If you can buy the Washington Post, why not do real journalism?

When it was leaked (what else) on Tuesday that Glenn Greenwald will leave The Guardian for a "once-in-a-career dream journalistic opportunity" it was not yet clear what that opportunity might be, but as of today we know that he, Laura Poitras and Jeremy Scahill will help create an all new and fancy investigative journalism outlet with a budget of no less than $250 million!



As it happened, Pierre Omidyar^WP , the +$8 billion worth founder of eBay was one of the people who received an offer to buy the Washington Post, that was finally taken by Jeff Bezos who lately bought the rag for said $250 million. Omidyar, who has already founded a smaller journalistic outlet, explains in a statement published yesterday:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pierre Omidyar [...] That process got me thinking about what kind of social impact could be created if a similar investment was made in something entirely new, built from the ground up. Something that I would be personally and directly involved in outside of my other efforts as a philanthropist. 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. [...] As part of my learning process, I recently reached out to Glenn Greenwald to find out what journalists like him need to do their jobs well. As it turns out, he and his colleagues Laura Poitras and Jeremy Scahill, were already on a path to create an online space to support independent journalists. We had a lot of overlap in terms of our ideas, and decided to join forces. [...]

As he tells Jay Rosen in an interview:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay Rosen [...] “I have always been of the opinion that the right kind of journalism is a critical part of our democracy.” He said he had watched closely over the last 15 years as the business model in journalism collapsed but he had not “found a way to engage directly.” But then when the idea of buying the Washington Post came up he started to think about it more seriously. “It brings together some of my interests in civic engagement and building conversations and of course technology, but in a very creative way.” A final factor. His “rising concern about press freedoms in the United States and around the world.” The U.S. has the First Amendment. When the freedom to practice hard-hitting investigative journalism comes under threat here, he said, that’s not only a problem for our democracy but for the chances that democracy can work anywhere. [The new company] will be designed to withstand that threat. [...]

That's hyper-awesome and exactly what US journalism needs. I can think of several additional investigative journalists on the spot, for example Russ Baker, who try it on their own but seriously struggle to reach a significant audience for a change. So I couldn't agree more with the conclusion Ryan Chittum draws in this informative piece on the development:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryan Chittum This is the best news journalism has seen in a long, long time. Here’s hoping this remarkable pairing realizes its full potential.

via JREF Forum http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=267060&goto=newpost