June 2, 1997 The -Nation. 4 EDITORIALS

titled "Though Evidence Is Thin, Tale of C.I.A. and Drugs Has a Life of Its Own." The Nation. The LA. Times, which according to one of its reporters created PUBLISHER AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Victor Navasky a "get Gary Webb team," proved so eager to knock down the story EDITOR: it contradicted its own reporting. In criticizing Webb's focus on

EXECUTIVE EDITOR, An Winslow drug dealer Ricky Ross, a police source for reporter Jesse Katz SENIOR EDITORS. Elsa Dialer. Richard Lingeman, JoAnn Wypijewski insisted, "Even on the best day Ricky Ross had there was way ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Kasha PoIlitt LITERARY EDITORS: John Leonard. Sue Leonard more crack cocaine out there than he could ever control." But wASHII4GTON EDITOR: David Corn two years earlier, Katz had written in the same newspaper that COPY CHIEF: Roane Carty COPY EDITOR: Judith Long "if there was a criminal mastermind behind crack's decade- COPY ASSOCIATE: Lisa Vandepaer long reign, if there was one outlaw capitalist most responsible ASSISTANT COPY EDITOR: Emily Gordon Sunk ASSISTANT TO THE EDITOR. Peggy for flooding Los Angeles' streets with mass-marketed cocaine, ASSISTANT LITERARY EDITOR: Molly E. Rauch R. Dalai_ Philip Higgs his name was Freeway Rick.... Ricky Donnell Ross." MEANS: Sophie Beach. Alexander P Cohen. Anaga f Washington). Washington Post attack on Webb was so one- David Irvine, Grady Klein- NhuT. Le. Sam Iviunger Similarly, the Arr. Arthur C. Danto: Film, Stuart sided it inspired the newspaper's ombudsman, Geneva Overholser, DEPARTMENTS: .-Irekirectunr, Jane Holtz Kay: Poetry. Grace Schulman: Klawans Maur. Edward W. Said, Gene Santoro: to accuse the paper of "misdirected" zeal. "The Post," she wrote. Theater. Thomas M. Ditch FrievIston. Alyssa Katz; Karl Taro "showed more energy for protect[ing] the CIA from someone BORE-Ws: Europe, Daniel Singer, Budapest. Miklas Vinson: Tokyo. Greenfeld: Southern Africa, Mark Gevisser else's journalistic excesses" than it did "protecting the people (Beat the Devil), COLUMNISTS AND REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Katha Pollin (Subject to Debate), Calvin from government excesses." In a textbook example of elite (Minority Report), Robert Derry of a Mad Law Professor); Corpora:tow, journalistic arrogance, the paper even refused to publish Jerry Trillin. Patricial. Williams I Fait Alterman Sherrill; Defense. Michael T. Klare; Full-Court Press. Kai Bird, George Black, Robert L. Ceppos's response to the critique of his newspaper. CONTRIBLTING EDITORS: Lucia Armunziata, Borosage, Stephen F. Cohen_ , Mike Dans Sievelike Drakulie,Michael Susan MoCan, The mainstream critique of Webb's reporting could be summed Ninth, Thomas Ferguson. Doug Henwood. Max Holland Molly ,vita. up in the reaction of L.A. Times Washington bureau chief Doyle Joel Rogers Kirkpatrick Sale, Robert Scheer, Herman Schwas, Andrew L. Shapiro,Wilma Bruce Shapiro, Ted Solotaroff. . , Jon Wiener, Amy McManus, who concluded that "most of the things that are new EDITORIAL saw): Norman Birnbaum, Richard Falk, Frances FnaGerald Eric aren't true, and most of the things that are true aren't new." But Foner. Philip Green. aandall Kennedy. Elinor Langer, Deborah W. Meier. Toni Morrison. Richard Parker. Michael Pertschuk. Elisabeth Pochoda, Neil Pocunan, as Peter Kombiuh demonstrated in a remarkably thorough ex- Martha G. Raskin, David Weir. Roger Wilkins amination of the evidence in the Columbia Journalism Review,

