Robert Parry and Gary Webb - 'propagandists' or great investigative reporters?

[blm]

Robert Parry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Robert Parry is an American investigative journalist who has written extensively about the Iran-Contra scandal.
During the 1980s, Parry worked for Associated Press and Newsweek, and broke a number of Iran-Contra stories. Along with his AP partner Brian Barger, he was the first to report on Oliver North's activities in the White House basement, and the first to describe the Nicaraguan Contras' involvement with cocaine traffickers.

In 1995, he established ConsortiumNews.com as an online ezine dedicated to investigative journalism. In 2000, shortage of revenue forced him to continue it on a part-time basis. From 2000 to 2004, he worked for the financial wire service Bloomberg.
ConsortiumNews.com has published articles on the “October Surprise” controversy of the 1980 election, <1> the alleged Contra-cocaine connection, <2> the war in Kosovo, <3> and the impeachment of President Clinton. <4> Together with Norman Solomon, Parry examined General Colin Powell's past.<5> Other articles examined how Reverend Sun Myung Moon became influential in Washington D.C. <6> and how the Nazi exodus to South America contributed to the region’s bloody repression in the 1970s and 1980s. <7>

Parry has written several books, including Lost History: Contras, Cocaine, the Press & "Project Truth." (1999) and Secrecy & Privilege: Rise of the Bush Dynasty from Watergate to Iraq (2004).


Gary Webb
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Gary Webb
Gary Webb (August 31, 1955 – December 10, 2004) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American investigative journalist, best known for his 1996 "Dark Alliance" investigative report series, written for the San Jose Mercury News. In the three-part series (later published as a book), Webb investigated Nicaraguans linked to the CIA-backed Contras who had allegedly distributed crack cocaine into Los Angeles and funneled profits to the Contras. Webb also alleged that this influx of Nicaraguan supplied cocaine sparked and significantly fueled the widespread crack epidemic that swept through urban areas. Webb's reporting generated a large controversy and the Mercury News backed away from the story, effectively ending Webb's career as a mainstream media journalist.


What say you, DU? Do you believe that these two deserve to be noted for their investigative journalism or as 'propagandists' for the far left as some would like to imply?



http://www.consortiumnews.com/2006/111106.html

[leftofthedial]

1. investigative journalists

duh.

[ck4829]

2. Great men, great journalists

[Robbien]

3. What kind of question is that?

propagandists = faux news

[blm]

4. heh....that would be my call, too.

But, this question isn't being asked in a vacuum - these men are both taking hits as 'propagandists' for some reason.

[Robbien]

6. Standard Operating Procedure

Accuse the other side for sins you are committing.

The GOP has this SOP down to a science.

[leftchick]

10. yeah

that projection thingy they are so good at.

[nam78_two]

5. Whoever says that is just grossly ignorant or has an agenda of their own

:hi: blm.
My head explodes whenever I hear that kind of stuff. Dark Alliance is an excellent and very well researched book-DU goes overboard in who is called a "conspiracy nut" nowadays.
Two of the best investigative journalists America seen in the last few decades.

[bobthedrummer]

7. Dedicated investigative journalists that exposed the extent of corruption

there are many others too-so when there is the standard routine of ritualistic discrediting and disinfo psy-ops, well we've seen enough of that to last a lifetime.

[blm]

8. Except you have to wonder when the attacks on REAL journalists are coming

from those who say they're Democrats.

[bobthedrummer]

11. They may be members of the Democratic Party but where are their

hearts-like you, blm, and many others I'm well aware of the power struggles within the Democratic leadership factions.

I also rely on unpopular sources like Wayne Madsen, and even some fringe elements like Hopsicker who has been spot on about the flight school owners connections-specifically Wally Hilliard.

[blm]

43. I know - that's why I support OPEN GOVERNMENT Democrats who BELIEVE the people

should be respected with the truth, and treat them as responsible adults and citizens for a change, instead of seeing them only as 'voters' and manipulating them with only their votes in mind.

[6000eliot]

9. Got too close to the truth and had to be marginalized.

Thank goodness for the corporate-controlled mainstream media.

[Faryn Balyncd]

12. Robert Parry is one of the great American journalists

[blm]

13. Great journalists like Parry and Webb are this nation's REAL PATRIOTS, imo.

I am shocked whenever someone who claims to be on the left attacks their work or dismisses it.

[KoKo]

14. Who on the left has attacked them?

I missed it...

[blm]

39. In a few threads recently and in past two months.

It seems some are irritated with Parry's article advising Dems to pursue ALL outstanding matters of Bush's criminal activities and based on the example of what already happened when Dems FAIL to do the right thing in the guise of bipartisanship.

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2006/111106.html

[porphyrian]

15. Who's calling them propagandists and why? - n/t

[blm]

17. Some here have labeled their work as the 'propaganda' that gets posted here

and even labeled it 'counterpunch crap' though neither Parry or Webb had written for counterpunch. I can only conclude that some Dem establishment types have an interest in misinforming DU posters.

I hope more people here defend Parry and Webb's work work from these type of claims whenever they see them.

[porphyrian]

18. Well, our "big tent" does run pretty far in every direction...

...and just about every position can be considered propaganda by some. I wouldn't worry about it much, though - facts will stand up to scrutiny.

[blm]

20. I am curious how ANY Dem could consider the reporters who broke some of the

biggest stories of Republican corruption in government as 'propagandists' or why they would even TRY to marginalize their voices as 'counterpunch crap' when their work is backed up completely with documentation that is part of the congressional record?

