Nieman Watchdog

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Buy his book | The essential, undistractable Engelhardt
COMMENTARY | July 22, 2010
The editor of TomDispatch.com is out with a new book that offers a lucid unifying theory of what went wrong in post-9/11 America. In short, the country became addicted to war.

Cui bono? | Afghanistan’s mineral wealth won’t help Afghanistan or the U.S. -- but it might help China
ASK THIS | July 07, 2010
The Chinese won’t hesitate to pay off the people who need to get paid off in order to get access to Afghanistan's natural resources, says author and professor Michael Klare. But the Afghan people and the American people have nothing to celebrate.

A low point | Institutional anemia cripples congressional oversight
SHOWCASE | May 05, 2010
Reformer Danielle Brian looks back on her 20 years of pushing for more government accountability and concludes that the U.S. Congress has forgotten its role, and as a result, congressional oversight has never been worse.

Initiatives show amazing results, but who notices? | Bill Gates wants money from Congress
COMMENTARY | March 11, 2010
The multi-billionaire testifies on behalf of global health spending, saying vaccines, drugs and innovative approaches are saving millions of lives. It’s a cause that’s not well understood, he says, and not very well covered.

Reporting the Collapse | Seven things about the economy that everyone should be more worried about than they are
COMMENTARY | January 22, 2010
Dan Froomkin explores the likelihood of an anemic recovery, a double dip recession, another stock market crash, more financial-sector follies, deficit hawks stifling growth, the death of the middle class as we know it, and/or other dire possibilities reporters should be writing about furiously.

Which way in Afghanistan? | Tough questions for Obama -- from Obama
ASK THIS | December 02, 2009
The last time a president sent more troops to war while claiming his commitment wasn't open-ended, a young senator from Illinois responded with the proper skepticism and excellent questions.

Reporting the Collapse | How about trying some unconventional wisdom for a change?
COMMENTARY | October 20, 2009
Renegade economist Thomas Palley supports long-term deficit spending, warns that the stimulus won't work, says it's time to rethink globalization – and argues that journalists aren't asking the really tough questions.

Investing in people | The government performance problem
ASK THIS | August 04, 2009
A Harvard professor calls a major government-wide investment in the workforce necessary both to improve critical services and to prepare for an imminent tidal wave of retirement. Here's how reporters can advance the story.

Looking backward | An astonishing lack of awareness of the costs of the war in Iraq
COMMENTARY | June 11, 2009
Michael Massing thinks the American public needs to know a lot more about what the war meant to Iraqi civilians – and particularly how many Iraqis were killed or injured by our troops during the occupation. That's because Americans needs to better understand that when we do go to war, there is a great toll not only our own people but on the population that we're supposedly going to help. Ninth in a series of articles calling attention to the things we still need to know about torture and other abuses committed by the Bush administration after 9/11.

Looking backward | Establishing the connection between the Bush White House and Abu Ghraib
COMMENTARY | May 22, 2009
Denying that White House policy was directly responsible for the vile abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib has been the central goal of a five-year disinformation campaign by Bush officials. 'Torture Team' author Philippe Sands argues that newly-disclosed records show how blatantly Bush officials were willing to lie in order to lead reporters away from the truth. Eighth in a series of articles calling attention to the things we still need to know about torture and other abuses committed by the Bush administration after 9/11.

Looking backward | Don't forget the cover-ups
COMMENTARY | May 11, 2009
As a lot of public officials in Washington have learned over the years, sometimes it's not the crime, it's the cover-up. Investigative reporter Murray Waas thinks any investigation of the Bush years should examine the efforts by top officials to shield their behavior from scrutiny.

Looking backward | Following the paper trail to the top
COMMENTARY | May 06, 2009
We're learning more about the decisions that were made by the last administration, but we still don't know nearly enough about how they were made and who exactly made them, says Caroline Fredrickson of the ACLU. If you really believe in the rule of law – and that no one is above the law -- then you've got to bring accountability to the top of the chain of command.

Investigating the Bush years | To look forward, you have to look back
COMMENTARY | April 22, 2009
Eric Stover, a professor who investigates human rights abuses, wants to focus on what our national security response should be to terrorism going forward -- but in doing so, he poses some disturbing questions about what we did.

An obligation to look back | Is there a price for departing from our values?
COMMENTARY | April 21, 2009
Fritz Schwarz, who helped lead the Church Committee's investigation into intelligence abuses more than 30 years ago, writes that we need to further explore whether our conduct helped al Qaeda's recruitment efforts, and how much excessive secrecy and a complaisant Congress were to blame.

