John Kupetz, former assistant professor for the Medill School of Journalism

David’s column for The Daily Northwestern made national news. David's superb reporting raised legitimate questions about the journalism dean's use of anonymous sources in a piece the dean had written for the school's alum publication.

One of several ironies about the reaction to David's work is that it made it appear that what he'd done was radical. He practiced Journalism 101, doing the basic reporting of contacting every student in a class to check whether someone had said what had been attributed to a student in that class. 

Given where journalism seems to be headed, perhaps it is radical to do Journalism 101 and do basic reporting to write a column and to challenge authority and question the use of anonymous sources and possible fabrication. David's good reporting stands on its own as a major accomplishment. But his courage in writing this column also is remarkable. How many examples of genuine intellectual and journalistic courage do we get anymore?

Throughout all this, his critics attacked his character and his motives, possibly because his reporting and his honesty were unimpeachable. He never once engaged in their rhetorical tactics as they vilified the messenger. David let his reporting stand for itself, answering questions about it without pursuing any topic other than the subject of his column. He was a model of maturity, calmness and integrity while the jackasses brayed.

Nomaan Merchant, managing editor for The Daily Northwestern

As a friend of his for almost three years, I know David to be honest, principled and relentless in searching for the truth. He never lets his personal beliefs color his interpretation of the facts in any story, and he's handled a firestorm of criticism in the aftermath of his column with grace and maturity.

John Conroy, former staff writer for the Chicago Reader

He did some investigative work for me when he was an intern at the Chicago Reader.  He was terrific at that too. One of the tasks he helped me with had to do with filling in the background on a videotaped racial incident at Wrigley Field many years ago, an incident involving drunken Chicago police officers.  David, in helping me track the officers' careers, uncovered one particular gem: one of the officers who had been involved in the Wrigley Field incident served on the force for many years afterward, and after his retirement was stopped while driving his car.  What David uncovered was that this officer, who had been one of several who had attacked an usher at the ballpark decades earlier, who had jumped onto the field and slugged a guard after the game, claimed to be the victim of police brutality.  It was a great little bit that added additional flavor to the story.

Source | The Daily Northwestern
Nearly every guide to journalism ethics says anonymous quotes should be avoided. So when I saw Medill Dean John Lavine had used three of them in two columns for Medill magazine, I was surprised.

Source | The Daily Northwestern
Until now, I have not written any follow up to my Feb. 11 column because I believe the role of a columnist is to raise issues and allow others to debate them.

Source | IOL
Commercial fishing worldwide will collapse by 2048 if steps are not taken to improve aquaculture, Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk said on Tuesday.

Source | The Cape Times
Tertiary healthcare in the province is facing further bed and budget cuts, doctors at central hospitals say.