Attention journalism students. As Jessica McBride demonstrates in her profile of Police Chief Ed Flynn forMilwaukee Magazine, write what you know:
Flynn is also a compelling physical presence: tall, iron-haired, fit (he once rode a bicycle 233 miles) and energetic. He has what one observer calls “command bearing.”
Kind of weird in retrospect:
Questions still linger about Flynn’s past. And his commitment to Milwaukee. The Music Man always left town – until he fell in love. More than one year after taking the job, Flynn’s wife still lives in Virginia, while he lives alone in a Downtown condo. Could he finally settle down here?
Milwaukee Lieutenant of Detectives John Hagen loves the new chief, but has no doubt Flynn’s star shines too brightly for a long marriage to Milwaukee. “It’s like Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie,” Hagen says. “Eventually, she leaves him, and is anyone really surprised? I mean, she’s Angelina Jolie and he’s Billy Bob Thornton.”
Something like that.
Making it more bizarre, Jessica quotes Flynn's wife and son at length. Including this bit:
Besides, she says, noting the 12-hour days he keeps, “I’d just get mad at him anyway.” On some weekends when she comes to Milwaukee to visit, her husband ends up going into work part of the time.
Just in: He actually uses the word magnitude in a rather unfortunate context:
But will that be enough to keep him here? “I want to be wanted back,” Flynn says. “I’ve been looking my whole life for a challenge of this magnitude. The stars all aligned here.”
Just in: Here's Dan Bice's story, including tales of how she was yanked from covering Paul Bucher while covering him for the Journal when it was revealed they were dating. Sordid.
Just in: From happier times: "Bucher never shied away from doing what he thought was right."
Just in: XOff, always wrong until it turns out otherwise.
Just in: Class I felony (ed note: fixed), crossing a big red line and sitting in a tree. Meanwhile, Charlie Sykes finds another predictably whacked column by Charles Krauthammer to be the day's "hot read."
Just in: Some great lines from Bice's story:
McBride has taught ethics as part of her journalism classes at UWM. The Society of Professional Journalists' code of ethics says reporters should "remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility."
Paul Brewer, the head of UWM's Journalism and Mass Communications Department, declined to comment on the situation, saying he knew nothing about it.
Or this:
"Perceived you instantly - knew you were a good person who does things for the right reason," reads one signed Jessica. "As a result, I began to struggle with the story - having to give time to vitriolic baseless attacks."
For those of you young uns out there, Jessica's metier was vitriolic, baseless attacks.
Just in: In the Waukesha Freeman, Jessica denounces collection of traffic stop data, says give cops a break:
I don’t want police having to second-guess whether their stops will result in them being unfairly called racists. I just want them to get violent offenders, who prey on communities, off the streets. I want them to use their law enforcement judgment about stops. I don’t want to deter good police instinct.
Just in: Jessica sends Charlie and Jeff an email saying the affair didn't start until May, after the story was written and published.
KA-boom!
This makes my whole month.
Posted by: Matt | June 18, 2009 at 11:08 PM
Chief Edward Flynn of the Milwaukee Police Department really needs to consider leaving. While it's true that he possesses some talents he obviously lacks the moral courage to simply do the right thing. Too bad. He seemed to hold so much promise. Yet slowly, some insiders have been witnesses to what most have not, could not or would not - and that is an egotistical police manager (not leader) who has already clearly surrounded himself with YES people (as evidenced by a majority of his recommended promoted members) and quite frankly, he has comprised his entire office of women (I've been on his floor at the police headquarters). I'm sure many of us can't wait to see what our hard earned money (tax dollars) will buy in terms of his in-coming (and lovely) Chief of Staff (Judy Pal - Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department in Savannah, Ga.). I'm sure it's a necessity that she be a highly paid (new) city employee even in these times of (existing) employee furloughs. It's time for us citizens of Milwaukee to wake up and hold our elected (and appointed/anointed) officials accountable!
Posted by: Rich | June 19, 2009 at 07:06 AM
"...write what you know..."
Now that's a funny line!
Posted by: purpleslog | June 19, 2009 at 07:23 AM