The Center Square, formerly Watchdog.org, is an American news website that features reporting on state and local government.[1] It is a project of the Franklin News Foundation, a conservative-leaning online news organization.[1][2] The Center Square distributes its content through a newswire service.
The Center Square says that it seeks to "fulfill the need for high-quality statehouse and statewide news across the United States. The focus of our work is state- and local-level government and economic reporting."[5] The Center Square's content reflects a focus on government waste and public employee unions.[third-party source needed]
The Center Square is a project of the Franklin News Foundation (formerly called the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity).[6]Columbia Journalism Review in 2012 called the Franklin Center "perhaps the most ambitious conservative news organization you’ve never heard of", said its productivity was "impressive," and noted the original news reporting produced by websites it funded in 18 states.[1]
The Franklin Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, received 95% of its 2011 revenue from mostly anonymous benefactors via the donor-advised fund Donors Trust, which is a major source of funding for conservative groups.[2]
Watchdog.org
In 2012, Watchdog.org had sites in 18 states.[7] In 2014, the Franklin Center said it had one reporter in each of 14 state capitols and two in Nebraska and Virginia. In 2015, most of the Watchdog sites had one staff reporter in addition to accepting contributions from citizen journalists via a platform called Watchdog Wire.[7][8]
The Project for Excellence in Journalism of the Pew Research Center surveyed and analyzed nonprofit news organizations active on the state or national level in 2011 and again in 2013.[9][10] The studies found that the most consistently ideological of the news outlets were those that were organized in networks, specifically the conservative Watchdog network and the liberal American Independent News Network.[11][9]
Watchdog.org became known for stories about "phantom congressional districts" based on data entry errors on the stimulus website Recovery.gov.[3][12][4] In November 2009, Jim Scarantino of Watchdog New Mexico wrote that data he found on the stimulus website showed millions of federal stimulus dollars marked for congressional districts that did not exist.[3][12][15] The national Watchdog.org site said that nationally more than $6.4 billion had gone to such "phantom" districts.[3][12][16] The reports were publicized by Republicans and conservative news outlets and think tanks,[3] and ABC News claimed the story as a "network exclusive".[12] According to the Associated Press, "Soon, the 'phantom' congressional district story became shorthand for government waste."[3] Reporting by the Associated Press concluded that mistyping of ZIP Codes on the stimulus website had caused the discrepancies; it found examples of funds that had been delivered to real districts but had been misreported on the website.[3][12] It credited Scarantino with uncovering the inaccuracies, calling it "the latest discovery of problems in the massive database of stimulus spending", while noting that "anyone with a computer can still easily find out the name of the business or agency that received the money".[3]
^ abAbowd, Paul (February 14, 2013). "Donors use charity to push free-market policies in states". Center for Public Integrity. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
^ abAbowd, Paul (2013-02-14). "Koch-funded charity passes money to free-market think tanks in states". Center for Public Integrity. Retrieved 2023-08-05 – via NBC News.
^"About Us". The Center Square. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
^Roberts, Andrea Suozzo, Ken Schwencke, Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Alec Glassford, Brandon (2013-05-09). "Franklin News Foundation, Full Filing - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. Retrieved 2023-08-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ abHolcomb, Jesse; Rosenstiel, Tom; Mitchell, Amy; Caldwell, Kevin; Sartor, Tricia; Vogt, Nancy (July 18, 2011). "Assessing a New Landscape in Journalism". Project for Excellence in Journalism. Pew Research Center. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
^Mitchell, Amy; Jurkowitz, Mark; Holcomb, Jesse; Enda, Jodi; Anderson, Monica (June 10, 2013). "Nonprofit Journalism: A Growing but Fragile Part of the U.S. News System". Project for Excellence in Journalism. Pew Research Center. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
^Jim Scarantino (15 November 2009). "More Than 4,800 New Jobs Created in New Mexico in Less than a Month from Stimulus, According to Obama Administration Data". Watchdog New Mexico. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
^Michael Noyes (16 November 2009). "Stimulus Adds 13 Congressional Districts to Montana". Watchdog Montana. from the original on 3 December 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
^Scarantino, Jim (November 16, 2009). "Updated: Obama Stimulus Creates New Congressional Districts and Promotes New Mexico from Banana Republic to Coconut Republic". Watchdog New Mexico. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
^"$6.4 Billion Stimulus Goes to Phantom Districts". Watchdog National. 17 November 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2015. A reporter from the Montana Policy Institute confronted the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, which oversees the site, about these non-existent congressional districts on Monday afternoon. Ed Pound, Director of Communications for the board, said that the faulty information came from recipients of stimulus funds.
