Difference between revisions of "National Journalism Center"

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Founded by conservative journalist [[M. Stanton Evans]] in 1977, the '''National Journalism Center''' (NJC) is, in the words of current director Ken Grubbs, Jr., "a juggernaut for creating journalists."  The NJC provides training and assistance in finding jobs to conservative journalists. It also has long-standing ties to the tobacco industry.
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Founded by [[conservative]] journalist [[M. Stanton Evans]] in 1977, the '''National Journalism Center''' (NJC) is now a program of [[Young America's Foundation]], and has successfully trained more than 1700 journalists since its conception. NJC places interns primarily in Washington, DC in both mainstream media outlets and smaller niche-oriented publications.  
  
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NJC offers scholarships to budding young journalist-wannabes so that they can attend its six-to-12-week training sessions, where they receive training in the technical skills of journalism, combined with "economic fellowships" that tell them what to think about topics such as Social Security, federal land policies, environmental regulation and taxation.
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==History==
  
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Interns at the NJC also receive career advice at seminars featuring speakers from the world of conservative politics and journalism such as columnist Robert Novak, Washington Times political correspondent Donald Lambro, or Wall Street Journal editorialist John Fund (himself an NJC alumnus).  
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NJC offers scholarships to budding young journalists so that they can attend its 12-week training sessions, where they receive training in the technical skills of journalism, combined with current event discussions, which help their understanding of such topics as education, environmental regulation, taxes, and media law. Interns participate in full-time internships and attend training seminars one day per week.
  
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The NJC also arranges internship opportunities at conservative media such as Human Events, Fox News or Policy Review, as well as similar internship opportunities with traditional media including such as ABC, CNN and Newsweek.  
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Interns at the NJC also receive career advice at seminars featuring speakers from the world of public policy and journalism, such as columnist [[Robert Novak]], [[Washington Times]] political correspondent [[Donald Lambro]], or [[Wall Street Journal]] editorialist [[John Fund]] (himself an NJC alumnus).  
  
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Finally, it operates a job bank to help place graduates of its programs in permanent media positions. "Over 1,400 students have now graduated from  the NJC's 12-week training sessions, held three times a year, and we estimate  some 900 of these have gone on to media and media-related positions," declares the NJC web site.  
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"Among the media outlets where NJCers have worked are the [[New York Times]], [[Washington Post]], [[USA Today]], and Wall Street Journal; ABC, [[CBS]], [[NBC]], Fox, [[PBS]], [[NPR]], CNN, [[MSNBC]], [[CNBC]] and [[C-SPAN]]; [[Time]], Newsweek, [[New Yorker]], [[Harper's]], Esquire, National Geographic, [[Readers' Digest]], [[Wired]], George, Details, Stuff and [[Forbes]]; [[AP]], [[UPI]], [[Dow Jones]] Newswire, [[Bloomberg]] News Service, [[Copley]] News Service, [[Knight Ridder]] News Service, and hundreds more," the web site states.
  
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"Among the media outlets where NJCers have worked are the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal;  ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS, NPR, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC and C-SPAN; Time, Newsweek, New Yorker, Harper's, Esquire, National Geographic, Readers' Digest, Wired, George, Details, Stuff and Forbes; AP, UPI, Dow Jones Newswire, Bloomberg News Service, Copley News Service, Knight Ridder News Service, and hundreds  more," the website states.
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According to a guide to right-wing groups on universities, the NJC is accused of being "is a product of the [[American Conservative Union]]." [http://www.qrd.org/qrd/religion/anti/UCP/POLITICS.TXT] Currently, there are no ties between the American Conservative Union and The National Journalism Center, and the National Journalism Center works with all media outlets to train journalists in responsible, accurate reporting.
  
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The NJC also linked in with iother conservative industry funded groups. In Cotober 1995, M. Stanton Evans was slated to give the keynote address ast a seminar - titled 'Consumer health and safety: Does the Nanny State help or harm consumers - during National Consumers Week organised by [[Consumer Alert]].
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==Funding==
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[http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/fyi35c00]
 
  
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'''The National Journalism Center and Philip Morris'''
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*[[Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation]]
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*[[John M. Olin Foundation]]
  
