Rocky Mountain News Blows Facethestate Story

In our Best of Denver 2008 award that named Facethestate.com the city's Best Political Blog, we called its founder, Brad Jones, a "snot-nosed kid." Well, the snot-nosed kid knows his way around a story, and on July 27 he blew mainstream media outlets away with his revelation that a wind...

By Patricia Calhoun

July 30, 2008

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In our Best of Denver 2008 award that named Facethestate.com the city's Best Political Blog, we called its founder, Brad Jones, a "snot-nosed kid."

Well, the snot-nosed kid knows his way around a story, and on July 27 he blew mainstream media outlets away with his revelation that a wind generator project in Wray -- so touted in a July 26 Rocky Mountain News story on carbon offsets -- didn't work.

The Post followed Jones's scoop on July 29, crediting Facethestate.com and today the Rocky Mountains offers "Wray wind generator fails to produce juice." The article cites Jones's story, and quotes from it -- but neglects to make any mention of the original News piece that triggered Jones's bombshell.

As State Senator Greg Brophy told Jones (and was quoted in the News), "Nobody likes to be misled."-- Patricia Calhoun

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

Contact: Patricia Calhoun

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