External links
Official website
August 22, 2023
center, square, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, contains, text, that, written, promotional, tone, please, help, improve, removing, promot. This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article contains text that is written in a promotional tone Please help improve it by removing promotional language and inappropriate external links and by adding encyclopedic text written from a neutral point of view May 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message The neutrality of this article is disputed Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met May 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article contains weasel words vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information Such statements should be clarified or removed May 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Center Square formerly Watchdog org is an American news website that features reporting on state and local government 1 It is a project of the Franklin News Foundation a conservative leaning online news organization 1 2 The Center Square distributes its content through a newswire service The Center SquareTypeState and local government reportingOwner s Franklin News FoundationFoundedSeptember 2009Political alignmentConservativeLanguageEnglishReadership700 000 subscribers 1 Websitewww wbr thecentersquare wbr comAs Watchdog org it broke a story about website data inaccuracies for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that appeared to show phantom congressional districts 3 4 Contents 1 Overview 2 Watchdog org 2 1 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 3 References 4 External linksOverview EditThe Center Square says that it seeks to fulfill the need for high quality statehouse and statewide news across the United States The focus of our work is state and local level government and economic reporting 5 The Center Square s content reflects a focus on government waste and public employee unions third party source needed The Center Square is a project of the Franklin News Foundation formerly called the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity 6 Columbia Journalism Review in 2012 called the Franklin Center perhaps the most ambitious conservative news organization you ve never heard of said its productivity was impressive and noted the original news reporting produced by websites it funded in 18 states 1 The Franklin Center a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization received 95 of its 2011 revenue from mostly anonymous benefactors via the donor advised fund Donors Trust which is a major source of funding for conservative groups 2 Watchdog org EditIn 2012 Watchdog org had sites in 18 states 7 In 2014 the Franklin Center said it had one reporter in each of 14 state capitols and two in Nebraska and Virginia In 2015 most of the Watchdog sites had one staff reporter in addition to accepting contributions from citizen journalists via a platform called Watchdog Wire 7 8 The Project for Excellence in Journalism of the Pew Research Center surveyed and analyzed nonprofit news organizations active on the state or national level in 2011 and again in 2013 9 10 The studies found that the most consistently ideological of the news outlets were those that were organized in networks specifically the conservative Watchdog network and the liberal American Independent News Network 11 9 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Edit Watchdog org sites scrutinized the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for evidence that it had misreported or overpaid for the number of jobs saved 12 13 14 According to the Washington Monthly such reports by Watchdog org could be factual but also thin and missing important context 12 Watchdog org became known for stories about phantom congressional districts based on data entry errors on the stimulus website Recovery gov 3 12 4 In November 2009 Jim Scarantino of Watchdog New Mexico wrote that data he found on the stimulus website showed millions of federal stimulus dollars marked for congressional districts that did not exist 3 12 15 The national Watchdog org site said that nationally more than 6 4 billion had gone to such phantom districts 3 12 16 The reports were publicized by Republicans and conservative news outlets and think tanks 3 and ABC News claimed the story as a network exclusive 12 According to the Associated Press Soon the phantom congressional district story became shorthand for government waste 3 Reporting by the Associated Press concluded that mistyping of ZIP Codes on the stimulus website had caused the discrepancies it found examples of funds that had been delivered to real districts but had been misreported on the website 3 12 It credited Scarantino with uncovering the inaccuracies calling it the latest discovery of problems in the massive database of stimulus spending while noting that anyone with a computer can still easily find out the name of the business or agency that received the money 3 References Edit a b c Peters Justin September 13 2012 Serious point of view journalism A look at the most ambitious conservative news organization you ve never heard of Columbia Journalism Review Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism Retrieved October 23 2015 a b Abowd Paul February 14 2013 Donors use charity to push free market policies in states Center for Public Integrity Retrieved 3 December 2015 a b c d e f g h Did Phantom Districts Get Stimulus Cash The Associated Press 2009 11 18 Retrieved 2023 08 01 a b Abowd Paul 2013 02 14 Koch funded charity passes money to free market think tanks in states Center for Public Integrity Retrieved 2023 08 05 via NBC News About Us The Center Square Retrieved 2 April 2020 Roberts Andrea Suozzo Ken Schwencke Mike Tigas Sisi Wei Alec Glassford Brandon 2013 05 09 Franklin News Foundation Full Filing Nonprofit Explorer ProPublica Retrieved 2023 08 01 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link a b Franklin Center Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University Retrieved October 23 2015 Stverak Jason March 12 2010 The pros and pros of citizen journalism Online Journalism Review University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism Retrieved October 27 2015 a b Holcomb Jesse Rosenstiel Tom Mitchell Amy Caldwell Kevin Sartor Tricia Vogt Nancy July 18 2011 Assessing a New Landscape in Journalism Project for Excellence in Journalism Pew Research Center Retrieved October 23 2015 Mitchell Amy Jurkowitz Mark Holcomb Jesse Enda Jodi Anderson Monica June 10 2013 Nonprofit Journalism A Growing but Fragile Part of the U S News System Project for Excellence in Journalism Pew Research Center Retrieved October 23 2015 Benton Joshua July 18 2011 Pew Nonprofit journalism doesn t mean ideology free Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University Retrieved October 23 2015 a b c d e f g McGann Laura 2010 05 01 Partisan Hacks Washington Monthly Retrieved 2023 08 01 Jim Scarantino 15 November 2009 More Than 4 800 New Jobs Created in New Mexico in Less than a Month from Stimulus According to Obama Administration Data Watchdog New Mexico Retrieved 3 December 2015 Michael Noyes 16 November 2009 Stimulus Adds 13 Congressional Districts to Montana Watchdog Montana Archived from the original on 3 December 2015 Retrieved 30 March 2017 Scarantino Jim November 16 2009 Updated Obama Stimulus Creates New Congressional Districts and Promotes New Mexico from Banana Republic to Coconut Republic Watchdog New Mexico Retrieved October 27 2015 6 4 Billion Stimulus Goes to Phantom Districts Watchdog National 17 November 2009 Retrieved 3 December 2015 A reporter from the Montana Policy Institute confronted the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board which oversees the site about these non existent congressional districts on Monday afternoon Ed Pound Director of Communications for the board said that the faulty information came from recipients of stimulus funds External links EditOfficial website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Center Square amp oldid 1168891292, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
