CBS Evening News eyes my employer; also see my latest work
Self-indulgent Plug Du Jour: My new employer, Patch Media Corp., was featured on Sunday’s CBS Evening News. In the video clip below, Patch gets praise. But it also is criticized for supposedly not taking on controversial issues. Well, I beg to differ. Today I posted a long article on the La Mesa Police Officers Association, the bargaining unit for the cops in my town. The LMPOA also has tax-exempt nonprofit status. Their annual fund-raising letter raised eyebrows, and I dug into the commercial outfit behind the mailer. I also reported on how much money they actually give to charity. Please check out my article and let me know what you think.
6 Responses
Ken, those of us interested in things hyperlocal over the Pond look to this sort of stuff with envy. Don’t be bashful about the plug.
Ken: About thirty years ago a friend worked as a fundraiser for Special Olympics selling everyday items to consumers. The fundraising organization obtained the items at close-out prices and sold them at near retail with the plug for Special Olympics getting people to buy the items they needed anyway “for the good of the special olympians” and toss in a few extra bucks as well. When I quizzed him about the actual benefit to the charity, he told me candidly that Special Olympics only received between 10 and 20 percent of the take. The rest went to cover the cost of the products,advertising, travel, overhead, and decent salaries for guys like him. So the numbers in your article are no surprise. Good article, you muckraker! Adolph S. Ochs would be proud. Mike
Ken, With that kind of reporting—CBS should hire you for 60 minutes!
It’s a sad commentary that so many non-profits exist for the sole purpose of creating a salaried position for the leadership, and not much else. It appears so much more noble than standing on the corner of a street shaking a can, though differs little when the wrapping is removed.
I do know there are non-profits that exist for their stated reason, and achieve enormous good. However the unwary charitable citizen is easily fooled too often.
Your attempt to dig deep and turn over rocks too often left in place, is a nice start, in exposing the mere can shakers.
The art, and especially the diligence, required to do honest journalism in a serious way is always good to witness.
More on Patch, this time in the L.A. Times:
http://lat.ms/hZAmWV
We read your article and think you should continue digging. Good work.
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