Reading your local newspaper should be a pleasure, providing pertinent news pieces packed with potent information.
Whether it is your regional or local newspaper, you are sure to obtain news information, often unknown yet, often important.
Those who report the news, be it action, description, analysis, or opinion do so with the intent to inform.
Sometimes the information provided is frowned upon by people mentioned in the article.
This was certainly the case last year in San Francisco when an independent reporter obtained information on some highly classified city documents.
Now, it is not uncommon for members of the public sector to take issue with reporters. If the actions of City employees or elected officials were suspect, and that information is brought to light through the press, it is certain to agitate the perpetrators.
This was the case with Bryan Carmody, a freelance journalist in San Francisco. He obtained “confidential” information on the suspicious death of public defender, Jeff Adachi. The police were furious and requested the courts to issue a search warrant for Carmody’s house.
Carmody was awakened early the next morning as about 10 officers were using a sledgehammer to break through Carmody’s house entryway. They broke down his gate, handcuffed him and took him to headquarters where the FBI interrogated him.
In addition, the FBI raided Carmody’s satellite office and confiscated his computers and phone.
Yes, this was in America, San Francisco to be exact, just last year.
Evidently forgetting the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the local cops and FBI felt a judge’s order gave them carte blanche authority to break into the reporter’s home, handcuff him and seize his files.
Fortunately, the Superior Court did not agree with the cops and ruled in favor of reporter Carmody. In fact, the court awarded Carmody $369,000 for the questionable invasion of his home and violation of his Constitutional rights.
The Weekly has received some heat from City officials over the past few years as we reported on several dubious procedural actions and Council’s disputed spending.
You probably will not read that information anywhere except in our newspaper. And while mentioning The Weekly, it is with significant pride I thank our writers and staff who garnered three journalism awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association for their work in 2019.
This is very cool when you consider our competition includes 150 newspapers throughout the state of California.
When you invest $60 for a one-year subscription to the Weekly, it is a vote of confidence and appreciation to our writers and staff, who are dedicated to bringing you factual news.