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An internal Philip Morris (PM) memo explained the role and benefits to the company of working with the NJC. "The group was developed to train budding journalists in free market political and economic principles. As a direct result of our support we have been able to work with alumni of this program … about 15 years worth of journalists at print and visual media throughout the country … to get across our side of the story … which has resulted in numerous pieces consistent with our point of view," the strategy paper stated. (Note: the "..." breaks are in the original and the above citation is unedited).
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In the four financial years from 1998 to 2001, the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation contributed a total of $160,000 - $40,000 each year - to the general operations of the center. (They also contributed a further $105,000 over the 1986-1988 period).[http://www.mediatransparency.org/allinonesearchresults.php?searchString=National+Journalism+Center]
  
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In a 1993 memo, Philip Morris discussed a NJC symposium on Clinton's health care plan. While the symposium was "going to highlight the numerous problems of the administration's plan including funding (FET)", Philip Morris canvassed the possibility of additional spin-off from the event. (FET is the acronym for the Federal Excise Tax on tobacco).
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In 2001, the Education and Research Institute, the former parent organization for NJC, received $40,000 from the John M. Olin Foundation  for the NJC. [http://www.jmof.org/grants/2001e.htm]
  
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"Generate additional publicity on the symposia by issuing a special edition of Consumers' Research magazine on health care. The magazine could serve as a credible lobbying material and be distributed to grassroots organizations opposed to the administration's plan. The magazine would be a means to document the highlights of the conference for those who were unable to attend the forum", the PM memo stated.
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According to the conservative [[Capital Research Center]], the Education & Research Institute 1999 return - the last it accessed - revealed that ERI ran at a $97,000 loss that year with revenue of $403,058 and expenditure $500,031. It also revealed that in 1994, 1997 and 1998, [[Exxon Mobil]] contributed $6,000 each year with a further $6,000 from Exxon Educational Foundation in 1998. In 1994 and 1995 Philip’s Petroleum contributed  $5,000 and $1,000 respectively.
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[http://www.capitalresearch.org/search/orgdisplay.asp?Org=ERI100#quotes]
  
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PM were willing to help with funding too, though not overtly from the tobacco industry. "Consumers' Research could be supported from food and beer product advertising in the magazine or by purchase of copies of the magazine," the memo stated. [http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/blz55e00]
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Currently, the National Journalism Center receives no federal funding and receives grants from private foundations and individual supporters.
  
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[[Consumers' Research]] certainly took an interest in PM's pet issues. A PM memo
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==Personnel==
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reported that "with respect to ETS, two feature articles in Conumers" Research magazine were published that challenged the lung cancer and heart diseas health claims. Consumers' Research also publiched a story that was critical of the regulatory decisions made by the EPA," the report stated.[http://legacy.library/ucsf.edu/tid/jgj46e00]
 
  
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Another memo the following year reported on its unfolding work with the NJC. "We also co-sponsored in December a policy mini-briefing on healthcare for a broad cross section of the Center's Alumni Council, and are now working with the Journalism Center in the development of a major health care policy conference (tentatively scheduled for late April/early May) that will debunk the myths of the Clinton plan, explain the ill-advised proposals to fund any such plan with excise taxes, and promote alternative, market-driven plans," an internal PM strategy stated.
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The National Journalism Center was under the direction of M. Stanton Evans from 1977 until it became a project of Young America's Foundation in 2001/2002. After Stan Evans retired from the program, [[Kenneth E. Grubbs, Jr.]] led the program, but was released in 2004, following a freelance piece criticizing the media. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A60670-2004Jul18]. The National Journalism Center is currently under the guidance of Alex X. Mooney, who has led the program since 2005. NJC also employs a full-time academic director to oversee the training seminars and overall academic component of the internship program.
  
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"The forum will be chaired by Sen. Gramm (R-TX), and will have considerable participation from legislators, media and friendly policy group personell," it noted.
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==NJC alumni==
  
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Another internal PM memo, explained the "formula for proactive media relations within the conservative community" developed by one of its executive, Dr Tom Borelli.  
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Since its formation in 1977, the NJC estimate that of the 1700 people who have attended their 12-week long training sessions, about two-thirds have gone on to media and media-related positions. The length of time in the journalism industry varies among the alumni, but a number have carved our careers as media commentators, in conservative [[think tanks]], [[trade association]]s, or [[Public relations firms|PR companies]]. [http://thereporter.us/alumni.html]
  
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"Dr Borelli has developed his network through persistence, the use of mutual friends/acquaintances to make appropriate introductions and, when necessary, by cold-calling. The process takes a long time to reach fruition, and the benefits sometimes come in the unseen form of a negative story that isn't printed or advance notice of a difficult reporter," the 1997 memo noted.
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A selection of NJC alumni, with the date of their course in brackets, who have worked and succeeded in the journalism industry. Many have become published authors in addition to their roles as journalists.
  
