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