Great Chicago Trib. investigation on flame retardants

Fantastic work by the Trib on how manufacturers of fire retardants rely on, among other things, outright lies in testimony, to "boost demand for their toxic - and ineffective - products."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/flames/ct-met-flame-retardants-20120506,0,3214816,full.story

How good is the story? The comments below the story actually compliment the paper.

 

Mean to post this yesterday on Journalism Topics, but this is just as good a place for it. Read yesterday's story and can't wait for the rest of the series this week (unfortunately the paper wasn't at my house yet before I left).

What was particularly remarkable, to me, was how this information was pretty much sitting there for anyone who wanted to seize it. This wasn't a Deep Throat story. This was the Tribune comparing industry claims against scientific evidence. This was the Tribune asking: "Who is really involved with this advocacy group?" And then looking at publicly filed tax forms to get the answer. This was the Tribune reading an anecdote by a politician and then actually checking into its veracity, catching him in a bald-faced lie. His response? He wasn't "under oath" at the time, so it was fine. Remember that the next time one of these fuckers tries to call out the media for "misinformation."

It's early, but I suspect this will be a tough Pulitzer contender to beat in Investigative Reporting this year.

 

The Tribune should know by know that retard is not a politically correct term.

 

That line is retar ... never mind.

 

When asked for comment industry spokesperson Irwin Mainway said that "any item of clothing can be proven unsafe! Anything! What you're wearing, what I'm wearing! I've got this tie on - nice tie, nice thin tie...alright, I'm driving along in my convertible, a nice gust of wind comes up... I could choke to death, you know? I mean, really! I could put it in my mouth - I could swallow my whole shirt!"

 

That took about four posts longer than it should have.