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Identifying "third-party spokespeople" as one of the groups of the contacts that could be cultivated, the memo cited Borelli's work with the National Journalism Centre as an example. "The key is to commit to the background research which will link individuals with relevant causes, and then cultivate the relationships of those individuals. An example here is Dr Borelli's relationship with the National Journalism Center," the memo explained.
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*[[John Barnes]] (summer '81)
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*[[Joel Bucher]] (fall '92)
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*[[Mike Caputo]] (summer '85)
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*[[Timothy P. Carney]] (summer '99)
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*[[Michael Catanzaro]] (summer '96)
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*[[Eileen Ciesla]] (fall '00)
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*[[Ann Coulter]] (spring '85)
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*[[Brett Decker]] (spring '96)
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*[[Michael Fumento]] (fall '85)
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*[[John Fund]] (summer '81)
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*[[Maggie Gallagher]] (summer '80)
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*[[Barbara Gracey]] (spring '83)
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*[[Tim Graham]] (fall '87)
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*[[Steven Hayward]] (spring '81)
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*[[Matt Hisrich]] (summer '99)
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*[[Tom Holt]] (summer '84)
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*[[John Hood]] (summer '87)
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*[[Mark Huber]] (summer '79)
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*[[Michael Johns]] (summer '83)
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*[[Cliff Kincaid]] (summer '78)
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*[[R. Cort Kirkwood]] (fall '83)
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*[[Mark LaRochelle]] (summer '90)
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*[[Elizabeth Larson]] (summer '90)
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*[[Karen Lotter/ Hickey]] (spring '96)
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*[[Rachel Marsden]] (fall '02)
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*[[William McGurn]] (summer '80)
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*[[John Merline]] (fall '84)
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*[[John Meroney]] (summer '94)
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*[[Richard Miniter]] (summer '88)
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*[[Sean Paige]] (spring '88)
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*[[Richard Vigilante]] (fall '79)
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*[[Christopher Westley]] (fall '84)
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*[[Martin Morse Wooster]] (spring '81)
  
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"A small organization devoted to cultivating conservative, professional journalists from students and young writers, the NJC publishes "Consumers Research Magazine," a conservative publication with limited circulation. The relationship with this organization has given Dr Borelli entrée to a number of the NJC's graduates, many of whom have become part of his network of conservative media contacts," it explained.
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According to [[Ann Coulter]]: "NJC teaches writers to locate primary sources, run down facts, and get quotes. Partisan bile you have to develop on your own." ­[[Michael Fumento]] also comments on the work of the NJC: "No institution has worked harder or been more effective than the National Journalism Center in preventing 'responsible journalism' from becoming a true oxymoron." [http://thereporter.us/whattheysay.html]
  
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While time spent cultivating writers at small publications could easily be dismissed as less than cost-effective, Borelli thought otherwise. "Publications like "Consumer Research", "Reason" and "Science" serve as resources for story ideas for the mainstream media; therefore, the ability to influence journalists at these more targeted outlets is often as important as contact with more prominent publications," the memo explained.[http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/neu27d00]
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==Case studies==
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===Philip Morris associations===
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*<B>[[The National Journalism Center and Philip Morris]]</b>
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In the early 1990s, Philip Morris worked with a number of the NJC alumni to "accurately report" about the tobacco industry, and proposed health care reforms. [[Michael Fumento]] in particular, made a lot of money from these services (linked to [[Steven J Milloy]] and [[TASSC]]). The National Journalism Center, under the direction of M. Stanton Evans, ''hosted forums on public policy issues to raise awareness and promote education of the issues''.
  
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=== Personnel ===
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[[Richard T Hines]] an infamous neo-Confederate corporate lobbyist was active in promoting the use of the NJC and extending it influence outside the USA, and into Europe. He worked extensively for many years as a lobbyist for the tobacco industry.  <ref>https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/docs/kqkm0128</ref>. Hines worked closely with the US and UK Libertarian think-tanks in blocking smoking bans and other regulatory measures, mainly in linking their propaganda to various friendly journalists. He acted as a conduit between the tobacco companies and many of the NJC alumnii. <ref>https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/docs/zpkm0128</ref>
  
