When watchdog journalism attacks (downward spiral of Milw. Urinal/sentinal)
http://onmilwaukee.com/buzz/articles/jswatchdogstories.html
Let's get one thing straight before we even get started.
I love newspapers. I grew up on a newspaper. I worked for many years at what was once one of the very best local newspapers in the country. I'm very comfortable with a newspaper.
And, I understand newspapers.
That's why today we've got to take a look at the incredible war the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is waging against the police chief of the City of Milwaukee, along with a couple of other examples of why this paper has fallen so far, so fast.
There is no dispute that the paper is engaged in what, to some people, looks like a campaign to discredit Chief Ed Flynn and the rest of his department.
There have been a steady series of stories what they call "Watchdog" stories about things in the department that have left a clear impression. The paper has left the impression that Flynn is easy on cops who break the law and that he has fudged statistics that show a drop in crime in the city.