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Chronicle “BALCO” Reporters Do Not Merit Public Support
Chronicle reporters Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada face jail time for refusing to disclose who leaked them confidential testimony from grand jury proceedings on the “BALCO” steroids scandal. The publication of this leaked testimony got the reporters a book deal, national media attention, frequent front-page Chronicle headlines, and the chance to do what so many of their colleagues have wanted to do for years, which was to damage the credibility of Barry Bonds’ baseball achievements. Publishing illegally leaked testimony hardly constitutes “investigative reporting,” nor is it clear that what the reporters did was in the “public interest.” To the contrary, Williams and Fainaru-Wada did a public disservice by elevating non-credible, unverified testimony in a secret hearing to the status of “TRUTH,” and produced stories without telling readers how grand jury hearing lack any of the procedural or judicial safeguards normally associated with our system of justice.
Nobody should want journalists to go to jail for the stories they write, and I certainly do not want Chronicle reporters Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada to suffer that fate. But opposing their going to jail is different from claiming that their leaking of grand jury testimony on steroid use in baseball represented a “public service,” or that it even served the public interest at all.
Grand jury’s are notoriously anti-democratic institutions that can easily be manipulated by prosecutors---like Kenneth Starr---for political ends. Since these bodies meet in secret, there is no way for independent observers to objectively assess the demeanor or credibility of witnesses, something that is taken for granted in civil and criminal trials.
Although testimony before grand juries is under oath, those familiar with the justice system know that people lie in court all the time. That is why the right to cross-examination of witnesses is so important. Cross-examination enables counsel to catch witnesses in their lies, and ensures that the trier of fact does not give credibility to such testimony.
The Chronicle’s BALCO team was so excited to be revealing juicy details about Barry Bonds’ alleged steroid use that they virtually ignored the significance of the grand jury testimony not being subject to cross-examination. The fact that witnesses had a demonstrated history of lacking credibility, a financial or personal incentive to lie, or had even participated in blackmail-type schemes against Bonds became irrelevant, since none of these issues could be brought out during cross-examination.
I did not read every steroids story the reporters wrote based on being handed leaked testimony, but those I read did not address how the one-sided nature of the grand jury hearing may not be the best way---or even a reliable way---to find the truth. Nor did I read stories where the reporters essentially played the role of cross-examiner, raising the type of bias and credibility issues that Bonds’ attorney certainly would raise if charges are ever brought against him.
The Chronicle reporters published testimony of questionable credibility as if it were an objective historical record. That is not good journalism, and it is not in the public interest.
More
http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=3593#more
Grand jury’s are notoriously anti-democratic institutions that can easily be manipulated by prosecutors---like Kenneth Starr---for political ends. Since these bodies meet in secret, there is no way for independent observers to objectively assess the demeanor or credibility of witnesses, something that is taken for granted in civil and criminal trials.
Although testimony before grand juries is under oath, those familiar with the justice system know that people lie in court all the time. That is why the right to cross-examination of witnesses is so important. Cross-examination enables counsel to catch witnesses in their lies, and ensures that the trier of fact does not give credibility to such testimony.
The Chronicle’s BALCO team was so excited to be revealing juicy details about Barry Bonds’ alleged steroid use that they virtually ignored the significance of the grand jury testimony not being subject to cross-examination. The fact that witnesses had a demonstrated history of lacking credibility, a financial or personal incentive to lie, or had even participated in blackmail-type schemes against Bonds became irrelevant, since none of these issues could be brought out during cross-examination.
I did not read every steroids story the reporters wrote based on being handed leaked testimony, but those I read did not address how the one-sided nature of the grand jury hearing may not be the best way---or even a reliable way---to find the truth. Nor did I read stories where the reporters essentially played the role of cross-examiner, raising the type of bias and credibility issues that Bonds’ attorney certainly would raise if charges are ever brought against him.
The Chronicle reporters published testimony of questionable credibility as if it were an objective historical record. That is not good journalism, and it is not in the public interest.
More
http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=3593#more
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If the Chronicle reporters are to be condemned, it should be because they work for a media outlet that publishes LIES - lies that end up in the death of thousands upon thousands of people and misery for thousands upon thousands more.
The poster seems more concerned that these reporters have attacked the credibility of a famous corporate sports star.
Has Barry Bonds done one thing - even one tiny thing - to end the slaughters in Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Lebanon?
No, he just sits there and whines and whines while raking in millions of dollars - dollars created out of the blood if Iraqi children.
So let's get something straight: Fuck the Chronicle and their reporters - they are war criminals of the highest order. Fuck Barry Bonds and the Giants - they are paid shills for the Bread and Circuses crowd. Fuck corporate sports, and fuck the brain-dead, willfully ignorant, couch potato fans who let it all become so fucking important. And fuck you for telling me that this position is "out of touch" with the American working class - FUCK the American working class - my people are being bombed the fuck out of existence you pieces of shit!
Tell us how you really feel :)
you volunteer your young men to kill us. you do everything your government tells you to, including committing acts of genocide against people who have done absolutely nothing to you.
so when one of your disgustingly egomanical sports stars has a little problem, naturally that's all you can think/talk about. oh, that and make snide remakrs to whomever might bring up the fact that you're a war criminal who grinds up Iraqi children so that you can fill up your SUV for a trip to the 7-11 for a pack of cigarettes.
and let's not forget your alternative "journalists" who lick the american working class ass while the american working class just generates murderer after murderer, rapist after rapist.
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