Friends,

Let's capture some of why we loved Wilke so much. As one friend of his put it:

"...write up an anecdote – some story where they watched Wilke build up into righteous anger when reporting a story... or ironing out a crease in the fabric of the Journal bureau... And someone should talk about him tearing up when he described taking his kid to college…..Or when he became nearly inconsolable when the anthrax story came back and cost him two fantastic seats at the Nats-Mets game. Describe a time he filled in for people, picked up their loads for them, counseled them, slipped them incredible sources, shared bylines... that will keep him alive and you (and the rest of us) afloat."

Post comments or photos here.

20090606

Mourning a scourge of the comfortable

Dana Milbank mourns the loss of Wilke and of his brand of investigative journalism.
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2 comments:

  1. Mark WilkeJune 7, 2009 at 1:20 PM

    Mr Milbank, for nails it. Using Wilke as an example of what is best about journalism, he calls on his profession to keep up the good fight against those who would hide facts or the truth. Whether you think the Press in this country is too Left, or too Right, or too Corporate, it is actually "free" enough to be all those. And if you don't like the press, if you think they should go the way of the dinosaur, look at some other parts of the world where the press actually IS state controlled or non existent. Like what you see? I doubt it. A true democracy needs more press, more John Wilkes. I would go a step beyond Milbanks' hope for that to happen. I would call on every citizen to actually support what you believe in. BUY the darn newspaper, contribute to your radio station, let the TV stations know when they mess up. Let your congress people know you value a free press, and that you vote. Its the patriotic thing to do. America will will be stronger. Folks like Milbank will be more valued, and John Wilke's legacy will be a hopeful one for the future of this country we love. Like we loved John.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mark WilkeJune 7, 2009 at 1:22 PM

    Mr Milbank nailed it. Using Wilke as an example of what is best about journalism, he calls on his profession to keep up the good fight against those who would hide facts or the truth. Whether you think the Press in this country is too Left, or too Right, or too Corporate, it is actually "free" enough to be all those. And if you don't like the press, if you think they should go the way of the dinosaur, look at some other parts of the world where the press actually IS state controlled or non existent. Like what you see? I doubt it. A true democracy needs more Press, more John Wilkes. I would go a step beyond Milbanks' hope for that to happen. I would call on every citizen to actually support what you believe in. BUY the darn newspaper, contribute to your radio station, let the TV stations know when they mess up. Let your congress people know you value a free press, and that you vote. Its the patriotic thing to do. America will will be stronger. Folks like Milbank will be more valued, and John Wilke's legacy will be a hopeful one for the future of this country we love. Like we loved John.

    ReplyDelete

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