An obligation to look back | So much we still need to know
COMMENTARY | April 20, 2009
NiemanWatchdog.org is publishing a series of articles calling attention to the things we still need to know about torture and other abuses committed by the Bush administration after 9/11. Why the focus on what we don't know? Because when you think about how much remains hidden, how many issues are still unresolved, how many injustices have never been redressed, and how little accountability there has been, it's hard to make the argument that we're ready to move on.

An obligation to look back | How many detainees were wronged?
COMMENTARY | April 20, 2009
McClatchy Foreign Editor Roy Gutman argues that we won't genuinely understand the scope of Bush's detainee program until we fully document each detainee's experience and make amends to those who were wrongly held and mistreated.

New administration | Basic questions Treasury still hasn’t answered
ASK THIS | March 06, 2009
The oversight panel appointed by Congress to watch over the government's $700 billion financial bailout still can't get straight answers to simple questions. No wonder public confidence isn't high.

The new administration | Rethinking how we cover the White House
COMMENTARY | January 22, 2009
Faced with an opaque presidency these past eight years, journalists grew too accustomed to trading in superficiality and trivia. But Obama's promise of transparency means we may now have more substantial things to talk about. Dan Froomkin writes that we should embrace the opportunity to publicly explore the important issues and decisions facing our nation and our world.

Inauguration thoughts | It's time for a Wiki White House
COMMENTARY | November 25, 2008
The next White House Web site should tell us a lot about whether Obama believes what he has said about bringing transparency and accountability to the government.

Q&A | Local papers find their inner watchdogs
SHOWCASE | November 21, 2008
Even as their newsrooms shrink, local and regional newspapers are falling in love with watchdog reporting all over again. Accountability journalism differentiates them, connects them with readers, and reminds people why journalism deserves some of their attention every day. Orange County Register Watchdog blogger Teri Sforza tells her story.

Invisible problems | The election nobody covered
COMMENTARY | November 20, 2008
Yale Law Professor Heather Gerkin, who was part of Barack Obama's 'election protection team,' writes that, contrary to media reports, precincts across the country fell apart as wave after wave of voters crashed down upon them. But reporters won't bother to investigate -- let alone report on -- problems that don't affect the outcome.

Living up to the standards of I.F. Stone | The lessons of our failure
SHOWCASE | October 17, 2008
A panel of top journalists tries to derive some lessons from the elite media's failure to challenge what turned out to be a specious argument for war in Iraq. Among its conclusions: Journalists should aggressively defy the spin machine; should build on each others' work; should write for Americans outside the Beltway; should embrace accountability reporting on every beat; and should avoid the he-said she-said stories and instead adopt the directness and transparency increasingly found on journalistic blogs.

The war in Iraq | Has the 'surge' brought us any closer to 'victory'?
ASK THIS | September 15, 2008
Author Peter Galbraith marvels at the conventional wisdom in Washington that the 'surge' has worked. For a variety of reasons, violence is down. But if 'victory' is a secular, democratic and pro-Western Iraq, then the 'surge' hasn't gotten us any closer at all.

The Essential Odom | Farewell to a general who saw everything so clearly
COMMENTARY | September 09, 2008
Lt. Gen. William E. Odom, who was laid to rest Monday at Arlington National Cemetery, was the earliest, most prescient and most persistent senior military critic of the war in Iraq. Here's an annotated bibliography of his commentaries.

Russia Revisited | Is this the beginning of a major geopolitical conflict?
ASK THIS | August 18, 2008
Richard Falk warns that the Russian invasion of Georgia could be the first significant collision between the U.S.’s new global conception of security and the more traditional sphere-of-influence view. And he suggests it's time to consider the adverse consequences of antagonizing Russia.

White House questions | What Helen Thomas would be asking if she could
ASK THIS | August 13, 2008
The legendary newswoman is recovering from illness. But if she were in the White House briefing room, these are the questions she says she would be putting to spokeswoman Dana Perino.

War strategy | Are we bombing our way to disaster in Afghanistan?
ASK THIS | August 12, 2008
A new report suggests that the massive increase in the amount of munitions being fired or dropped in Afghanistan has fueled popular anger -- and the Taliban resurgence. Its co-authors wonder what our goals are, and whether our tactics are likely to achieve them.

Puppeteer in the crosshairs | Don't let Addington duck the big questions
ASK THIS | June 24, 2008
The vice president's secretive enforcer is set to testify on Capitol Hill on Thursday about how the administration developed its interrogation policies – something he probably knows more about than anyone else. It's essential that members of Congress subject him to a concerted, well-planned examination, rather than let him play them for fools. So how about ganging up?

