Joe Strupp at Editor & Publisher reports the revolving door between the media and government spun wildly out of the New Jersey Star-Ledger: "at least 16 reporters and newsroom staffers at The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., most of whom left the paper in the past year's massive buyout, are now working for public officials or state agencies the paper covers...With 151 newsroom staffers taking buyouts last October, out of 330 total, that figure represents about 10% of the departed reporters, although some left prior to that round of buyouts."
Topping that list is Deborah Howlett, a former statehouse reporter who is now Gov. Jon Corzine’s communications director. However, this is not Howlett’s first job in politics. We at MRC reported in 1990 that before joining USA Today, Howlett, spent four months in 1983 as Press Secretary to Oregon State Senator Margie Hendricksen, a Democrat who later opposed moderate-to-liberal GOP Sen. Mark Hatfield. The Almanac of American Politics blamed Hendricksen's loss on her "consistently liberal views" which, as The New Republic once noted, include favoring unilateral nuclear disarmament.
As the 1980s wound to a close, Howlett sneered at the Reagan '80s in a November 27, 1989 USA Today "news" story: "The '80s were the years of excess. We swaggered through the portals and grabbed as much as we could. We were greedy and gluttonous. As long as we wore starched shirts, we could belch at the dinner table. And Ronald Reagan led us."
E&P’s list of the Star-Ledger revolvers was overwhelmingly within the Democratic establishment in New Jersey:
-- Jeff Whelan, a former reporter who is now a research staffer with Gov. Jon Corzine's re-election campaign.
-- Matt Reilly, a former deputy statehouse bureau chief who became communications director for the state Senate Democrats.
-- Kathy Barrett Carter, a former statehouse reporter and editorial writer who is a policy communications staffer in the governor's office.
-- Joe Donohue, a former reporter working at the state treasurer's office.
-- David Wald, a former political columnist who is now a communications director for the state Attorney General.
-- Donna Leusner, a former reporter who is now a spokesperson for the State Health Department.
-- Tom Feeney, a former reporter who became a spokesman at the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
-- Paul Wyckoff, a former reporter and editorial writer who is now a New Jersey Transit spokesman.
-- Ron Marsico, a former reporter who covered transportation is now a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
-- Wayne Woolley, a former military affairs reporter, who is a spokesman for the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
Diane Walsh, a former reporter, was the exception: she’s now working as press secretary for state Republican Assemblyman Jon Bramnick.
[Hat tip; Dan Gainor]
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Gluttonous were we, Howlett once said?
February 21, 2009 - 01:58 ET by R D HelmJudging from that pic, may God help anyone who steps between her and the fried fare table at the local Chinese buffet.
As for the fact that so many "journalists" are now bailing for jobs outside of the MSM, perhaps they are just a little brighter than we think and are actually seeing the economic handwriting on the wall.
That most of them are now employed by dems isn't much of a surprise, really.
Of course, they have to eat, too, and Deborah Howlett appears to be an expert in that area.
-Dave
Our clueless political leaders are about to drive us all over a cliff. The time to HITM is now-before we go over.
GMTA
February 22, 2009 - 21:17 ET by doug1950Man, bet they are really gonna miss her at the annual Christmas Party. Yikes what a spud. At first, I thought it was Ned Beatty with a fright wig.
She sure iz purty.....
February 21, 2009 - 07:03 ET by sflconn/t
Something tells me that
February 21, 2009 - 07:59 ET by winston smithSomething tells me that Deborah's sweet, comely smile will be painfully missed over at The Ledger.
Howlett:
"....As long as we wore starched shirts, we could belch at the dinner table "
From the looks of things, she still does....... often.
"Chin, party of three."
February 21, 2009 - 08:08 ET by SickofLibs"Chin, party of three."
" Deborah Howlett, a
February 21, 2009 - 08:34 ET by winston smith" Deborah Howlett, a former statehouse reporter who is now Gov. Jon Corzine’s communications director."
And when he loses the Governership for being such a lying incompetent and plunging the state into decades of debt, making New Jersey the most expensive, unliveable state in the Country even after raising the state sales tax to 7% and playing hide-and-seek with the so-called property tax rebates, she will be his communication director when the corrupt Jersey Democrat machine trades in the near morbid Senator Lautenberg for the failed, hated Corzine.
fortunatly...
February 21, 2009 - 16:18 ET by Jnoble..I think either Republican Steve Longian or Chris Christy have a real shot at unseating Corzine. I sure hope so, he's such a slimeball.
I can't imagine where..
February 21, 2009 - 11:02 ET by Sergeant ROCK.. people get the idea that there's bias in the media? Just because so-called journalists join a democRAT administration?
"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason
Bolton/KEYES 2012
How would Deborah Howlett describe the Dot.com era??
February 21, 2009 - 13:28 ET by Gary HallOh my:
And she would describe the Clinton economic era - the Dot.Com era of greed, excess, corporate fraud, accounting fraud, venture capitalism gone just a wee bit wacko? How would Howlett describe the $10-12 Trillion of overvaluation in the markets during the Clinton years -- being that many well-loved progressive economists still lay the blame for much of the continuing economic crisis on the excess of the Clinton years (yes references are avail.).
Ms. Howlett. Remember Enron? WorldCom? Global Crossing? Anderson Accounting? Tyco?
From a 2002 Independent UK piece (my bold):
Nothing in the Reagan economy comparted to the excesses of the late Clintonesque era of greed. Reagan inherited an economic and social crisis in this country, and delivered a strong and vibrant economy and society. Bill Clinton inherited a still improving ecomomic climate, and left an economic disaster and social changes that Bush just wasn't able to fully get back in check - had a few other things on his plate. Cat got your tongue, Ms. Howlett?
(;~/gary
my parents have been getting the Star Ledger..
February 21, 2009 - 16:20 ET by Jnoble..ever since I remember. It was only until I started understanding politics and the MSM that I started to see it as the liberal rag that it is. The only parts of it that are decent are the comics and the sports section.
If you want to get annoyed or have a sarcastic laugh, just read their editorials on any given day.
And the crappy Star Ledger is also extremely PC...ten years ago there was a probe into weather the NJ State Troopers were "racially profiling" motorists when they pulled them over and when they were found guilty by the NJ Supreme court (big surprise, right) the Star Ledger ran a screaming headline, in the big bold font usually used only for war and major live-shaking events: 'TROOPERS GUILTY OF PROFILING' like it was the end of the world or something. It actually made me laugh how important they thought it was.