|
Gary Stephen Webb (August 31, 1955 – December 10, 2004) was an American investigative reporter. He began his career working for newspapers in Kentucky and Ohio, winning numerous awards and building a strong reputation for investigative writing. Hired by the ''San Jose Mercury News'', Webb contributed to the paper's Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the Loma Prieta earthquake. Webb is best known for his "Dark Alliance" series, which appeared in the ''Mercury News'' in 1996. The series examined the origins of the crack-cocaine trade in Los Angeles and claimed that members of the anti-government Contra rebels in Nicaragua had played a major role in creating the trade, using cocaine profits to support their struggle. It also suggested that the Contras may have acted with the knowledge and protection of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The series provoked outrage in Los Angeles, particularly in the African-American community, and led to four major investigations of its charges. The series became even more controversial when the ''Los Angeles Times'' and other major papers published articles suggesting its claims were overstated. After an internal review, the ''Mercury News'' ultimately published a statement in May 1997 acknowledging shortcomings in the series' reporting and editing. Webb resigned from the ''Mercury News'' in December 1997. He became an investigator for the California State Legislature, publishing a book based on the "Dark Alliance" series in 1998, and doing freelance investigative reporting. Webb committed suicide on December 10, 2004. Webb's reporting was strongly criticized in the controversy over the series. His supporters argued that Webb was unfairly made to bear the burden of the series' failings, while editorial errors and failures in oversight were ignored. There was also criticism of the reporting of the ''Los Angeles Times'' and other papers for focusing on problems in the series' claims instead of examining the questions the series raised. Many of Webb's supporters, while acknowledging errors in the series, also believe that the findings of the investigations vindicate his basic claims. == Early life == Webb was born in Corona, California, one of two children in his family. Webb's father was a Marine sergeant, and the family moved frequently, as his career took him to new assignments.〔, 13-14.〕 When Webb's father retired from the Marines, the family settled in a suburb of Indianapolis, where Webb and his brother attended high school.〔Schou 2006, 15-16.〕 After high school, Webb attended an Indianapolis community college on a scholarship until his family moved to Cincinnati. He then transferred to nearby Northern Kentucky University.〔Schou 2006, 22.〕 Webb first began writing on the student newspaper at his college in Indianapolis.〔Schou 2006, 20-21.〕 After transferring to Northern Kentucky, he entered its journalism program and wrote for the school paper, ''The Northerner''. Although he attended Northern Kentucky for four years, he did not finish his degree. Instead, he found work in 1978 as a reporter at the ''Kentucky Post'', a local paper affiliated with the larger ''Cincinnati Post''.〔Schou 2006, 27-29.〕 In 1979, Webb married Susan Bell and the two eventually had three children.〔Schou 2006, 33.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Gary Webb」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|