Wis. reps vote to boot reporting center off university campus

[Bob Cook]

Sickening and petty.

http://www.wisconsinwatch.org/2013/06/05/center-responds-to-jfc-lawmakers-early-morning-eviction-vote/

Joint Finance Committee lawmakers voted at about 6 a.m. today to add a provision to the state budget expelling the “Center for Investigative Journalism” from University of Wisconsin offices. The vote was 12-4 on party lines, with Republicans in the majority.

The actual text:

Center for Investigative Journalism. Prohibit the Board of Regents from permitting the Center for Investigative Journalism to occupy any facilities owned or leased by the Board of Regents. In addition, prohibit UW employees from doing any work related to the Center for Investigative Journalism as part of their duties as a UW employee.

The state, nor the university, funds the center, but the school provides space. The school has already come out against the move -- a real **** move, especially when the vote is 6 a.m. (The decision isn't final, but there aren't expectations anyone is rushing to overturn this.)

I don't care about politics. If it's Republicans, for no real reason, kicking off a journalism enterprise, or the Obama administration investigating journalists, it's bad, bad, bad, and if we don't speak out as journalists, we're complicit.

 

[dooley_womack1]

Republicans have that wide a margin in the Wisconsin legislature? Shocking. Oh, and terrible vote.

 

[The Big Ragu]

Wow.

Government run amok, once again. And what gets me most is that the same people who I suspect are behind this are the ones who use the "government run amok" rhetoric the most.

 

[dixiehack]

I tend to doubt this could mess up their accreditation, but those agencies take a dim view of politicians interfering in university operations. Never good to inspire them to pay a visit.

 

[exmediahack]

Wisconsin is an odd-bird.

It probably will never vote Republican in the presidential election again yet the Senate is slightly Republican (18-15) and the House is heavily Republican (60-39).

In the overall population for a presidential vote, it leans left but those Democratic districts are very, very left (Madison, Milwaukee city, extreme NW Wisconsin) and those Democrats generally run without any real opposition. Republicans tend to grind out tight wins everywhere else but will win 52-48 and that keeps them from getting too far right. The Wisconsin Legislature flipped to Democrats in the 2006 wave but the 2011 walkout of the Democratic senators hurt them for the next cycle.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Bad stuff. They deserve to be audited by the IRS for this.

(sorry, couldn't resist).

 

[Armchair_QB]

I tend to doubt this could mess up their accreditation, but those agencies take a dim view of politicians interfering in university operations. Never good to inspire them to pay a visit.

Is it a university operation if they're just leasing the space?

 

[Alma]

I tend to doubt this could mess up their accreditation, but those agencies take a dim view of politicians interfering in university operations. Never good to inspire them to pay a visit.

Is it a university operation if they're just leasing the space?

No, but it's university space and hence tied back to bills that could boot out an investigative journalism center.

 

[Captain Obvious]

old_tony and Fart wonder what the problem is.

 

[Armchair_QB]

I tend to doubt this could mess up their accreditation, but those agencies take a dim view of politicians interfering in university operations. Never good to inspire them to pay a visit.

Is it a university operation if they're just leasing the space?

No, but it's university space and hence tied back to bills that could boot out an investigative journalism center.

Yeah, I get that. I was referring to whether or not this could be considered a university program and thereby put UW at risk of losing its accreditation.

 

[old_tony]

The legislature did the right thing. The "Center for Investigative Journalism" is a left-wing organization funded by Soros. The University is giving them free office space. The guy who serves as its lead man moved over from editor of the hard-left alt-weekly Isthmus.

Does anyone think that one of the conservative news services (there are a couple in Wisconsin -- The MacIver Institute, Media Trackers, Wisconsin Reporter) funded by the Kochs could get free office space from the UW without the left putting up a big stink?

 

[BadgerBeer]

The legislature did the right thing. The "Center for Investigative Journalism" is a left-wing organization funded by Soros. The University is giving them free office space. The guy who serves as its lead man moved over from editor of the hard-left alt-weekly Isthmus.

Does anyone think that one of the conservative news services (there are a couple in Wisconsin -- The MacIver Institute, Media Trackers, Wisconsin Reporter) funded by the Kochs could get free office space from the UW without the left putting up a big stink?

You are full of **** Tony. Even your hero, Charlie Sykes (local conservative radio blowhard), thinks this is a stupid, petty decision. In fact this Center was the first to write about the "high speed" rail story that I am sure you and your friends jerked to while reading.

 

[old_tony]

The legislature did the right thing. The "Center for Investigative Journalism" is a left-wing organization funded by Soros. The University is giving them free office space. The guy who serves as its lead man moved over from editor of the hard-left alt-weekly Isthmus.

Does anyone think that one of the conservative news services (there are a couple in Wisconsin -- The MacIver Institute, Media Trackers, Wisconsin Reporter) funded by the Kochs could get free office space from the UW without the left putting up a big stink?

You are full of **** Tony. Even your hero, Charlie Sykes (local conservative radio blowhard), thinks this is a stupid, petty decision. In fact this Center was the first to write about the "high speed" rail story that I am sure you and your friends jerked to while reading.

Charlie Sykes is wrong in this instance.

So you'd be fine with the UW giving free space to the MacIver Institute or Media Trackers? I call bull****.

 

[BadgerBeer]

The legislature did the right thing. The "Center for Investigative Journalism" is a left-wing organization funded by Soros. The University is giving them free office space. The guy who serves as its lead man moved over from editor of the hard-left alt-weekly Isthmus.

Does anyone think that one of the conservative news services (there are a couple in Wisconsin -- The MacIver Institute, Media Trackers, Wisconsin Reporter) funded by the Kochs could get free office space from the UW without the left putting up a big stink?

You are full of **** Tony. Even your hero, Charlie Sykes (local conservative radio blowhard), thinks this is a stupid, petty decision. In fact this Center was the first to write about the "high speed" rail story that I am sure you and your friends jerked to while reading.

Charlie Sykes is wrong in this instance.

So you'd be fine with the UW giving free space to the MacIver Institute or Media Trackers? I call bull****.

Part of the deal is that students get internships in exchange for the office space. And as I pointed out there has been reporting from this Center that is not favorable to the left. This is just another example of the Fitzwalkers being little *******.

 

[AtticusFinch]

Wow.

Government run amok, once again. And what gets me most is that the same people who I suspect are behind this are the ones who use the "government run amok" rhetoric the most.

Thought this should be quoted again in light of o_t's entirely predictable claptrap.

 

[wisportswriter]

The legislature did the right thing. The "Center for Investigative Journalism" is a left-wing organization funded by Soros.

When you're far to the right, the middle appears to be to the left.

The Center is not left-wing.
And if Charlie Sykes is indeed wrong, so is just about every person or entity I've heard weigh in on this, including Wisconsin Reporter.

 

[old_tony]

Like I said, move The MacIver Institute or MediaTrackers into the same arrangement and watch the left go crazy.

 

[old_tony]

The legislature did the right thing. The "Center for Investigative Journalism" is a left-wing organization funded by Soros.

When you're far to the right, the middle appears to be to the left.

The Center is not left-wing.
And if Charlie Sykes is indeed wrong, so is just about every person or entity I've heard weigh in on this, including Wisconsin Reporter.

When you're so far to the left you see Soros as a guy from the center.

 

[wisportswriter]

I never said Soros was center. I judge a publication by its content, not its funding source. And CIJ's content is not left-wing.
Nor is mine. Although I have been accused of bias by both sides.
Sincerely,
Erin Murphy, political reporter, Dubuque Telegraph Herald