The Cincinnati Beacon
Whistleblower Makes Up McGurk Story? McGurk Makes Up Wulsin Story?
Friday, March 28, 2008
Posted by The Dean of Cincinnati
Reporter Margaret McGurk may have have fabricated information in a news story, but she’s quick to respond to what she says is a false story about herself.
 As we’ve reported, McGurk claimed US congressional candidate Dr. Victoria Wulsin worked an employee of the Heimlich Institute. We have our doubts about that so we’ve repeatedly asked McGurk to provide the source of her claim. Her response? No response. She just ignores us. We figured that perhaps, like Greta Garbo, Ms. McGurk shuns attention.
Such thoughts were dispelled yesterday morning. Turns out that if she thinks another publication has made up something about her, Ms. McGurk quickly finds the key light:
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:46:54 -0400
From: “The Dean of Cincinnati” <dean@cincinnatibeacon.com>
To:
Subject: Media Inquiry
Cc: , ,
Keith Bulling, Human Resources Manager
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Dear Mr. Bulling,
From Hoyer to Stump for Wulsin, a March 18 Enquirer blog item by Carl Weiser about a March 20 Wulsin for Congress fundraiser featuring US House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (my underlining):
Ann Herzner, (Victoria) Wulsin’s campaign spokeswoman, says Hoyer will be here on Thursday morning (March 20) for a “private reception. The event is closed to the press.“
The March 21 Whistleblower (the local political tattler newsletter run by Jim Schifrin) posted the following item about Enquirer reporter Margaret McGurk (my underlining):
Disingenuous DemocRAT Steny Hoyer was in town to raise funds for Congressional DemocRAT candidates Steve Driehaus and Icky Vicky Wulsin (Millionaire-Indian Hill). Wulsin requested a name speaker to come here but only got Hoyer. Nobody knows who Hoyer is and Hoyer doesn’t know the candidates. At the Wulsin fund-raiser in the usual house in Walnut Hills, her supporters cringed at Virus Vic’s exaggerated arm-flapping, handclasps, lip-smacking and getting down on her knees on the floor to talk to people. Feminist Fishwrapper Margaret McGurk was there with her obvious drooling woman-crush on Icky Vicky.
To my knowledge, neither the Enquirer print, online edition, or blog has published any reports about the fund raiser which, as Mr. Weiser reported, was “closed to the press.”
Therefore I’m trying to determine if, in fact, Ms. McGurk attended the event and, if so, in what capacity. Typically I’d address such questions directly to the reporter. However, as we’ve reported, Ms. McGurk has failed to respond to repeated inquiries concerning her reporting about the Ohio 2nd Congressional campaign. Therefore I assume she would be unlikely to respond to this inquiry. Since my questions concern Enquirer employment policy, I’m directing them to you. In the interests of providing fair opportunity, I’m copying Ms. McGurk in the event she wishes to respond.
1) Did Ms. McGurk, in fact, attend Dr. Wulsin’s March 20 fundraiser?
2) If so, in what capacity did she attend, as a representative of The Enquirer or as an individual?
3) If she attended as an Enquirer representative, which editor assigned the story to her and did she ever turn in any copy?
4) If she attended as an individual, given that Ms. McGurk has filed recent stories about the Ohio 2nd race, does that constitute a violation of any Enquirer or Gannett employee policies? If so, what are those violations?
I’m reporting this story this Friday, so please respond no later than 5pm Thursday.
Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to a reply.
Sincerely,
[The Dean of Cincinnati]
The Cincinnati Beacon
cc: Margaret McGurk, Carl Weiser, Jim Schifrin
A few hours later, look who managed to find her way to the keyboard?:
From: McGurk, Margaret <MMCGURK@cincinna.gannett.com>
Date: Wed, Mar 26, 2008 at 9:56 PM
Subject: In regard to your inquiry of Masrch 26, 2008
To:
Cc:
Mr. Shifrin is mistaken. I was not present at the March 20 Wulsin fundraiser in any capacity.
Margaret A. McGurk
Cincinnati Enquirer
312 Elm St.
Cincinnati OH 45202
Garbo speaks! Since the lines of communication appeared to be open, we quickly replied:
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:36:07 -0400
From: “The Dean of Cincinnati”
To: “McGurk, Margaret” <MMCGURK@cincinna.gannett.com
Subject: Re: In regard to your inquiry of Masrch 26, 2008
Cc: , ,
Ms. McGurk,
Thank you for your message, which I plan to report tomorrow. By the end of today, would you also please answer the fact-check question which I sent you on February 23 and 26, to which I never received your reply. From your 2/17/08 article, The Debunko Squad - Wulsin’s work criticized.
(Dr.) Wulsin worked for the (Heimlich) institute in 2004...
Please provide me with the source of information on which you based your claim that Dr. Wulsin was employed by the Heimlich Institute. If you are unwilling to answer the question, please state your reason(s).
Sincerely,
[The Dean of Cincinnati]
The Cincinnati Beacon
No reply yet, but maybe Ms. McGarbo’s checking her notes.
In the meantime, what about Jim Schifrin? Did The Whistleblower blow it? If he got a bum tip, will he out his source and publish a correction? Or will he stand by his claim?
Kind of an interesting journalism integrity match race here between two local publications, The Enquirer and The Whistleblower. Will either one back up their work or publish a correction or will they both simply “vant to be ah-lone”? We’ll keep you posted.
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