VICE PRESIDENT, ADVERTISING: Perry Janoski each of the papers that so enthusiastically pounced on Webb's Tomasina Boyd contra cocaine- ASS/STANT ADVERTISING MANAGER: errors had systematically buried the story of Anvairrisixo ASSISTANT- Kevin Waiter Contra involvement in drug run- CIRCULATION MANAGER: Michelle O'Keefe running back when it was new PRODUCTION, Director, lane Sharpies; Sandy MeCrolikey, Sauna Treekle NATION ASSOCIATES: Pew Randall ning across the was substantiated by entries in VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF THE Cried:mall Natividad NATION ASSOCIATES COORDINATOR: Oliver North's diaries and in an official 1989 report of the Senate Ditector. Peter Rothbem Coordinator, Max Block PUBLICITY AND mom. PROJECTS. Foreign Relations Committee. SPECIAL PROJECTS ASSISTANT: Lakshmi Balasubramanian David Pomona DIRECTOR Of OPERATIONS AND NEW MEDIA This sensational news—that the National Security Council CONTROLLER: George Fuchs (in the person of North) and the C.I.A. had turned a blind eye to BOOKKEEPER: Ivor A. Richardson RECEPTIOMST. Dhanukdhan drug smuggling in the United States in order to further covert John Holtz DATA ENTRY MAR. COORDINATOR: aims to destroy a government with which the country was offi-

ASSOCLATE PUBLISHER FOR BUSINESS AFFAIRS: Victor S. Goldberg cially at peace—did not receive one-thirtieth the space that the ASSOCIATE PUBLisHER: Teresa Stack media devoted to knocking down the weaker aspects of Webb's ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER: Mary Taylor Schilling make it to network news. One PRESIDENT' Jack Berkowitz work. Indeed. the story didn't needn't be a Freudian to wonder whether the fact that Webb of- The Editor, The Nation, 72 Fifth Avenue, New York_ NY MANUSCRIPTS: .kikircss to fered confirmation of an explosive story ignored by the main- :9011. Not responsible for the return of unsolic. ted manuscripts unless accompanied to destroy both the right and by addressed. stamised envelopes. Unsolicited faxed atanuscnpts will not be acknowl- stream media had inspired a wish edged unites accepted. Unsolicited manuscnpts are not accepted via e-mail. the wrong in his reporting. The :Vew York 0027-83711 is published weekly (except for the second week in Jan- The Nation (ISSN of September( by The Now that Ceppos has apologized, however. the third week of July through the third week uary, and biweekly Company, L.P., 72 Fifth Av- has decided that the story is front-page news, and even Nation Company. L.P. C 1991 in the U.S.A. by The Nanon Times Washington Bonsai: Suite 308, 110 Mercury enue, New York. NY 10011. (212) 242-3400. printed a condescending editorial commending the 20002. 1202) 546-2239. Periodicals postage Maryland Avenue N.E . Washington. DC News for other solid work it has done. Doyle McManus called paid ar New York. NY. and at additional mailing writes. International Telex: 667 155 ran a lengthy NATION. Subscription orders. changes of address and all subscnphon inquiries: The the apology "courageous." The Washington Post 37072. Boone. IA 50037, ,X all I-800-333-8536. Subscription Price: story many months ago, Nation, P.O. dot Please allow story on page A7. In defending the year. 552; 2 years. 590. Add Sill for Surface mail postage outsidetransactions. U.S. Back the series that 4-6 weeks for receipt of year DM issue Bad far all subseripcloa however, Ceppos insisted that "the key finding of issues 54 premud t55 foreign) front The Nation. T2 Fifth Avenue, New York. NY people associated with the C.I.A. also sold many tons of cocaine 1 00 1 1 . The Nation is available on microfilm from: University Microfilms.Circulations. 300 POST- North Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor. Ml 48106. Member. Audit Bureau of has not been challenged." It still hasn't. MASTER Send address changes to The Nation. P.O. Box 37072. Boone, IA 50037 on recycled paper. What did the agency know and when did it know it? This issue wet to press on May 14. Printed in U.S.A. Don't expect answers any time soon. infa6ilnePiatiall.aom INTERNET; attpd/ wara.TheNatisa.coat

