Monday, February 4, 2008

Even More On L'Affaire de Fischer

Cindy Kilkenny, who has a blogsite called Fairly Conservative, has had an open records request in regarding Fischer, his job duties, and what he has or has not been doing while on the clock.

She has an update now with some new information.

The first part of her post gives a job description as a legislative aid. I wonder if Fischer actually is considered to meet all of the qualifications (emphasis mine):

Qualifications
Required knowledge, skills, and abilities: Thorough knowledge of the processes and procedures of the Legislature; thorough knowledge of the inter-relationship between the various committees and policy bodies of which the Senate is a member; ability to evaluate information and data and project its logical conclusion; ability to efficiently and effectively deal with the public both orally and in writing; and the ability to conduct research investigations involving the use of research methodology.

But even more interesting is what comes later:

Others have sent me links to previous employment for Mr. Fischer. Most notably, he was let go from WTMJ 620 in October 1996. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tim Cuprisin writes, “management was concerned about a possible violation of the company’s ethics code.” He goes on to explain that Fischer used press credentials to better a trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando even though he wasn’t on assignment.

Currently there is speculation that Fischer has been replaced as the permanent fill-in host at WISN radio. Let me know if anyone can confirm that.

It would be interesting to see if there are any other violations of an ethics code we should be aware of.

6 comments:

  1. Cindy ..... Capper.... what's the problem? Fired from a radio staion for ethical violations then legislative aid for the Wisconsin Senate......what's the problem ....sounds like a logical progression to me...don't you think?

    Ooops....almost forgot...than back to a radio station for the great voice standing up for Milwaukee morals.

    Makes sense to me.

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  2. Cuprison got in a good one when reporting Fischer's firing from WTMJ after an ethics violation (10/15/96, MJS):

    "Meanwhile, big bucks consultant and conservative policy wonk George Mitchell wrote to Fischer's bosses praising his reporting style: 'Kevin did not cloak his reporting or commentary with phony objectivity which characterizes so much of the print and broadcast journalism today. With Kevin, listeners got a clear and open expression of news and opinion. They knew just where he was coming from, not unlike listeners to Paul Harvey, for example,' Mitchell wrote. For the record, Paul Harvey isn't a reporter. He's a commentator."

    Ouch!

    The word "journalist" in Mr. Fischer's bio should always be enclosed in ironic quotes. And perhaps his name should be preceded with the absolutely accurate modifier "ethically challenged."

    If I sound tough on him, it's because Fischer's been an enormous disappointment to me from the standpoint of failing to provide a local thoughtful conservative viewpoint with whom I could debate the issues. Further, his World Wrestling Federation avoid-the-actual-issue style is emulated by other right wing bloggers on Franklinnow to embarrassing effect, and I can't abide by people who resort to sending me personal email filled with schoolyard taunts when they lose their point in a public forum.

    WISN seems fine with all this, though, as they continue to hire Mr. Fischer as a fill-in. Between that gig, the public TV thing, and the Franklinnow blog, Mr. Fischer's narcissism is kept fed.

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  3. A memorable sample of his journalistic "objectivity" on wtmj:before going to commercial during a newscast he said,"Coming up, Marquette professor cries racism." not "claims," but "cries," as in "cries" wolf.But, of course, all the media bias is of the liberal sort.

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  4. This is the ghost of Christmas future for Jessica McBride: A middling reporter known for her multiple corrections and biases reimagines her career as a crusading ideologue, making herself a caricature. She's on to gub'mint, it looks like.

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  5. Isn't McBride already working for the gub'mint. She rips on teachers in her Freeman article and she is one.

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  6. It has been eleven days since McBride wrote even one word about the republican presidential nomination race. Is she gonna' write something today or wait until after the convention to enlighten us with her wisdom?

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