Center founders John Christie and Naomi Schalit are giving a series of talks across the state about the role of investigative journalism in our democracy. The next talk, entitled “”Is journalism failing its role in democracy?” is at the Camden Public Library on May 21st at 7 PM. For more details on the talk, check out the listing on the library’s website. And if you’d like Christie and Schalit to address your group, just give us a call at 207-620-4519, or send an email to pinetreewatchdog@gmail.com. Continue Reading →
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Center launches aid for citizens who want to keep tabs on the legislature
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What's an LD? What's an LR? Is a "statute" a law, or a bill, or something on display in an art museum? If citizens want to know what's going on in Maine's statehouse, it can be confusing to try to sort through all the acronyms and "government speak." Continue Reading →
Filed under: Center News
“Best Investigative Reporting on US Guns You Might Have Missed” includes Center’s gun subsidies story
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The Investigative Fund, a project of the Nation Institute, has included the Center’s story on gun subsidies, “States have subsidized makers of assault rifles to tune of $19 million,” on their list of six stories that constitute the “Best Investigative Reporting on US Guns You Might Have Missed.” We’re proud to join our investigative reporting colleagues at Mother Jones, The Tampa Bay Times, The Chicago Reporter and City Limits on the Nation Institute’s list. You can see the entire list here. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Center News, Money, Public Safety
The Center hits the road!
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We’re not evangelists, but we’re certainly true believers here at the Center about one thing: Journalism’s crucial role in helping citizens hold their government and leaders accountable. Center founders and senior reporters John Christie and Naomi Schalit will be giving a series of talks this winter and spring around the state. Christie and Schalit will discuss the critical connection between journalism and democracy, provide an inside look into how investigative journalism is done and introduce our website, “Be Your Own Watchdog,” that provides readers with investigative reporting tools about state and local government and elections. Schedule: Portland Public Library, Jan. 22 at 5:30 pm; Blue Hill Public Library on Jan. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Center News
Center reporters meet with Chechen delegation to Maine
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On Monday, December 3, Center senior reporters John Christie and Naomi Schalit met in Augusta with four visitors from Chechnya and representatives from the Holocaust Human Rights Center of Maine. Christie and Schalit spent an hour talking about the Center’s work and more generally about the relationship between the press and the government in Maine and the United States. The Chechens, in turn, spoke about the press in their country, where news organizations are run by the government, and asked many questions about whether there was government censorship in the U.S.
“I came away impressed with the determination of Chechens to stabilize their homeland in the face of such a tragic recent history,” said Christie. “It was yet another reminder to appreciate the freedom and peace we have in this country.” The Chechens — Khampash Khavshbukharovich Aydamirov, Assistant to the Speaker, Chechnya Parliament; Aslan Lechiyevich Ismailov, News Producer, News Agency, “Groznyy-Inform”; Aslanbek Sulimovich Ismailov, Deputy Director of Administrative Services, Chechnya Parliament and Zarman Amkhatovna Makhadzhiyeva, Coordinator, Regional Human Rights Organization, “Niyso” – were visiting Maine under the auspices of the American-Caucasus Work Group, the Holocaust Human Rights Center and the University of Maine Augusta. Continue Reading →