White House. Conyers plans to deliver the signatures of 105 congressional Democrats and more than 500,000 citizens on petitions demanding a detailed response from the Bush administration to the memo's allegations.

(snip)

Conyers, the senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, will hold his forum without the full authority and resources normally involved in a congressional hearing. The Republican-run Judiciary Committee doesn't recognize Conyers' forum as official.

Initially, Republicans denied Conyers access to a room in the Capitol complex for his forum, but on Wednesday he was granted use of a small room. Because he lacks the committee's consent, Conyers has no subpoena powers, investigative staff or funds to conduct his inquiry.

(snip)

edited to add this great Conyers photo from the same page. Credit: GABRIEL B. TAIT, Detroit Free Press. (May take a few seconds to load - worth the wait)

http://www.realcities.com.nyud.net:8090/images/realcities/krwashington/11903/141682229307.jpg

[blm]

35. They're giving the story respect and consideration.

.

[Nothing Without Hope]

38. Yes, they are reporting it straight, with no hoopla but no suppression.

This is how a normal story about an important event like this would be reported if the corporate media weren't owned and operated by Bush enablers.

[Nothing Without Hope]

20. KR has a deserved reputaton for being less toadying than the others,

more independent, and in my vew more reliable and journalisitic.

[pinto]

22. They're doing a good job from their national bureau. Deserve some kudos,

as always, what gets run locally is somewhat up to the local editor. It's a good idea to let the local outlets know you want to see their national bureau stuff.

[blm]

29. Exactly. Contact your LOCAL KnightRidder paper to commend their coverage.

The choice to run with it up front is a local decision.

If you're following the national desk, contact them at

[e-mail]

[dogday]

23. They want their place in history

yeah boy

[Eloriel]

24. Yes, it IS, most positive. Got any links, or just quotes?

That would be interesting to read.

[wildeyed]

28. Here is a link to the article they ran today.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/11906125.htm

and

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/11906121.htm

But they don't appear to have the "Observer Coverage" box up online. Which is weird. But to summarize from my print copy, in addition to pointing out that they, the Charlotte Observer, ran the story A1 on May 6, they link to a Salon article about why the media didn't run with the story, afterdowningstreet.com, johnconyers.com and the original uk article.

[blm]

31. Peculiar isn't it? That's what led me to post about it.

There's only one conclusion to draw from it...they are ON IT and they are proud of it. They recognize that history is happening.

[wildeyed]

33. I am really glad you did post it.

I had not made it very far with the paper today. So there is some chance that I would have missed that little bit entirely if I had not seen your thread.

[blm]

37. Us locals have GOT to send LTTE to commend their effort.

.

[wildeyed]

45. Done! n/t

[rucky]

25. I LOVE to see this type of boasting in print.

it's about time papers got that bug again - getting the scoop, the big story, the exclusive. It's that kind of competition that was thriving back when there was, well, competition.

[pinto]

32. blatant kick to support responsible print media reporting.

[I Have A Dream]

39. Kick

:kick:

[Jo March]

42. Conyers hearing was in the Observer this morning, A1 above the fold

I was very proud of the local paper, yes I was!

:woohoo:

[wildeyed]

46. Be sure to let them know! n/t

[Jo March]

49. You're right!

I do need to send them a nice letter. There was a LTTE in today's paper thanking them as well.

Thanks for the reminder, though. I need to do some writing. :)

[cally]

47. My short email

Thank you for your accurate reporting on the Downing Street (Memo) Minutes. I've noticed that your reporting is factual, timely and accurate. I've begun to look for your stories on the Iraq war and the lead up to it. Please continue your good work.

Sincerely,

*****