OC Weekly editor Nick Schou's book about the dire last days of journalist Gary Webb is out at last, and many AAN members are excerpting it. Schou first met Webb at the peak of the controversy over "Dark Alliance," his 1996 San Jose Mercury Press series on collusion between the CIA and cocaine-trafficking Nicaraguan contras. Scourged by the mainstream media, a broke and unconsolable Webb sank into depression and committed suicide in December 2004. "Kill the Messenger: How the CIA's Crack Cocaine Controversy Destroyed Gary Webb" grew out of an OC Weekly article Schou wrote following his death. In "In These Times," former Village Voice columnist Doug Ireland calls Schou's book a "a meticulous, balanced account" of the affair and "a cautionary tale for anyone considering a career in investigative journalism."
K.A. Paul, the jet-setting evangelical minister who attempted to persuade House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert to resign amid the fallout of PageGate, is himself no stranger to controversy. Josh Harkinson relates in Mother Jones how his former paper, the Houston Press, exposed the cleric's profligate use of a private jet.
The winners of the Clarion Awards were recently announced, and Patricia Calhoun, editor of Westword, took first place in the Regular Opinion/Editorial category, small circulation division, for her weekly column. Houston Press Staff Writer Todd Spivak also won for his feature story "Against All Odds" in the small circulation division, and SF Weekly Staff Writer Cristi Hegranes won for her feature story "The Identity Makers" in the large circulation division. Both men and women are eligible for the Clarion Awards, which are presented by The Association for Women in Communications.
In a full-page house ad published Sunday in the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Publisher John Newhouse defended the paper's The Distribution Network (TDN). Newhouse revealed that the daily had been contacted by the state attorney general's office concerning the network; "While we are 100 percent confident that TDN was started with utmost professionalism, and can withstand any test, we are disappointed that a legitimate business venture has had to endure such unnecessary scrutiny," Newhouse wrote. He also detailed vandalism that occurred against the Clarion-Ledger employee who represents TDN. Publisher Todd Stauffer of the Jackson Free Press and other members of the Mississippi Independent Publishers’ Alliance (MIPA) today issued an open letter to Newhouse, refuting his version of events and expressing offense at the suggestion they endorse vandalism. "To imply such a thing is irresponsible and inappropriate, Mr. Newhouse, and we expect an apology," they write.
On Sept. 1, Jackson Free Press Reporter Adam Lynch broke the story that Mayor Frank Melton (pictured) "and a team of young men partially demolish[ed] a duplex" on Aug. 26 in a so-called "drug raid." The weekly stayed on top of the story, reporting important details on its Web site as they happened. Melton was indicted Friday on numerous felony charges related to the Aug. 26 incident, including burglary, malicious mischief, and causing a minor to commit a felony. Melton was also charged with three counts of illegally carrying a gun.
On Sept. 1, Jackson Free Press Reporter Adam Lynch broke the news that Mayor Frank Melton and "a team of young men" had broken into a private home, apparently believing it to be a crackhouse, and sledgehammered the contents. Since then, a number of other press outlets have picked up the story, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood's office has begun an investigation into the incident, and this morning, City Councilman Ben Allen announced that he would call for a Council-led investigation Friday if professional investigators have not yet finished.
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