Reporters at major newspapers and magazines are hard to reach by telephone. Today it is increasingly hard to converse with them about timely scoops, leads, gaps in coverage, and corrections to published articles. We just started a website: Reporter’s Alert. From time to time, we will use Reporter’s Alert to present suggestions for important reporting on topics that are either not covered or not covered thoroughly. Reporting that just nibbles on the periphery won’t attract much public attention or be noticed by decision-makers.
1. A major investigation of the fast-expanding outsourcing by the federal government. Contracting out governmental functions and operations are a gigantic business. Tens of thousands of civil servants are being out-negotiated by corporate attorneys’ time and time again. Thousands more civil servants are supposed to be monitoring the implementation of these contracts. Lots of waste,…
It would be good to know how many of Trump’s deregulations the Democrats have restored in financial., environmental, and labor areas. The New York Times once had a chart of all the degradations that Trump had issued weakening environmental regulations. It would be good to see what the Democrats have restored or repealed. What is…
Where are the reporters looking into inadequate hospital capacity in the U.S.? Far fewer beds now than in the 1970s. What’s Washington doing to expand this infrastructure?
-Why not a report on Biden and Trump’s coronavirus relief proposals that have passed Congress? What has actually been spent? Over $4 trillion has been appropriated. Where is the unspent money and why hasn’t it been spent? One NY Times report said that only 34% of the Paycheck Protection Program actually went to the workers…
With all the attention on Senator Joe Manchin’s veto of President Biden’s infrastructure and social safety net proposals, reporters should dig deep into the total unanimity of 50 Republican Senators, especially among the five GOP Senators not running for re-election. Why no dissenters? What are the pressures? Who is wavering? And what are the Democrats…
-Much reporting is needed on the contracting out of government functions on a massive scale of federal, state and local governments. The federal government provides summaries of these contracts but, despite bipartisan support in Congress, still does not provide the full text of this trillion dollar outsourcing. That effort has stalled in Congress due to…
Apparently there is a big story down in Beaumont about a three month Exxon Mobile lockout of 600+ workers at its biggest U.S. refinery. The dispute is not about economics, it’s about workplace safety. Top Exxon executives running the lockout. Bigger strategy anticipated around Exxon facilities. Does this story interest you? For more information call…
The unexamined world of mass advertising undergirds corporate power (e.g., Facebook, Google), corrupts media, irritates people no end with its saturation propensity, has anti-competitive maneuvers, makes a mockery of the public’s airwaves and public broadcasting and continues its ages-old deceptions, lying and betraying consumers’ trust, with little FTC et al enforcement. Very inviting for reporters…
The U.S. exits Afghanistan and closes major bases. Americans need to know why their trillions of dollars, tens of thousands of soldiers, the most modern military equipment, and 400,000 Afghan government soldiers are losing to 35,000 Taliban, with no air force, navy, or heavy weapons. Vietnam all over again. Only this time, Congress doesn’t even…
1. Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan Chase, has just reported staggering quarterly earnings. This achievement, no doubt assisted by policies of the Federal Reserve, makes the following statement by him on January 21, 2021, a wonderful opportunity for reportorial follow up: “I’ve been to a lot of meetings with presidents and prime ministers…
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