And that includes even the most 'centrist' of Democrats. Why would they have any interest in protecting criminal acts at ANY level or from ANY administration? I have no problem with centrist Dems as a contributing voice to the party and its platform, but when they choose to attack our best investigative reporters for doing their job, then I am suspicious of their motivations.

Great investigative journalists with VERIFIABLE bodies of work should be TREASURED not marginalized. Those who intend that those journalists and their work be marginalized are almost always doing the work of the Republican elite being exposed.

[porphyrian]

21. People can, and do, say just about anything here.

Sometimes it isn't thought out, or they don't even mean it. Sometimes they're just wrong. The beauty of this format, though, is that we have the opportunity to correct them in further posts, and that their posts, no matter how infuriating, keep the topic kicked to involve more people in the matter.

[blm]

42. True. That's why I never put anyone on ignore. Then they can't be corrected if

they post false information, whether innocent mistake or not.

[Time for change]

16. I vote for 'investigative reporter'

I believe they have done a great service to our country.

[tnlefty]

19. I just retrieved my copy of Into the Buzzsaw and Gary Webb has a

chapter, along with others who did the investigations and the reporting and were then thrown into the buzzsaw.

After reading this book a few years ago I've not looked at corporate media sources the same.

Investigative reporters.

[Octafish]

22. Both Journalists.

One was.

One still is.

Our nation and We the People are better for their work.

Thanks for remembering, blm.

[blm]

26. More than remembering, this thread is an HONEST DEFENSE of their good names.

Seems their work doesn't set well with those Dems who know the implications in their work for the coverup wing of the Dem party and certain possible candidacies.

To label their work as far left conspiracy theory or as propaganda seems to be their answer to it.

[Octafish]

29. They can't control the blogosphere.

The Genie of Truth has slipped loose from that bottle.

[blm]

38. They intend to MISUSE the blogs to revise history to protect those who protected BushInc.

BushInc wouldn't have become so powerful if they had been finished off through full exposure in the 90s, just as they were heading for when Bill Clinton showed his incredible generosity to them.

[bigtree]

23. excellent journalists

with opinions.

They should be recognized for their outstanding journalism, of course.

[Beausoleil]

24. They don't usually "suicide" anybody unless

they are perceived as a danger. Webb was shot twice in the face; of course it was ruled suicide.

[paulk]

25. I don't know

but what would you call this article, considering that Blair has flatly turned down Bush's "surge"?

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2007/010807.html

[rman]

28. Blair is in no position to "turn down" anything Bush does

Certainly his "turning down" Bush's surge does not mean the surge won't happen.

Not to mention that Blair has been going along with Bush for the past 3 years.

So it may make Blair look as though he is opposing Bush while in reality it is of no consequence.

[blm]

30. Blair has been speaking out of both sides of his mouth on Iraq since it started.

He has often acted at first as if he was against a Bush decision, and then found a way to support it.

But, why would commentary analyzing Blair and his Iraq decisions tarnish Parry's reputation as an investigative journalist?

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2006/111106.html

[paulk]

31. well, it would make me question Parry's conclusions

he seems to be jumping to them in a way based far more on speculation

than investigation...

especially since his sources, as per the article, are "unnamed"

that puts him far more in the realm of "pundit" than "investigative journalist"

at least in my book...

[blm]

32. And what of his commentary that is backed in his own investigative pieces?

Should Democrats discourage belief in his work EVEN when there is substantial documentation and historic evidence to back up his conclusions?

After all, it is his commentary that deals with the aftermath of his investigations that spawned the negative caricature of his work.

[paulk]

34. I think his articles, along with every other pundit or investigative

journalist's articles...

should be read with an open and critical mind... as any "investigation" with either a political bias or a targeted audience, right or left, should be.

furthermore -

I don't think you can draw a line ... putting Democrats on one side of it... when it comes to accepting the validity of any person's
work...

[blm]

35. I expect GOPs to discredit real investigative journalists.

I am always puzzled by the motivations of Democrats when they do it knowing full well that the documentation and the historic evidence backs up Parry's words, so it BECAME a question.

[paulk]

36. but what if the reader "knowing full well that the documentation

and historical evidence" is accurate, doesn't arrive at the same conclusion that Parry does?

You seem to be saying that in order to be a Democrat, one has to accept Parry's conclusions...

[blm]

37. Well, then that person should explain what their conclusion is and why they

came to that conclusion based on the evidence, instead of just asserting that Parry and Webb are 'propagandists' without explanation, IF they wanted to make serious contributions to the debate amongst Democrats.

If one just posts hits against the reporter without addressing what the reporter has said let alone providing evidence to support their claim, then it is natural to suspect that person isn't interested in the actual issues being raised for Democrats.

[rman]

27. both investigative journalists

[RevolutionStartsNow]

33. I'm reading "Kill the Messenger" by Nich Schou (about Webb)

Not very far into it, it was recommended to me here on DU.

But I used to read the SJ Merc and remember when the Dark Alliance series was published, then retracted. I had followed Iran-Contra very closely, years before (I worked in a store that sold TVs and had them all tuned to the hearings, every day, LOL), and knew who a lot of the characters were.

While I don't think Webb was "suicided" in the way that some people here might think, I do think that what happened to him with Dark Alliance was the major contributing factor to his eventual suicide. He just wanted to write, to be a reporter, and when he reported on the biggest story of his career, his career was destroyed.

[Imagevision]

40. After the Washington Post, LA. Times, New York Times smeared Webb

because of Iran/Contra being exposed, then Webb dies od..."suicide" after being shot twice in the head? -- what's to believe??

[blm]

41. Webb connected the IranContra figures and MONEY to urban crack epidemic

and drugdumping that was completely authorized by our own government. And when it came out in 1996, it was a Democratic administration who made sure Webb was taken down.