Comments on: Hope for “the Modern American Newsroom”

By: swiftee

swiftee — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 11:06:00 +0000

Not quite that easy Paul I appreciate your candor about who is pulling the strings here at MiniMoni Paul, but for some reason it seems that "new journalists" just cannot be completely forthcoming.

Your "about" page says nothing about any of the leftist rainmakers that pay your "stipends", and neither does your "wiki" page...perhaps you can assign one of your reporters to fill in the blanks, or I can help you out.

While I was not aware that you had taken Robin Marty's job as editor, you *could not* have been unaware of the lengths she had been going through to deny MiniMoni's connection to the George Soros propaganda empire while not at the same time coming right out and telling a straight up lie.

She obfuscated, she denied, she twisted and refused to answer honestly...why?

If, as you say, Eric Black's admission is not news, it is only "non-news" in direct proportion of the non-importance of MiniMoni and the other two CIM blogs.

The groups that are paying you and your fellow writers are the same exact groups that are funding Media Matters, Moveon.Org, CAP and a host of other internet websites and activist groups.

They are investing huge sums of money for one purpose: To spread leftist propaganda and to further the leftist political agenda. I guess this is what George had in mind for America's "de-Nazification".

That's all well and good. There is nothing wrong with guys like George and Ted Turner and the rest of their ultra wealthy friends funding these kinds of groups.

The harm comes with they lie, or perhaps more appropriately stated, the deliberate lack of candor that is required of recipients of these funds. You are not a stupid guy Paul, and neither are the bloggers that make up the Minnesota Orginization of Bloggers. All Robin et. al. succeeded in doing with her unremitting denials was to make a absolute mockery of your "Code of Ethics".

Again Paul, you're not a stupid guy, you know all of this.

So as I said, congratulations on your new position and best of luck with your mission...and be sure to say HI to George for me won't you ;-)

By: Paul Schmelzer

Paul Schmelzer — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 22:43:52 +0000

See, Swiftee, Google works. Yes, Open Society is a Soros foundation. No, Eric wasn't lying.

By: swiftee

swiftee — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 19:28:44 +0000

It is funny though... That Media Matters, Moveon.org, CIM, CAP, MiniMoni et. al. all have virtually the same donor list.

http://www.discovert...

Welcome to the modern American newsroom folks!

By: swiftee

swiftee — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 19:22:06 +0000

Heh..just kidding. For those that may not know, the "Open Society Institute" is George Soros...learn more at.

http://www.soros.org...

By: swiftee

swiftee — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 19:18:37 +0000

Congratulations on your promotion. The editor I was speaking of was Robin Marty.

So, when Eric writes..and I quote, verbatim and in context:

"Soros' foundation is one of several that contribute to the CIM so I guess I have some Soros money in my checking account.."

You are saying that he is lying? Or did you simply forget to add Soros to your list of donors?

By: Paul Schmelzer

Paul Schmelzer — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 17:18:23 +0000

Wrong. Swiftee, with all due respect: I'm the editor -- have been since August -- and I've never made any denials about our funding. Nor, in fact, have I ever been asked about our funders, not by you and not by anyone.

That said, here are the Center for Independent Media's funders; we're awfully grateful for the support:

Anonymous

Arca Foundation

Arkay Foundation

Bauman Family Foundation

Better World Fund

Bohemian Foundation

Brett Family Foundation

Gill Foundation

Open Society Institute

Park Foundation

Quixote Foundation

Rockefeller Family Foundation

SEIU

Sunlight Foundation

Surdna Foundation

Wallace Global Fund

Eric's "admission," it's worth noting, is not news. We have links to our funders on our About page and our Wikipedia page; the Center for Independent Media lists our donors; and back in October I reprinted a Chronicle of Philanthropy article that lists many of them. Further, The Washington Independent has been crystal clear about these funders, listing them from the start on its About page and in the site's first post, by CIM's national editorial director, Jeff Morley. Googleable links, every one.

By: swiftee

swiftee — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 16:28:38 +0000

A serious question.. In light of Eric Black's recent admission, despite repeated denials by "the editor", that George Soros does indeed finance this website through CIM I think it is absolutely critical that this new venture be more forthcoming if it is to have any claim to credability.

Who is financing "The Independent"?

By: Karl

Karl — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 14:49:37 +0000

Looking forward to the contributions of the Washington Independent It will be interesting to see if Michele Bachmann deems them worthy enough to return their calls. A good place to start would be to examine Bachmann's virtual blackout on communicating with constituents and media with whom she disagrees. Not one single public meeting, town hall forum, radio call-in show or other unscripted opportunity to question the congresswoman since she took office.

By: Karl

Karl — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Looking forward to the contributions of the Washington Independent It will be interesting to see if Michele Bachmann deems them worthy enough to return their calls. A good place to start would be to examine Bachmann’s virtual blackout on communicating with constituents and media with whom she disagrees. Not one single public meeting, town hall forum, radio call-in show or other unscripted opportunity to question the congresswoman since she took office.

By: swiftee

swiftee — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Who is financing "The Independent"?