I'd like to draw your attention to the work of Sara Ganim at the Patriot-Ledger in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
She's been doing terrific reporting on the Penn State scandal beginning Thursday, March 31, 2011 when she broke the story Jerry Sandusky, former Penn State football staffer, subject of grand jury investigation
- and then the rest of the news media proceeded to ignore it until last week when Sara Ganim was again doing her job. She was routinely checking district court records when she found the Grand Jury Presentment, which had been accidentally placed on the court server while Sandusky was away on vacation. Sara wrote the story and posted it, and the grand jury findings, on the Patriot-Ledger's news site.
State officials scrambled to find Sandusky in a neighboring state so they could arrest him.
Other media suddenly began taking notice and immediately it became a big story.
On Friday, the newsroom in State College, PA ran a chronology that brought more questions into focus. Why did it take law enforcement in Pennsylvania 16 years to stop a pedophile when there was a long trail leading back, at least, to 1995.
Yesterday (Nov. 13) Meet the Press ran an interview with Gov. Thomas Corbett (R). Unfortunately, Corbett was pressed not nearly enough on why Pennsylvania prosecutors took so long to pursue this case. Corbett took no responsibility for his role in this mess while he was Attorney General, which means he was the boss of all prosecutors in Pennsylvania. What did Corbett know and when did he know it? Did he know what cases prosecutors were investigating or did he run such a loose ship that it nearly sank?
Sandusky was a Republican activist as was Paterno. What role did Republican activism play in what is clearly a chronology of good ole boys overlooking a helluva lot?
Sara Ganim gets at some of those questions in the latest installment and she clearly explains the chronology. If you have time to read only one story, make it this one:
A Patriot-News Special Report:
Who knew what about Jerry Sandusky? There were many missed chances to investigate as early as 1995
Sara Ganim clearly knows who was abused and she knows the parents of the abused kids. Reporters are bashed when they do wrong. Sara Ganim is one who did the right thing. By doing her job, she advanced the story and brought it to the public's attention.
It feels good to make a difference in the lives of other people. Journalism, when done right, is one field where you can make a difference every once in a while.
I am certain that Sara Ganim knows the feeling.