Blackwater Reporting

Virginian-Pilot more upbeat after Prince testimony

What has happened to Bill Sizemore? The scrappy anti-Blackwater crusader seemed to wilt during Blackwater CEO Erik Prince's congressional testimony October 2, writing a story for the Associated Press that is about as fair and balanced as any. The article is a total turnaround for Sizemore, a reporter for the Virginian-Pilot in the Norfolk area and whose circulation area includes Blackwater headquarters.

Sizemore's coverage is far from the rabid stuff that had given him hopes of winning the Pulitzer, and is moving closer to that of his colleague Joanne Kimberlin.

Prince "gave little ground to critics" in "an unprecedented public performance" at the hearing, wrote Sizemore, who quoted the Blackwater owner in a favorable light and gave even-handed treatment to the company's critics like Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), and its supporters like Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT).

"Several committee members thanked Prince for the protection Blackwater provided them on trips to Iraq," Sizemore wrote.

Sizemore even put things into proper context: "Responding to data compiled by the committee showing that Blackwater contractors have been involved in nearly 200 shooting incidents in Iraq since Jan. 1, 2005, Prince said it is important to put that number in perspective. He said the incidents amounted to fewer than 1 percent of the company’s convoy missions in 2006 and less than 3 percent of missions so far in 2007."

“I’ve heard a lot of complimentary things about what you all do,” Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), one of Blackwater's harshest critics on the panel, conceded to Prince. “And I’m sure you do a great job."

"But it’s not about what you do well," Cummings added. "It’s a question of, when things go wrong, where is the accountability?"

According to Sizemore, "Prince replied: 'Sir, we fired him. We fined him. But we, as a private organization, can’t do any more. We can’t flog him. We can’t incarcerate him. That’s up to the Justice Department. We are not empowered to enforce U.S. law.' Prince added that he would be 'happy to see a further investigation and prosecution by the Justice Department.'"

All in all, it looks like Prince tamed Sizemore with his testimony. Sizemore's colleague Joanne Kimberlin, who almost always told readers some of the good side of Blackwater, gave a vivid account of what went on in the hearing room.

Commenting on the assembled spectators, she said, "If they were expecting to see a thrashing, they were disappointed. Prince entered the room at the last minute, triggering a barrage of shutter clicks from nearly two dozen photographers. Trim and tan, with his close-cropped hair neatly parted, Prince, 38, looked more like a young scoutmaster than the leader of what critics call a mercenary outfit."

Her article is titled, "Observers admire Prince's poise while in the limelight." Even critics on the panel "openly admired [Prince's] performance. 'You're a very impressive witness,' conceded Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md.

"As the hearing wore on, Prince found himself responding to the same questions over and over - thanks to the fact that panel members tend to periodically leave the room to take care of other business. As a result, they walk back in, toss out questions that have already been asked and expect an answer.

"Toward the end of the hearing, Prince was given the option of taking a break or dealing with final questions. 'I'll take them, and then let's be done,' he said."

Sizemore's article is misleading about partisan report

Reporting on Congressman Henry Waxman's staff report about the 2004 attack on Blackwater guards in Fallujah, Bill Sizemore of the Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) fails to tell the reader that the "congressional probe" was carried out exclusively by Democratic staffers and based heavily on information from a trial lawyer who seeks to make millions from a suit against Blackwater.

Sizemore's omissions in his September 28 article, "Congressional Probe Faults Blackwater in Fallujah Ambush," are either sloppy or deliberately misleading.

The reporter makes no reference to the partisan nature of the report, identifying the authors merely as "investigators on the staff of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee." By contrast, AP and the McClatchy Newspapers were up-front about it.

Nor does Sizemore's article quote the congressional committee's Republican staff director, David Marin, who criticized the report. Other reporters, including Richard Lardner and Mike Baker of the Associated Press, did provide the minority party's side.

By portraying the "probe" as objective, Sizemore misled his readers.

Violating ethics, in search of a Pulitzer

Few people outside the greater Norfolk, Virginia, area have heard of the Virginian-Pilot, but the newspaper is influential in a major mid-Atlantic military community and has broken some national and international stories. One of its star reporters, Bill Sizemore, is finally making a big name for himself with his aggressive reporting about Blackwater.

Aggressive reporting is healthy when the journalist attempts to be objective and fair. The Virginian-Pilot has had a good reputation in that regard until Sizemore went over the edge from objective reporter on Blackwater to relentless partisan against the company. Some longtime readers are worried that though Sizemore's coverage is bringing the newspaper international attention, it is also imperiling the integrity of the paper's own Code of Ethics and Professionalism.

After 35 years in relative journalistic obscurity, Sizemore has been nominated for the coveted Pulitzer Prize for his Blackwater articles. But so far nobody seriously has called him for some sloppy and unprofessional aspects of his reporting. Since his stories are now fodder for the wire services and major newspaper chains on Blackwater, the Virginian-Pilot has an inordinate influence in shaping national and international perceptions.

So we encourage people to make their opinions known to the reporter, his editors and the public.

Contact Bill Sizemore and his editors

Readers of the Virginian-Pilot, as well as the paper's own editors and reporters, need to know that there is another side to the Blackwater stories. The newspaper publisher encourages public input. As always, be courteous and professional in all your correspondence. Rude, ignorant and socially unacceptable messages only harm your cause.

Letters to the Editor. To write a letter to the editor to the Virginian-Pilot, click here. Pay close attention to the rules: concise writing at 150 words or less, with all your contact information so the editors can verify that you are who you say you are.

Write to Virginian-Pilot editors by email: letters@pilotonline.com.

Write to Virginian-Pilot editors by fax: (757) 446-2041

Write to Virginian-Pilot editors by mail: Letters to the Editor, PO Box 449, Norfolk, VA 23501-0449.

Contact Bill Sizemore. Telephone: (757) 446-2276. Email: bill.sizemore@pilotonline.com.

The Virginian-Pilot's editors often provide links for readers to comment on specific articles, or polls soliciting their opinion. It's important to add legitimate and constructive comments, and always to answer the poll questions.