Interview with David Westphal | 'I guess you can call it torture'
SHOWCASE | June 16, 2008
McClatchy reporters traveled to 11 countries to interview 66 freed Guantanamo and Afghanistan prison detainees. The result is a stunning 5-part series and multi-media presentation titled 'Guantanamo: Beyond the Law.'

Rove as pundit? Par for the course | Yes, freedom of speech protects vicious liars
COMMENTARY | June 13, 2008
But there are standards, or at least there should be. Morton Mintz wants the owners and managers of news organizations to hold their talk show hosts and others accountable. And he wants journalism trade groups and J-schools to get in the act.

Entrenchment, Part IV | What's the vice president up to these days?
ASK THIS | June 12, 2008
Vice President Cheney is the least likely member of the Bush administration to give up power without a fight. He's also a master of the federal bureaucracy. So what are he and his loyalists up to in the waning days of the Bush presidency? Part four of a five-part series on questions for the twilight of the Bush era.

Entrenchment, Part V | How far will Bush loyalists go to help McCain win?
ASK THIS | June 12, 2008
For administration officials trying to avoid a rollback, the best way, of course, would be to get a Republican elected president. Are they already aiming grants, announcements and visits at swing states? Last in a five-part series on questions for the twilight of the Bush era.

Entrenchment, Part III | The time for a national conversation on pardons is before, not after, they're granted
ASK THIS | June 11, 2008
If President Bush pardons members of his own administration in a blatant attempt to avoid judicial review, what would the consequences be to his legacy -- and to the country? Also: Bush's longterm effect on the judiciary. Part three of a five-part series on questions for the twilight of the Bush era.

Entrenchment, Part II | Midnight rulemaking, last-minute hires and executive fiats
ASK THIS | June 10, 2008
How are Bush officials using their executive branch powers to entrench their policies in the bureaucracy and make it harder for their successors to change course? Part two of a five-part series on questions for the twilight of the Bush era.

Entrenchment, Part I | Do we really expect the Bushies to go quietly?
ASK THIS | June 09, 2008
Reporters should be keeping a sharp eye out for things Bush officials are doing to make their policies stay in effect after they leave office. In the first of a five-part series: Putting Iraq on autopilot, risking war with Iran, and purging the military.

A frequent Watchdog contributor | Soldier-scholar-war critic William E. Odom dies
COMMENTARY | June 02, 2008
An outspoken critic of the Iraq war, the retired general was one of the first to argue strongly for a full withdrawal of American troops.

McClellan's critique | A refresher on how the press failed the people
COMMENTARY | May 29, 2008
The blistering critique of an overly credulous press corps by former White House press secretary Scott McClellan in his new book has reignited a debate over the performance of mainstream journalism during the run-up to war in Iraq. But it's really not a debate at all. Here's a reading list to refresh your memory.

Burying the news | Newspaper Web sites and White House disinformation
COMMENTARY | February 22, 2008
The Wall Street Journal print edition didn’t mention a recent report that cited more than 935 false statements by top Administration officials. The Journal’s Web site, however, not only mentioned the report—it attacked it. (Second of two parts.)

Burying the news | If 935 falsehoods fall from the White House, do the news media hear them?
COMMENTARY | February 20, 2008
Morton Mintz asks: If the president and top aides who made nearly 1,000 false statements to take us into war had been Democrats, would two national papers, the TV networks, the news magazines, and every newspaper in 33 states have ignored it? (First of two parts)

Election 2008 | Looking for a display -- rather than just talk -- of leadership
ASK THIS | January 11, 2008
With the three major Democratic presidential candidates so intent on establishing themselves as the most capable of bringing about change, reporters should be looking for them to make their case not with promises, but with action.

Debate questions | Rating Bush, on a scale of 1 to 10
ASK THIS | December 13, 2007
The Republican presidential candidates avoid talking about their party's standard-bearer, for obvious reasons. But Dan Froomkin argues that journalists should press them to say what they think of Bush's legacy, which elements of his presidency they would emulate, and which they would reject.

Tortured results | Real plots or false confessions?
ASK THIS | October 23, 2007
President Bush has listed four terrorist attacks he says his administration prevented thanks to the CIA's harsh interrogations. But what do we really know about these alleged plots that he now says should be so central to the public debate over torture? Not much.

The drumbeat for war | Let's hear from someone besides the neoconservatives about Iran
COMMENTARY | August 20, 2007
Reporters should be seeking out experts who actually understand the Middle East -- because the vast majority of them think that attacking Iran would be a huge mistake. Here's an annotated list of some excellent possible sources.

