After KY Gov’s Slam, ProPublica Hits Back: ‘Actually, We Believe In Evidence’

GEORGETOWN, KY-OCTOBER 30: Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin speaks at the unveiling of a new $80 million Toyota North American Engineering Headquarters October 30, 2017 in Georgetown, Kentucky. The 235,000 square foot state-of-the-art Product Engineering and Manufacturing Center (PEMC) is the final building constructed under the "One Toyota" project. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images) — GEORGETOWN, KY - OCTOBER 30: Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin speaks at the unveiling of a new $80 million Toyota engineering headquarters October 30, 2017 in Georgetown, Kentucky. The 235,000 square foot state-of-the-ar... GEORGETOWN, KY - OCTOBER 30: Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin speaks at the unveiling of a new $80 million Toyota engineering headquarters October 30, 2017 in Georgetown, Kentucky. The 235,000 square foot state-of-the-art Product Engineering and Manufacturing Center (PEMC) is the final building constructed under the "One Toyota" project. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images) MORE LESS

December 13, 2018 9:11 a.m.

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Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) was OUTRAGED when he learned that ProPublica would be supporting investigative journalism at a local newspaper over the course of the next year and posted a befuddling video on Wednesday evening attacking The Courier-Journal and ProPublica’s funding model, complete with a dig at billionaire donor George Soros.

OUTRAGEOUS.

ProPublica, a left-wing activist group funded by the likes of George Soros, is now funding . . . "investigative reporting" at the @courierjournal.

Is this the future of journalism?

Who is holding the Courier-Journal accountable? https://t.co/U3fdQUO6U9

— Governor Matt Bevin (@GovMattBevin) December 13, 2018

ProPublica — which launched a new program to help support investigative journalism at 14 different newsrooms around the U.S. this year — shot back late Wednesday, by listing their Pulitzer wins, clarifying their funding model and pointing out the Courier-Journal’s coverage of Bevin’s unethical behavior.

“You called us a ‘biased, left-wing organization.’ Actually we believe in evidence. Hard, indisputable evidence. Carefully gathered and precisely told,” ProPublica tweeted.

Read the thread below:

Very nice to meet you too, @GovMattBevin!

You asked who @ProPublica is. We thought we’d give you some answers. Like everything we do, they are, you know, actually accurate. https://t.co/hiRsyoQXhk

— ProPublica (@ProPublica) December 13, 2018

First, we’re thrilled to be partnering w/ the fine folks at the @courierjournal. They’re just one of 14 newsrooms we’ll be supporting.

The paper’s reporting project is v promising. We won’t say more b/c we believe in gathering facts first. https://t.co/ZbtsXxd7oy

— ProPublica (@ProPublica) December 13, 2018

You called us a “biased, left-wing organization.” Actually, we believe in evidence. Hard, indisputable evidence. Carefully gathered and precisely told.

Perhaps that’s why our peers have given us 4 Pulitzers, 3 Peabodys, 2 Emmys, 6 Polks, a duPont and a National Magazine Award.

— ProPublica (@ProPublica) December 13, 2018

And for those who are curious, we’ll absolutely send you the investigation when it comes out.

Sign up for our Big Story email alerts: https://t.co/HQI1vUn6nx

— ProPublica (@ProPublica) December 13, 2018

P.S. Our new partners at the @courierjournal have been doing lots of good work, like this recent story about how @GovMattBevin hired a buddy for a govt job and then gave him a $215,000 raise. https://t.co/VLji0ZMEiq

(Via @RobertFaturechi)

— ProPublica (@ProPublica) December 13, 2018

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Nicole Lafond (@Nicole_Lafond) is TPM’s deputy editor, based in New York. She has also worked as the special projects editor and as a senior newswriter for TPM. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and previously covered education in central Illinois.

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