Nieman Watchdog

End of day at the tomato fields in Immokalee, Fl., as one tomato picker gives another a haircut. (Nov. 2007 AP photo)

What would a penny-a-pound more do for tomato pickers?
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Florida farmworkers, long subject to harsh conditions, have organized and even gone on tour to gain better treatment. Part of what they want is attention from reporters and editors. Jimmy Tobias, a reporter and activist, points to ideas for stories.

Dealing with massively corrupt reporting in Eastern Europe
SHOWCASE
‘I was wondering why any sane person would invest trust and respect in most of the journalists who work (in Romania),' writes Stefan Candea. 'Their main product is propaganda and their primary talent is withholding the truth.’ (From the Spring 2011 edition of Nieman Reports, the theme of which is 'Shattering Barriers to Reveal Corruption.')

In Iowa, gimme that old-time religion
COMMENTARY
Herb Strentz puts the Iowa GOP platform to verse, which doesn't improve it any. And he comes up with a neat find: Hollywood anticipated the upcoming Iowa GOP caucuses 70 years ago in the movie Sergeant York, which has one of the all-time great rock-church scenes. If only Gingrich, Pawlenty, Romney et al could play the strong, silent type.

| 8 questions about online privacy
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Will the U.S. follow Europe's lead in establishing strict online privacy rules? Or will powerful interests have their way and maintain the status quo? Darren Hayes, a Pace University expert in computer security, poses questions that should come up before, during, or after a Senate Commerce Committee hearing into the topic.

Nieman honors | Michael J. Berens wins Worth Bingham Prize for 'Seniors for Sale'
SHOWCASE
A reporter for the Seattle Times wins the 2010 Worth Bingham Prize for Investigative Journalism for his comprehensive six-part series 'Seniors for Sale: Exploiting the aged and frail in Washington’s adult family homes'

How to stifle an edgy blog | No need for the Chinese to censor if Facebook does it for them
COMMENTARY
The byline ‘Michael Anti’, a pen name used by a popular Chinese journalist, was good enough for the New York Times, for whom he worked for a decade, but not for Facebook, which removed his account and along with it more than 1,000 contacts he had made.

| Rebuilding after the terrible tragedy in Japan
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It may be early for most people to turn to the enormous problems of putting Japan back together but somebody's got to think about it. Here David Cay Johnston gets into the questions reporters should ask, along with basic facts, economic concepts, and financial ramifications, including those for America.

Standing naked at Quantico | More questions for Obama about Bradley Manning
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Bradley Manning, the alleged Wikileaks source, has been held in maximum confinement, under harsh conditions, in a military prison for eight months. At his press conference on March 11, the President said he had looked into the Pentagon’s handling of Manning and that it meets “our basic standards.” Really?

Letter from Austin | In Texas, thinking about Barbara Jordan
COMMENTARY
Noting what would have been her 75th birthday, Dave McNeely looks back on Barbara Jordan's achievements, and friends and admirers create a foundation in her name.

Here we go again | Is Middle East unrest causing oil price spikes? Maybe not.
COMMENTARY
Reporters and editors, based on past experience, should examine the extent to which stock market speculators and the oll companies are pushing gas prices to the $4 mark. For guidance, here are some questions and leads from experts who wrote about the subject for Nieman Watchdog in the period 2005 to 2009, when oil and gas prices last shot through the roof.

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