From Nieman Reports | I.F. Stone's lessons for Internet journalism
COMMENTARY | July 09, 2007
Bloggers are taking up where the great rebel journalist left off, but if the news industry is to thrive on the Internet, reporters and editors shouldn't be far behind. Dan Froomkin writes that news organizations would do better online by replacing their bored monotone with a passionate adherence to traditional journalistic values.

Bush and the law | Signing statements evidently mean something after all
ASK THIS | June 27, 2007
A new GAO report makes it clear that some provisions Bush objected to were not carried out according to the law. That should get reporters asking lots of questions.

More voices these days | It's Nieman Watchdog's third anniversary
SHOWCASE | May 24, 2007
The most striking changes since we started have been the advance of real reporting online, and, despite some great work, the continuing decline of the traditional news media.

Will it work? | How to assess an immigration proposal
ASK THIS | May 23, 2007
Too much attention has been focused on the political accommodations involved in achieving a bipartisan agreement on an immigration overhaul – and too little on what would actually work. Here are some questions reporters – and the public – can use to assess how likely any immigration proposal is to achieve its stated goals.

Word choice | Shouldn't we drop the name 'War on Terror?'
COMMENTARY | April 23, 2007
Bush's favorite phrase has created a culture of fear -- but beyond that has no useful function. And while we're at it, what's the right way to describe what the U.S. is doing in Iraq?

Lessons learned? | How the press can prevent another Iraq
COMMENTARY | February 02, 2007
Journalists, and through us the public, have a grave responsibility to not be complicit in another march to war on false pretenses. So what lessons should we have learned from Iraq?

An absence of inquiry | Giles urges TV reporters to ask tougher questions
COMMENTARY | January 12, 2007
TV has an edge over print in that it can take viewers along for the interview. But too often, writes the Nieman Foundation curator, American TV reporters accept evasive, reluctant answers without pressing for more. Why not follow the British model of tough interviewing?

Questions for candidates | Get policymakers to talk about their thought process on Iraq
ASK THIS | September 28, 2006
Two Iraq experts suggest questions reporters should be asking leaders how they are making decisions about the U.S. commitment in Iraq – and whether they’re being realistic.

A Nieman Watchdog survey | A 2nd look at covering the 2006 elections
DISCUSSIONS | September 02, 2006
A survey we did in June is timely right now as editors and reporters focus on the November election campaign. Here is what 28 past Nieman fellows had to say about what’s wrong with recent past coverage (too much he-said, she-said leads the list), and some suggestions for what should be done.

U.S. as bystander | Bush says someone should get to Syria; why shouldn’t that someone be him?
ASK THIS | July 19, 2006
Thanks to an open microphone, we know what President Bush genuinely thinks would put an end to the sudden crisis in Israel and Lebanon. A Syria expert, professor Joshua Landis at Oklahoma University, thinks reporters should ask what he’s waiting for.

What's a 'Unitary Executive?' | Bush’s signing statements: Constitutional crisis or empty rhetoric?
ASK THIS | June 27, 2006
Lackluster reporting about this big story has left many critically important questions unanswered.

A watchdog survey | Nieman fellows want a revolt against the 'he-said, she-said'
DISCUSSIONS | June 13, 2006
Part 1 of a special survey of Nieman fellows on the second anniversary of this Web site. It includes a main story on comments and suggestions by 28 American Nieman fellows on 2006 election coverage, and links to the comments of each fellow.

Watchdog survey | Even the high regard for the American people is taking a hit
DISCUSSIONS | June 10, 2006
View from Africa and Oceania: in the third of four worldwide reports, Nieman fellows say displeasure with the American government is leaching over into a sense of dismay about the American people themselves.

Watchdog survey | Post 9/11 Europe: All Americans, then anti-American
DISCUSSIONS | June 09, 2006
The last of four reports from international Nieman fellows on perceptions of America where they live, with links to excerpts of their comments.

A serious but not imminent threat | Is the U.S. about to attack Iran?
ASK THIS | April 06, 2006
An expert says administration posturing is very reminiscent of the coordinated campaign before the Iraq war. But proponents of attacking Iran haven’t come close to making their case – and there are many questions they need to answer.

Any more like him out there? | Watchdogs, meet a gadfly
ASK THIS | February 21, 2006
Chas Freeman is a Washington insider with a twist. A former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, he now runs a think tank dedicated to raising questions that otherwise might never get answered -- or even asked -- because they're too embarrassing, awkward, or difficult. He shares a few of those questions with NiemanWatchdog.org’s Dan Froomkin.

