Eric Alterman, who typically writes a media column for The Nation magazine makes the most compelling case for local and regional reporting I have seen in this article for the Center for American Progress.
And on his list of notable reports should be the remarkable investigative project on the unconscionable delays in investigating complaints regarding nursing malpractice in California — a joint project of the Los Angeles Times and ProPublica.
The series generated an immediate response from Governor Schwarzenegger, who replaced most members of the California Board of Registered Nursing within days of the series appearing.
It’s clear that this is precisely the kind of reporting that is endangered by the cutbacks decimating newsrooms across the state. I hope it will not take nonprofit organizations like ProPublica to ensure that great reporting like the LA Times showcases, actually gets done. There aren’t enough of them with enough money to fill the enormous needs left by shrinking newsrooms.
LOUIS FREEDBERG
