April 04, 2005

(Updated) 'Willamette Week' Wins Pulitzer Prize

The Goldschimdt Scandal, Of Course

Note: This post has been updated. Any and all updates appear at the end of the original post.

KGW news alert flashing into our inbox just now (and its on KGW's website as well) says: "Nigel Jaquiss of the Willamette Week has won the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting for his uncovering of the Neil Goldschimdt scandal."

April 04, 2005

Update

There's an interesting note at ModBlog worth pointing out, at the very least in case it disappears.

Seems the author just began interning at WW today, so was present for the announcement. But then there's this bit:

I read a letter against the Willamette Week winning the Pulitzer Prize today in the office. It was written by the Editor of the Portland Mercury, Phil Busse.

Now that we would like to see.

April 04, 2005

Update

See the reader comments for an explanatory note from Phil Busse.

April 04, 2005

Update

Yes, the link to the ModBlog post referenced above now goes to an indication that the post has been deleted -- as we suspected it might be, hence the "in case it disappears" which we included in the original mention.

Which opens the question: Did the intern in question delete it on their own, or did the WW tell them to take it down?

Posted at 12:14 PM | PermalinkComments (13) | TrackBacks (2)
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Comments (13)

  1. no one in particular on 04 Apr 2005

    The NY Times leaves out two categories in their listing of the winners, one of which happens to be "investigative reporting". Annoying.

    But I found the full list on the Pulitzer Beard's website, where his name is definitely there. Sweet.

  2. steve on 04 Apr 2005

    Wow.

    If I shot some of the photos for the story, does that mean I get a Pulitzer, too? :)

  3. no one in particular on 04 Apr 2005

    Speaking of sour grapes, you gotta love this obligatory self-congratulatory quote from the Oregonian's coverage:

    "We offer them out heartfelt congratulations," said Peter Bhatia, executive editor of The Oregonian. The daily, which has won three Pulitzers over the past five years, also was nominated for a series it ran on methamphetamine use.

  4. Vic on 04 Apr 2005

    That comment about the Oregonian's previous prizes and current nominations was in the AP story and ran everywhere...

  5. Phil Busse on 04 Apr 2005

    I suppose that this is why we have fact-checkers for interns. For starters, I am not the editor of the Mercury. Second, I didn't write a letter "against" the WWeek winning a Pulitzer.

    Nigel is a great reporter. His work finally uncovering the 30 year old story about Goldschmidt was wonderful and much needed. I actually think that his work on PGE has been even better.

    My concern has--and remains--about the 30 year cover-up of the rape. Like Watergate, it seems as if the story about the subsequent cover-up of a crime is also intriguing. There were many high-up politicos who, we have found out after Nigel's story broke, seem to have known about the rumors. There also were several previous opportunities for newspapers to pursue this story. Why were those rumors not previously pursued?

    Most acutely, one of the original founders of WWeek, Robert Burthchaell, by Nigel's own reporting, was actively involved in "handling" Goldschmidt's victim during a period of time when he apparently was with the WWeek.

    The question of Burthchaell's alleged involvement in the cover-up - and how that should reflect on WWeek - is simply a question that I believe should be asked.

    Instead, because I have asked that question, I have been somewhat vilified. (Yeah, I know, boo hoo me.) For example, I just received a rather vulgar and aggressive phone call from Philip Dawdy, a former WWeek reporter. He yelled at me and then, before I could say anything, hung up.

    I guess that will teach me to ask questions. But wasn't the failure to ask probing questions for 30 years the reason that the Goldschmidt rape remained unpublished for so long?

    Nigel has done a great service and job reporting by finally uncovering a hugely important story. But, I believe that there are still unanswered questions surrounding the story.

    Phil Busse

  6. no one in particular on 04 Apr 2005

    Vic: Oh yeah. I missed the byline. (Whoops!)

  7. Zach on 04 Apr 2005

    Busse writes:

    His work finally uncovering the 30 year old story about Goldschmidt was wonderful and much needed. I actually think that his work on PGE has been even better.
    ***
    That's interesting, Phil. Maybe now you'll stop reporting that the Oregonian broke the story every time you write about it.

  8. Vic on 04 Apr 2005

    Also, OregonLive has the story at the top of its page as of 5:15 pm, complete with photo and link to the original Willie Week piece. Not exactly burying the competition's good news...

  9. justin on 04 Apr 2005

    Phil, I agree that more reporting should be done ...but saying this now, right after your competitor wins the Pulitzer... well, it smells of jealousy.

    And um... Phil... you write for a paper... so, perhaps you could break the the "Who knew what when" story and win your own Pulitzer...

  10. el bonch avenger on 04 Apr 2005

    Haha. Phil expects an WW intern to find a fact-checker for her personal blog on her first day of work in the midst of a Pulitzer Prize Celebration (the likes of which he will NEVER see). Haha

    What sort of reality is he living in? Maybe she just doesn't read the Mercury. I don't blame her.

  11. philip on 04 Apr 2005

    hey phil busse, if you consider my call aggressive then you are a chickenshit. it was calm. and i didn't yell at you, so stop spreading all those lies you mercury/stranger people like to spread. i did however tell you that what you did was fucked up and i repeat that here. in fact, you are fucked up. but that's the way of the plagarist in you!

  12. torridjoe on 05 Apr 2005

    well, at least now we all know the collegiality among fellow reporters is as rock solid as ever!

  13. Angel on 07 Apr 2005

    Phil, Phil, Phil...it was just foolish and petty to write the letter to the Pulitzer committee. And the Mercury is on the story now, you say in the latest issue? Lucky us! But is there room for it between the "Faces of Meth" parodies (and parodies of your parodies...very clever), W.S. "Hump-Me" articles, and your ever-popular Psychic Restaurant Reviews? I think your pouting has to do with the fact that the Mercury is in no danger of winning a Pulitzer anytime this century.

Trackbacks (2)

  1. Willamette Week wins a Pulitzer on 05 Apr 2005

    You heard that right. Willamette Week. Pulitzer. For the investigative reporting on the Neil Goldschmidt story, reporter Nigel Jaquiss has won a 2005 Pulitzer Prize. Here's the original story: The 30-Year Secret. Previously on BlueOregon, "Who knew abo...

  2. Weeklies In Action on 07 Apr 2005

    I posted a short blurb about Phil Busse's letter to the Pulitzer People on the PMUGYG, but then I was out of town for a few days and I came back to see quite an interesting discussion going on over...