Media criticism | Dick Cheney did not make a mistake by not telling the press he shot a guy
COMMENTARY | February 17, 2006
Media critic Jay Rosen writes that the Bush Administration has changed the rules on the press. Non-communication has become the standard procedure, not a breakdown in practice but the essence of it.

At Berkely's J school | How not to cover the economy
SHOWCASE | January 23, 2006
A fed-up Berkeley economics professor joins up with the J-school to teach journalists and would-be journalists how to cover – and even more emphatically, how not to cover – economic news.

Strategic thinking | Countering terrorism – for real
ASK THIS | January 18, 2006
A noted political psychologist outlines the elements of an effective counterterrorism program. But the U.S. isn’t pursuing any of them and journalists aren't writing — or even asking — about them either.

About those bases | Does the U.S. plan to be in Iraq forever?
ASK THIS | August 16, 2005
The question of permanent U.S. military bases is an incredibly contentious one in Iraq. But for some reason, Dan Froomkin writes, the press isn’t pinning the Bush administration down on this one.

Improving education | Have local leaders abandoned the public schools?
ASK THIS | June 20, 2005
Overhauling America's worst public schools is a hugely challenging task, but it must be done. Yet as long as our leaders are able to opt out of public schools - without anyone pressing them about their obligation to those left behind - that's less likely to happen.

Covering the war | Who are the suicide bombers in Iraq?
ASK THIS | June 08, 2005
Journalists are finally turning their attention to the genesis of the wave after wave of suicide bombings that are devastating Iraq, but the sometimes conflicting reports still leave many unanswered questions.

Looking for milestones | Isn’t there some way to tell if we're winning or losing in Iraq?
ASK THIS | May 25, 2005
The White House says that when there's less violence in Iraq, it means we're winning. And when there's more violence in Iraq, it also means we're winning -- because the opposition is getting desperate. Are there some objective benchmarks that would let us determine for real if we're winning or losing?

Gas prices | Where the pain is
ASK THIS | March 29, 2005
For some people, stratospheric gas prices are the biggest news story of the year. Here are a few questions that ought to be answered.

'U.S. will not ignore oppression' | Bush’s second inaugural address: an idealistic policy or a diversion?
ASK THIS | January 25, 2005
Is America embarking on a worldwide anti-tyranny movement, as Bush said, or isn't it? Either way, the press needs to follow up on the president’s lofty rhetoric.

Make it a beat | Important questions about Social Security
ASK THIS | January 24, 2005
The press needs to dig beyond the political rhetoric and make sure people understand what's motivating the push for private accounts, and what's at stake.

Covering the White House | Mr. President, will you answer the question?
COMMENTARY | December 02, 2004
President Bush has a special talent for avoiding tough questions and reporters who ask them. Here's what the White House press corps should do to smoke him out.

A fourth estate | Tougher political coverage needed – but does it mean an end to impartiality?
COMMENTARY | November 08, 2004
What were the lessons — for reporters and editors — of the 2004 campaign? In particular, we want to know your answer to this question: Where do we go from here?

Election coverage | Questions you should ask House and Senate candidates
ASK THIS | September 13, 2004
Here are some simple, tough questions that every congressional candidate should answer.

On the Web | Liberal think tank prepares tough questions for journalists to use
SHOWCASE | August 26, 2004
The Center for American Progress has more questions than it knows what to do with.

Tools | Tipsheet points to hot environmental stories
SHOWCASE | July 26, 2004
A tipsheet from the Society of Environmental Journalists exposes government attempts to keep important environmental information secret – and calls attention to great watchdog reporting.

Blogs | Watching the watchdogs
COMMENTARY | June 30, 2004
Watchdogs on the Internet: Postrel takes up DeLong's challenge; Rosen worries about the White House press corps.

Great Work | Dispatch from the food lines
SHOWCASE | June 28, 2004
How long are the lines at the food pantries in your area? Do you know? Let's say they're really long. How do you cover that? The Columbus Dispatch's approach is a model.

Curator's corner | Transparency benefits the practice of journalism
COMMENTARY | May 01, 2004
'The Nieman Watchdog Project ... is grounded in the belief that probing questions are essential to informed reporting'

Multimedia | Now on video: Editorial board interviews
SHOWCASE | April 11, 2004
Some newspapers have been posting editorial board interviews with political candidates on their Web sites – an excellent multimedia enhancement for people who'd like to follow politics closely.

Dan Froomkin
Dan Froomkin is the deputy editor of the Nieman Watchdog Project. He is also Senior Washington Correspondent for the Huffington Post.

Foreign policy | 10 tough questions for Thursday's debate
ASK THIS | September 24, 2003
The first batch of winners in NiemanWatchdog.org's debate-question contest.