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Until recently, the NJC was directed by [[M. Stanton Evans]], who also edited [[Consumers' Research]] (NJC). In September 2002, Evans retired and was replaced by [[Kenneth E. Grubbs, Jr.]][http://nationaljournalismcenter.org/]
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The [[Krieble Institute]] was an off-shoot of [[Paul Weyrich]]'s [[Free Congress Foundation]] which ran the [[National Empowerment Television]] (NET) system. Television personality [[Joelle Ziemian]] (later Fox News) worked for Richard Hines in 1994 and acted as Philip Morris's liason to the Krieble Institute and NET. <ref>https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/docs/fppk0101</ref>  In another project, Richard Hines also used Krieble (which had set up an office and training facility in Moscow) to link Philip Morris into a group of the new journalists they were training in Russia, and also to many of the libertarian think-tanks who would employ them.
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<ref>https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/docs/jqkm0128</ref> <ref>https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/docs/xqkm0128</ref>
  
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A number of prominent conservatives in the media, including [[Michael Fumento]] and [[Ann Coulter]], are NJC graduates.
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== Contact information ==
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National Journalism Center <br>
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529 14th Street NW, Suite 937<br>
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Washington, DC 20045<br>
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Phone: 202-628-1490<br>
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Fax: 202-628-1490<br>
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Web: http://njc.yaf.org
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==Articles and resources==
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===Other SourceWatch resources===
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*[[Young America's Foundation]]
 +
 
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===External articles===
 +
* [http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/blz55e00 New project], Bates No 2046662829, April 1993 (estimated), page 2.
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* [http://legacy.library/ucsf.edu/tid/jgj46e00 Unitled], Bates No 2021170039,August 13, 1993 (estimated), page 6.
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* Philip Morris, &#8220;[http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/dtv34e00 Tobacco strategy]&#8221;, Bates No 2022887066, March 1994.
 +
* Dalya Massachi and Rich Rowan, "[http://www.qrd.org/qrd/religion/anti/UCP/POLITICS.TXT Excerpt from Guide to Uncovering the Right on Campus]," October 1994.
 +
* Consumer Alert,"[http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/fyi35c00 National Consumers Week seminar]", Bates No 2046968854, October 1995, page 1.
 +
* [http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/neu27d00 "Proactive media relations: the Borelli formula"], Bates No 2072927845/7848, August 1997 (estimated date), page 2.
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* Joseph A. D'Agostino, &#8220;[http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=2028 Conservative Spotlight: National Journalism Center]&#8221;, Oct 9, 2003 (D'Agostino is the Associate Editor of Human Events, a long-standing conservative newspaper which has hosted NJC interns).
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* Howard Kurtz, "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A60670-2004Jul18 The Ordinary American, Under Stress and Oversimplified]," ''Washington Post'', July 19, 2004, describes the release of NJC director Ken Grubbs, Jr.
  
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== Contact information ==
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===References===
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http://nationaljournalismcenter.org
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<references/>
  
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=== Other Resources ===
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[[category:Journalism]][[Category:United States]][[category:Media]][[category:Internship]]
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*Consumer Alert,"[http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/fyi35c00 National Consumers Week seminar]", Bates No 2046968854, October 1995, page 1.
 
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*[http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/blz55e00 New project], Bates No 2046662829, April 1993 (estimated), page 2.
 
−
*[http://legacy.library/ucsf.edu/tid/jgj46e00 Unitled], Bates No 2021170039,August 13, 1993 (estimated), page 6.
 
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*Philip Morris, "[http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/dtv34e00 Tobacco strategy]", Bates No 2022887066, March 1994.
 
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*"[http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/neu27d00 Proactive media relations: the Borelli formula]", Bates No 2072927845/7848, August 1997 (estimated date), page 2.
 

Latest revision as of 05:52, 12 October 2019

Founded by conservative journalist M. Stanton Evans in 1977, the National Journalism Center (NJC) is now a program of Young America's Foundation, and has successfully trained more than 1700 journalists since its conception. NJC places interns primarily in Washington, DC in both mainstream media outlets and smaller niche-oriented publications.

History

NJC offers scholarships to budding young journalists so that they can attend its 12-week training sessions, where they receive training in the technical skills of journalism, combined with current event discussions, which help their understanding of such topics as education, environmental regulation, taxes, and media law. Interns participate in full-time internships and attend training seminars one day per week.

Interns at the NJC also receive career advice at seminars featuring speakers from the world of public policy and journalism, such as columnist Robert Novak, Washington Times political correspondent Donald Lambro, or Wall Street Journal editorialist John Fund (himself an NJC alumnus).

