California's Worst Political "Journalist": The LA Weekly's Marc Cooper

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

I don't make a habit of taking on reporters that cover California politics. Sure, I'm not happy when something negative is written about my boss. And as any Capitol press corps scribe will tell you, I'm pretty darn aggressive when it comes to making sure that our side of the story is well represented in any news article.
 
That's why I don't take lightly writing this post to call out LA Weekly's Marc Cooper for his faux reporting.
 
Two weeks ago, Cooper wrote a column for the LA Weekly on an upcoming vote on Indian tribes in the State Assembly. Without a trip to the Capitol or any contact with any member of the Assembly (or even staff), Cooper wrote an unsubstantiated rant about the state of compact negotiations in Sacramento, concluding that Sacramento Democrats had stopped fighting for the little guy. He blasted Senator Gloria Romero as a"faithful in-the-bag servant of wealthy gambling interests" and in racist language wrote about a "powwow between Nunez and the Indian chiefs."

Naturally, I called him on the carpet -- not so much for what he wrote (even though it was way off base) -- but for not taking the time to fact check or attempt to balance his story with a cursory call to our office or request to interview the Speaker. Cooper wrote back that he didn't have to do that. In fact, he seemed annoyed that I suggested he had any responsibility whatsoever as a journalist to bother.

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Photo courtesy Pajamas Media.