Watchdog.org

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Watchdog.org
501(c)(3)
Watchdogorg.jpg
Leadership:
Political Party: Nonpartisan
Website: Watchdog.org
Email: [email protected]

Watchdog.org is a network of state-based watchdog reporters keeping an eye on government corruption and transparency that was begun in September 2009. Together, the sites are a nationwide effort to give citizens and elected representatives solid, factual reporting on issues relevant and significant to the nation. It is the brainchild of the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity.

Some states have their own website on the Watchdog domain, while others publish the states' information on their organizations' websites. Many reporters in the network work at nonprofits in individual states, so the Franklin Center doesn’t edit all of the material.[1]

Watchdog reporters were the first to report the national story about Recovery.org's missteps in creating "Phantom Congressional Districts."

Watchdog.org's editor and investigative reporter, Bill McMorris, was the first in the nation to provide an outline forall 440 phantom Congressional Districts that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan's website created.

As of February 16, 2010, Watchdog.org became certified to appear on Google News. As of February 25, 2010, Franklin Center's posts will be on Google News.

Kansas

Earl Glynn moved his blog "Kansas Meadowlark" to the Kansas gadfly project Kansas Watchdog. The site is co-sponsored by the Kansas Policy Institute (formerly Flint Hills Center for Public Policy).

“For the last five years as the Kansas Meadowlark I’ve attempted to publish political money stories, nonprofit stories, and other information often ignored by the mainstream press,” Glynn wrote in his final post on the former blog.

Glynn and Paul Soutar write for Kansas Watchdog, focusing on inefficiencies of government and government waste. They also concentrate on political corruption and actions going against free-market principles and core values of the United States and Kansas constitutions.[2]

Louisiana

The Pelican Institute oversees Louisiana's citizen journalist watchdog site.[3]

Maryland

The Maryland Public Policy Institute does the investigative journalistic watchdog work for Maryland.

Michigan

The Mackinac Center houses the investigative watchdog work for the state of Michigan.

Minnesota

The Freedom Foundation of Minnesota provides Minnesota citizens with the independent news and investigative journalism to keep them informed.

Montana

Montana residents can look to the Montana Policy Institute, which runs the Montana Watchdog.

Nebraska

Nebraska Watchdog is a nonpartisan news website dedicated to investigative and political reporting affiliated and funded in part by the nonprofit Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity and Pete Ricketts, founder of Drakon LLC, an asset management firm based in Omaha, Nebraska.[4]

See also: Nebraska Watchdog

Nevada

The Nevada Policy Research Institute sponsors the investigative journalism that keeps Nevada residents up on the latest in transparency and corruption news.

New Mexico

New Mexico Watchdog is led by Jim Scarantino, its editor and investigative reporter, to accomplish the mission of shedding transparency light on New Mexico. It is a project of the Rio Grande Foundation.

Scarantino was the first in the nation to report about the congressional district stimulus errors on November 16, 2009.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire Watchdog is written and edited by Grant Bosse. It is a project of the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy in New Hampshire.

Bosse ran for New Hampshire's fictional "00 Congressional District" after the Watchdog reporters broke the story about the "Phantom Congressional Districts".[5]

Ohio

Ohio Watchdog is working to bring equality and justice to people in the state of Ohio.[6]

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Watchdog is operated by Andrew W. Griffin in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was created as a website where the public can go for "original, throughtful and detailed investigative reporting" through print articles, video reports, blog posts and podcasts. It also links to articles from other newspaper websites and media outlets, particularly those that shine a light on both state and local government.[7]

Oregon

The Cascade Policy Institute's sister site, Oregon Politico, houses the investigative reports for Oregonians.

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth Foundation has investigative reporters who uncover what Pennsylvania residents need to know.

==South Carolina== The South Carolina Policy Council does the legwork for South Carolina residents with its investigative journalists leading the inquiries.

Tennessee

Tennessee Watchdog is a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative reporting and watchdog journalism website that monitors the activities of state, local and federal government officials and agencies in Tennessee. It provides information and in-depth reporting on politicians, government agencies and the workings of government in the Volunteer state.

The editor is veteran investigate journalist Clint Brewer and it is a publication of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, one of the original think-tanks in the country to fund nonprofit journalism and investigative reporting.[8]

Virginia

Old Dominion Watchdog is the Virginia watchdog site dedicated to unbiased news reporting in order to promote responsible state and local government. The site aims to uncover the actions of government officials and agencies, offering carefully researched facts, context and analysis, investigating and informing the public about waste, fraud, abuse, ethical questions and safety concerns involving the use of taxpayer dollars. It also aims to applaud government services that are run efficiently and make exceptional use of minimal dollars.[9]

Washington

The Evergreen Freedom Foundation provides Washington residents with the scoop on corruption and transparency news through its Liberty Live site.

West Virginia

West Virginia Watchdog is place where the West Virginia public can go for original, thorough investigative reporting through weekly print articles, video reports, blogs, and podcasts. It also links to articles from other newspapers and media outlets, shining a light on government, both local and state.

West Virginia Watchdog is a project of the Public Policy Foundation of West Virginia.[10].

==Wisconsin== The [http://maciverinstitute.com/
==Wyoming== The Wyoming Reporter investigates and writes up the latest in transparency news and corruption news for Wyoming residents.

Found errors in ARRA

On November 16-17, 2009, Watchdog.org reporters found many errors in the $787 billion plan that showed the plan set aside money for districts that do not exist. According to Recovery.gov, the plan shows its funds will go to 884 Congressional districts, even though there are actually only 435.[11][12]

The administrators at Recovery.gov eventually consolidated the fictitious Congressional districts into "unassigned congressional districts."[13]

The following news sources sited Watchdog.org on the matter:

External links

Watchdogorg.jpg

Footnotes

  1. ↑ FAQs for Watchdog.org
  2. ↑ "New government gadfly site, Kansas Watchdog" Wichitopekington, Wichita Eagle, September 16, 2009
  3. ↑ Pelican Institute
  4. ↑ Nebraska Watchdog website
  5. ↑ New Hampshire reporter to announce candidacy for phantom congressional seat UPDATED, Washington Examiner, November 20, 2009
  6. ↑ About Ohio Watchdog
  7. ↑ Oklahoma Watchdog website
  8. ↑ Tennessee Watchdog website
  9. ↑ Old Dominion Watchdog website
  10. ↑ West Virginia Watchdog website
  11. ↑ $6.4 Billion Stimulus goes to Phantom Districts, Watchdog.org, November 17, 2009
  12. ↑ Stimulus Creates Jobs in Non-Existent Congressional Districts, Watchdog.org, November 16, 2009
  13. ↑ Recovery.gov Phantom Districts Are No More, Watchdog.org, November 18, 2009
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