Pundits

New Participatory Project: Getting the Colbert Report into Congresspedia

A few weeks ago we asked you, dear readers and citizen editors, to pitch in and help with our first "wikiproject" - a short, participatory effort to update and expand a part of the SourceWatch/Congresspedia wiki. Lots of people chipped in and we accomplished our goal: getting contact information for all the freshman members of Congress, including the addresses and phone numbers for each of their district offices.

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The FCC and Armstrong Williams' Continuing Legacy

There are many reasons why federal investigations might take some time to conclude. Perhaps the issues are complex. Maybe the parties under investigation are less than forthcoming. The investigating agency may lack the resources needed to resolve the matter in a timely fashion.

Armstrong WilliamsOn the other hand, a stalled investigation may be part of a crisis management strategy. When an embarrassing ethical or legal transgression surfaces, launching an investigation sends the message that the matter is being taken seriously. Thanks to a rapid news cycle and a lack of follow-up reporting, public attention shifts elsewhere as the investigation continues. Closing the investigation can be seen as counter-productive, as it once again calls attention to the problem and creates the expectation that the findings will be acted upon.

Representative John Dingell (D-Mich.) may well have been pondering such matters on March 14, when he pointedly asked Federal Communications Commission Chair Kevin Martin about the status of the agency's ongoing Armstrong Williams investigation.

Seven Papers Axe Coulter's Column

Ann Coulter on C-SPANIn the last week at least seven newspapers have dropped the syndicated column of conservative firebrand Ann Coulter. Speaking at the American Conservative Union's annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C.

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Armstrong Williams for Air America?

Air America Radio, the progressive talk radio network which recently filed for bankruptcy, is considering syndicating a radio show co-hosted by Armstrong Williams. Williams co-hosts a morning drive-time program with Sam Greenfield on the New York radio station WWRL.

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Steyn Globe-Trots with Oz Government Funding

The Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer has disclosed that the Australian government contributed $A12,023 ($US9,150) towards the costs of a five-day speaking tour by the conservative Canadian commentator Mark Steyn.

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More Journalists On U.S. Government Payroll

Ten Miami journalists have been paid by the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB) for their involvement in programs for the anti-Castro propaganda stations, Radio Martí and TV Martí. The OCB is a unit of the the U.S. government-funded Broadcasting Board of Governors. Three of the ten were journalists with El Nuevo Herald.

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