Hilbert College	A Study in Media Ethics and the Changing Face of Mass Communications: Gary Webb's Dark Alliance	- Home - Students - Tutorials - - Student Papers -
(Note: This paper was written at the University of South Carolina) by: Paul Rhine November 22, 1999 On August 18 in the San Jose Mercury News, reporter Gary Webb began a groundbreaking series of articles entitled "Dark Alliance." This three part series linked the introduction and sale of crack in America to the CIA's contra army in Nicaragua. Soon after the series' publication, the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post vehemently attacked the series with contrary investigative articles and editorials. Aside from the implications of the issue itself if the articles were entirely accurate, the series and controversy surrounding it are a study in media ethics and the evolving use of the World Wide Web in mass communications. The "Dark Alliance" series lays out this basic story: Danilo Blandon, a Nicaraguan national forced out of the country by the Sandanista revolutionaries, sought refuge in the United States. Here he met Norwin Meneses, a major South American drug trafficker. The two shared a common desire to fund an army to obliterate the Sandanista government. Blandon introduced Rick Ross, a drug dealer with an extensive Los Angeles network, to the partnership. Ross utilized his network and targeted previously underexploited areas of LA, particularly black neighborhoods. Ross introduced crack to these areas, quickly becoming the largest crack dealer in the city. He went on to become the head of a multimillion dollar crack distribution empire, but the profits from these early ventures Blandon funneled to the contras in Nicaragua, an army organized largely by the CIA to oppose the Sandanistas (Covert & Gorman 1997). After these claims were made in Webb's report, major publications like the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times sprang into action with myriad criticisms of the series. At this point the issue of media ethics came to the forefront. Despite the fact that some of the basic facts of this story, such as the connection between contra supporters and cocaine distributors, had been known for decades, the major papers charged that Webb had made allegations not supported by his evidence (Hinckle 1997). The fiercest and most concentrated criticism came from The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and the New York Times (Elliott 1997). Although the focus of the opposition was discrediting Webb's story and questioning his journalistic integrity, some believe they committed greater wrongs in their reaction to the series. According to Peter Kornbluh, an analyst at the National Security Archive, the mainstream media bear the larger blame for mishandling the issue because it misrepresented the original series, criticizing and debunking claims that Webb never made (Kornbluh 1997). The sources used to contradict many of Webb's findings were never identified, and one Los Angeles Times reporter completely changed his portrayal of Rick Ross from a story he had written in 1994 (Shepard 1997). A report prepared by FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting) characterizes the reaction of the major news outlets as typical of the "ongoing realities of news management in the United States", i.e. automatically protecting the status quo without rooting out the facts (Elliott 1997). Despite the dramatic allegations of the story, the way it was presented contributed greatly to the amount and duration of the attention it received. The series was published simultaneously in the paper and on the Mercury Center, its online incarnation. Included in the online version were links to evidence used to write the story such as Senate transcripts, audio from DEA surveillance, and additional photos (Silverthorne 1996). Webb defended his series with this evidence, saying the Web version of the story was vital because the claims were too significant to be accepted without substantiation, which could not all be fit on the printed page (Covert & Gorman 1997). Media analysts recognize the Dark Alliance series as a pioneering move into a "new media" approach of presenting news (Brown 1999). The Web aspect of the story was significant for another reason. After the revelations of the series were out, black leaders such as Congresswoman Maxine Waters were incensed that the US government could be even remotely connected to the introduction of a drug that devastated black communities. Grassroots efforts began, pushing to have the issue investigated further (Kornbluh 1997). One of the first steps taken by many was to read the story themselves online, increasing the traditionally underrepresented black presence on the Web (O'Brien 1997). The reach of the story enabled by its online version allowed millions to view it, leading Webb to comment, "you don't have to be The New York Times or The Washington Post to bust a national story anymore" (Kornbluh 1997). The aftermath of the "Dark Alliance" controversy did not turn out well for Webb. He earned the "Journalist of the Year" award from the Northern California chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists for the series (Shepard 1997) . However, soon thereafter he was transferred out of investigative reporting to the paper's remote Cupertino office. He protested this move with a petition to the Newspaper Guild, but he was transferred nonetheless (Hinckle 1997). The San Jose Mercury News, prompted by criticism from larger papers, reformulated its guidelinesfor editing investigative stories. While he recognizes its flaws, editor Jerry Ceppos stands by the story. He will no longer comment on it, however, after being misquoted so many times. Webb himself recently quit the San Jose Mercury News, resigning from his post at the Cupertino office. He has agreed not to discuss the terms of his departure, as have his former employers (Robertson 1999). Many, looking back on the "Dark Alliance" series and the controversy surrounding it, have concluded that the series was overwritten. Most also believe that the criticisms by major news outlets were even more poorly written. Despite the problems with the series, its importance cannot be denied. It sparked valuable debate on media ethics, leading editorial roles at the Mercury News and the responsibilities of major news organizations to be examined. It is also recognized as a pioneering move in the field of news reporting on the Web, adding new dimensions and more depth to printed stories as well as increasing their audience. Finally, no one has suggested that the allegations Webb made were entirely or even mostly false, so the issue bears more investigation before it is laid to rest. Bibliography: Covert, Brian and Scott Gorman. (1997) The Use of the Web in Investigative Reporting: A Case Study. Online: http://www.realnews.org Elliott, Jeff. (1996) CIA-Contra Drug Deal Named Top Story. Online: http://www.mon itor.net Elliott, Jeff. (1997) Darker Alliances. Online: http://www ..monitor.net Heyboer, Kelly. (1996) A Furor Over the CIA and Drugs. Online: http://ajr.newslink.org</ B> Hinckle, Pia. (1997) Soul Searching in San Jose. Online: http://www.cjr.org</ P> Kornbluh, Peter. (1997) The Storm Over "Dark Alliance". Online: http://www.cjr.org O'Brien, Soledad. (1997) Interview with Gary Webb. Online: http://www.zdnet.com PBS Newshour Forum. (1996) Crack and the Contras. Online: ht tp://www.pbs.org Rieder, Rem. (1997) The Lessons of "Dark Alliance". Online: http://ajr.newslink.org Robertson, Lori. (1999) Untangled Webb. Online: http://ajr.newslink.org< /P> Shepard, Alicia C. (1997) The Web That Gary Spun. Online: http://ajr.newslink.org< /B> Silverthorne, Sean. (1996) Dark Alliance: The Newspaper Reinvented. Online: htt p://www.zdnet.com

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