I have often bemoaned the fact that there is little true investigative journalism going on in the media these days. Perhaps I'm simply looking in the wrong place. For true grittiness in reporting, it seems one must go to the UK. Interestingly, UK laws are much more restrictive of press freedom than the US. Joe Conason's column in Salon today concerns a fellow reporter, Gregory Palast, and the firestorm over his article on the US election published in the Observer (a London Sunday paper) back in November. Barrick Goldstrike is attempting to have the column retracted in London, but also removed from Palast's US registered web site. Palast is an American citizen. To read about the dirty laundry between Barrick, dictators, and our 41st President, go to Palast's website. It will be an interesting exercise in international law, our Bill of Rights, and how far political clout will take censorship in this country. Barrick is one of W's biggest backers and has donated a good amount to the Republican party. I wonder if the media considers it newsworthy that a Canadian company is donating to one of our major political parties while keeping a former president on staff and consorting with murderous dictators.

Why isn't this newsworthy?

Can you imagine the firestorm if the former president were Clinton instead of former CIA head HW Bush? Regardless, check out the article.


- posted by levinson @ 7/20/2001 07:17:00 AM