General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsInterview with Omidyar about his news venture with Greeenwald, Schahill, and Poitras...
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/21/business/media/an-interview-with-pierre-omidyar.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0A: Im a technologist by origin and by training, but Im focused on philanthropy. One of the key areas was taking the lessons from technology and applying them to making the world better. And part of that interest really led me to government transparency and accountability: how do we explain to a broad audience what government is doing?
Weve lived in Hawaii for about seven years and I saw a gap in coverage as newsrooms were merging there was a real reduction in reporting capacity and so I felt it was critical to just build a newsroom that is exclusively focused on public affairs. I wanted to get my hands dirty learning what its like to work with journalists and editors day in and day out, to see how the sausage is made. Through that experience, I saw firsthand the impact that really good investigative stories have at every level and so this is the next step in a very long journey.
Q: This next step seems focused on secrecy and transparency. What pulled you in that direction?
A: A number of things happened: Even before the Snowden leaks, we saw a number of what I would characterize as missteps by the Justice Department. We saw the Justice Department wiretap the A.P. newsroom. We saw [Fox News reporter James] Rosen being labeled as co-conspirator label in affidavits; we see the many leak prosecutions including the use of the Espionage Act. It alerted me to the fact that even in this great country of ours with this fantastic Constitution, theres a real pressure against press freedoms thats going on. Perhaps unintentionally in the hot pursuit of leakers and trying to protect secrets, we are really putting pressure on press freedom here. When you have mass surveillance, its impossible to meet the intent of the First Amendment because reporters cant talk to sources because sources are afraid to talk.
Q: So why not get in the middle of things by buying The Washington Post?
A: In May, we started a deep engagement in the process of looking at buying The Washington Post. Ultimately, I started thinking about other uses of that level of capital. I learned at Civil Beat that a large part of driving the conversation forward is having voices based in expertise as well as passion for the topic. Thats what really drove me to thinking about people like Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras and Jeremy Scahill. They are people who are willing to put themselves out there and be transparent about it, not just spouting opinions without any kind of basis. They say, Look, I know about this stuff. This is how I know about it; heres what Ive learned and Im going to tell you what I think about this.
blm
(113,091 posts)in that episode - he was acting to try and effect foreign policy decision making that wasn't necessarily in the best interests of the US.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)Carr was probably forbidden from asking questions about the more detailed nuts-and-bolts of the operation...So evidently this leak came way, way too early for them...I am pleased to see that he *has* donated to the Poynter Institute...And holy damn, was he that close to buying the WaPo?
Although Omidyar is an unquestioned success in the tech world, his words still indicate a bit of naiveté when it comes to understanding the role of media in society, and the industry in general...This could work out to be a great advantage or disadvantage for him in the future...I do hope that the topical reach of his "investigative reporting" teams go beyond the NSA/spying stories, because there is a lot more out there...
So who leaked this? Not too many people could have known...Someone from the Guardian??
PoiBoy
(1,542 posts)Interesting statement from Mr. Omidyar...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pierre-omidyar/my-next-adventure-in-jour_b_4114672.html?utm_hp_ref=hawaii
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I developed an interest in supporting independent journalists in a way that leverages their work to the greatest extent possible, all in support of the public interest. And, I want to find ways to convert mainstream readers into engaged citizens. I think there's more that can be done in this space, and I'm eager to explore the possibilities.
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Honolulu Civil Beat is a very good source of news, and the reporters and comments are on the whole very good and thought inspiring, based on what they allow to leak out from behind the paywall...
I wish him well in this endeavor...