by WorldTribune Editor’s Line, May 2, 2022
Today’s essay question: What happens when the U.S. media decides not to cover a story that could impact the destiny of the nation? Please submit examples.
There’s no rush. Take your time and submit your answers when ready.
I have some thoughts on this and an example of a story I helped bring to light but which was dismissed by the Washington press corps.
Journalism is not rocket science but it helps to recognize a news story when it hits you between the eyes. The death of Deputy White House Counsel Vince Foster was one such story. It had, as they say, everything.
When I interviewed a first responder who retrieved Foster’s body from Fort Marcy Park in northern Virginia in July 1993, I concluded with the following: “You must deal with the media in your line of work. How many reporters have you spoken to about this?” His response? Until that snowy night in a Chinese takeout restaurant in Fairfax, months after Foster’s death, not a single one.
The lack of corporate media focus on this story led to underfunded alternative media reports and a series of disputed investigations. Significant questions remain unanswered to this day. Wikipedia summarized: “Subsequent investigations by special prosecutor Robert Fiske and the Senate Banking Committee concluded that there was no evidence of a homicide. A final investigation, led by special prosecutor Kenneth Starr, also concluded that there was no evidence to support the claim that Foster was murdered.” Sound familiar?
Publishers and prosecutors pick their fights. Do they choose wisely? Do their decisions benefit the United States of America? This is just one example. WorldTribune takes the view that a competitive American Free Press is critical to the future of this nation and the world that watches it.
Related: In memory of Vince Foster who cannot rest in peace, October 30, 2016
Related: Report: Vince Foster files have disappeared from National Archives, August 23, 2016
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