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Political investigative journalism
Topic Started: 28 Feb 2016, 11:30 AM (381 Views)
daib0
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A recently published book by Tom Bowyer, an investigative journalist, has supposedly exposed several claims about Tony Blair worthy of a coat of looking at - including secretive money making deals, misusing his position, mass immigration with his connivance and without public discussion, the Iraq war tales ... some now even say it is about time this man saw the inside of a prison cell.

I'm sure there are corrupt politicians in virtually all countries. It's all coming out in Spain, hundreds now being investigated/condemned. But I've a feeling the British do it more intelligently, less chance of being found out because they cover their tracks better. Therefore we have to be careful when laying a finger at one individual without proof because you leave the door open at being hammered and financially ruined if one makes false accusations. But I certainly wekcome all kinds of investigative journalism for which luckily the British are also very smart at ... if it's there it will come out I feel, though it may take ages!

For those of you not living in Britain, how is corruption in your country?

And those at home - is it a real problem in Britain itself nowadays?

And how do you see investigative generally? Should journalists have easier access to delicate information, more protection when they make big claims?

You know, that tightrope balance between innocence until proven guilty with uncovering dishonesty of all types?







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Owlish52
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Muckraking seems to be a National Pass-time by many Americans, and with the Internet, anyone with a keyboard (including Yours Truly) can publicize there theories (and fantasies) to the General Public. And we do have some winners Over Here (and specifically including Texas, where corruption can be Bigger and Better {Link: https://www.nationalreview.com/nrd/articles/414910/texas-has-corruption-problem for a general outline}). But most of it is at a lower level - most top-tier politicians are able to camouflage their 'non-standard fund raising' thru various 3rd-party committees that can be jettisoned at need or the ever-convenient 'private speeches' that both parties provide - for a fee. Bernie Sanders is trying to raise the heat on this last issue, but not getting too much traction.

Watergate gained the Press a high degree of protection from interference here, but has not really given the Press that much of a Bully Pulpit, as many absurd stories have been put forward by the Tin-Hat fringes, and even major media outlets have been caught 'pushing' stories that had no factual basis - some for months (note - many of those phony stories were only political in some aspects). But it is a Widely Known Fact (beneath the Tin Hats at least) that both Hillary (for security breaches) and the Donald (for tax fraud) are about to be hauled away by the Feds for long vacations in quiet places...

There is muck in every large organization, and government is no exception. The bigger they are, the more is there, but at the Federal level, there are some active agencies in play. As you go down the ladder, states are less effective at digging out fraud and abuse, and local politics, while the amounts may be less, have more opportunities for such. In Texas, we have had (and may well still have) county governments (including law enforcement) essentially run in close cooperation with drug gangs - as bad as anything in Mexico. Sometimes, Texas government is the best money can buy - and it does get bought, or at least put on a long-term lease.

There will never be a shortage of 'sources', as every bureaucrat or functionary in a Government job that gets put out (for cause or not) will have (or create) some juicy tales for a journalist looking for the Next Big Expose. A dash of fact, some spice in the details, a dollop of interpretation and 5 pounds (or kg, as suits) speculation and you have the next Main Course. Every once in a while you might have a Watergate, but that was a Nixon administration that was totally over the top.

While the Obama administration has had some doozies (guns to Mexican drug rings for example), IMO those are more incompetence that evil intent (see, even I don't buy all the Tin Hat Brigade's output). Most of our fraudsters (see MediCare and even the IRS) are not inside Government, but work on the outside (perhaps with some low-level 'help' from within), as the money is about as good and the penalties are much lighter, even if you're caught red-handed.
Edited by Owlish52, 28 Feb 2016, 03:16 PM.
"It could have been worse with Hillary..." - Owlish52
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