"Among the media outlets where NJCers have worked are the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal; ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS, NPR, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC and C-SPAN; Time, Newsweek, New Yorker, Harper's, Esquire, National Geographic, Readers' Digest, Wired, George, Details, Stuff and Forbes; AP, UPI, Dow Jones Newswire, Bloomberg News Service, Copley News Service, Knight Ridder News Service, and hundreds more," the web site states.

According to a guide to right-wing groups on universities, the NJC is accused of being "is a product of the American Conservative Union." [1] Currently, there are no ties between the American Conservative Union and The National Journalism Center, and the National Journalism Center works with all media outlets to train journalists in responsible, accurate reporting.

Funding

In the four financial years from 1998 to 2001, the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation contributed a total of $160,000 - $40,000 each year - to the general operations of the center. (They also contributed a further $105,000 over the 1986-1988 period).[2]

In 2001, the Education and Research Institute, the former parent organization for NJC, received $40,000 from the John M. Olin Foundation for the NJC. [3]

According to the conservative Capital Research Center, the Education & Research Institute 1999 return - the last it accessed - revealed that ERI ran at a $97,000 loss that year with revenue of $403,058 and expenditure $500,031. It also revealed that in 1994, 1997 and 1998, Exxon Mobil contributed $6,000 each year with a further $6,000 from Exxon Educational Foundation in 1998. In 1994 and 1995 Philip’s Petroleum contributed $5,000 and $1,000 respectively. [4]

Currently, the National Journalism Center receives no federal funding and receives grants from private foundations and individual supporters.

Personnel

The National Journalism Center was under the direction of M. Stanton Evans from 1977 until it became a project of Young America's Foundation in 2001/2002. After Stan Evans retired from the program, Kenneth E. Grubbs, Jr. led the program, but was released in 2004, following a freelance piece criticizing the media. [5]. The National Journalism Center is currently under the guidance of Alex X. Mooney, who has led the program since 2005. NJC also employs a full-time academic director to oversee the training seminars and overall academic component of the internship program.

NJC alumni

Since its formation in 1977, the NJC estimate that of the 1700 people who have attended their 12-week long training sessions, about two-thirds have gone on to media and media-related positions. The length of time in the journalism industry varies among the alumni, but a number have carved our careers as media commentators, in conservative think tanks, trade associations, or PR companies. [6]

A selection of NJC alumni, with the date of their course in brackets, who have worked and succeeded in the journalism industry. Many have become published authors in addition to their roles as journalists.

According to Ann Coulter: "NJC teaches writers to locate primary sources, run down facts, and get quotes. Partisan bile you have to develop on your own." ­Michael Fumento also comments on the work of the NJC: "No institution has worked harder or been more effective than the National Journalism Center in preventing 'responsible journalism' from becoming a true oxymoron." [7]

Case studies

Philip Morris associations

In the early 1990s, Philip Morris worked with a number of the NJC alumni to "accurately report" about the tobacco industry, and proposed health care reforms. Michael Fumento in particular, made a lot of money from these services (linked to Steven J Milloy and TASSC). The National Journalism Center, under the direction of M. Stanton Evans, hosted forums on public policy issues to raise awareness and promote education of the issues.

Richard T Hines an infamous neo-Confederate corporate lobbyist was active in promoting the use of the NJC and extending it influence outside the USA, and into Europe. He worked extensively for many years as a lobbyist for the tobacco industry. [1]. Hines worked closely with the US and UK Libertarian think-tanks in blocking smoking bans and other regulatory measures, mainly in linking their propaganda to various friendly journalists. He acted as a conduit between the tobacco companies and many of the NJC alumnii. [2]

The Krieble Institute was an off-shoot of Paul Weyrich's Free Congress Foundation which ran the National Empowerment Television (NET) system. Television personality Joelle Ziemian (later Fox News) worked for Richard Hines in 1994 and acted as Philip Morris's liason to the Krieble Institute and NET. [3] In another project, Richard Hines also used Krieble (which had set up an office and training facility in Moscow) to link Philip Morris into a group of the new journalists they were training in Russia, and also to many of the libertarian think-tanks who would employ them. [4] [5]

Contact information

National Journalism Center
529 14th Street NW, Suite 937
Washington, DC 20045
Phone: 202-628-1490
Fax: 202-628-1490
Web: http://njc.yaf.org

Articles and resources

Other SourceWatch resources

External articles

References

  1. ↑ https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/docs/kqkm0128
  2. ↑ https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/docs/zpkm0128
  3. ↑ https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/docs/fppk0101
  4. ↑ https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/docs/jqkm0128
  5. ↑ https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/docs/xqkm0128
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