3 June 2, 1997 The Nation since 186.3. VOLUME 264. NUMBER 21 IN THIS ISSUE

2 LETTERS ARTICLES BOOKS AND THE ARTS 11 WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE 25 LIONNI: Between Worlds: EDITORIALS Workfare trainees and low-wage The Autobiography of Leo Lionni 3 C.I.A.. CRACK. THE MEDIA laborers will play musical chairs Vivian Gussin Paley on the welfare rolls. 26 PLATTNER: High Art Down Home: 5 FIXING THE FED Marc Cooper James K Galbraith An Economic Ethnography of a 15 WELFARE REFORM SKIPS SCHOOL Local Art Market 5 A NEW ARMS CODE The focus on jobs forsakes education Paul _Warrick Oscar Anus and longer-term self-sufficiency. 30 ART 6 AFRICA AFTER MOBUTU Diana Spat The 1997 Whitney Biennial Mark Gevisser 18 HAMILL TO CELEBS: DROP DEAD Arthur C. Danto 7 IN FACT... The Daily News's new editor wants 32 "WHEN YOU'RE LOST [N to focus on immigrants, not stars. THE RAIN IN JUAREZ. AND COLUMNS But will he prosper? IT'S EASTERTIME TOO" ( poem) 6 THE SWISS Eric Alterman Charles Wright 20 LABORING AGAINST SUHARTO 34 FILMS 9 BEAT THE DEVIL A diffuse workers' movement offers The Fifth Element Murray Kempton: Reporter Indonesia's best hope for democracy. Four Million Houseguests Alexander Cockburn David Moberg Stuart Klawan.s 10 DIARY OF A MAD LAW PROFESSOR Cover design by WBMG. arr by Mirko De Jure, De Facto, De Media... flit illustrations by Robert Grossman. Patricia I Williams Lars Leeraru

EDITORIALS

.1=1■1111. the O.J. verdict, the story revealed a growing racial divide in the perception of America's most powerful institutions. For many C.I.A., Crack, the Media African-Americans, particularly poor ones, the idea that the C.I.A. he never-ending saga of the San Jose Mercury News, the deliberately introduced crack into America's ghettos in order to C.I.A., contras and crack dealers took yet another strange fund foreign wars against imaginary threats did not seem much twist recently when the newspaper's editor saw fit to issue a of a stretch. "Dark Alliance" seemed to confirm their world view. public apology. Gary Webb's four-part series last year, "Dark For the rest of America, however, the notion went beyond what Alliance," wrote editor Jerry Ceppos, "fell short of my stand- even the C.I.A. might consider. The agency was overzealous, iards for the Mercury News." perhaps, but criminal? That was going too far. High-profile newspaper apologies, unprompted by lawsuits, In fact, the series' id go too far. As Ceppos's apology admit- are. generally speaking, a rare and welcome sight. Ceppos notes, ted, Webb "presented only one interpretation of complicated, "For too long, newspapers have believed that no one can disagree sometimes-conflicting pieces of evidence." He "oversimplified with them, that they must have the last word." What is curious the complex issue of how the crack epidemic in America grew." about Ceppos's decision is that his apology ignored virtually On the Internet in particular. the series used "imprecise language everything that was right with his paper's remarkable scoop and and graphics" to create "impressions that were open to misinter- focused only on Mose aspects of the story that overshot its goal. pretation." Webb never directly claimed that the C.I.A. ran the This focus perfectlyimirrored that of the mainstream national drug dealers, or even had direct knowledge of their drug dealing. press, as well as that of the C.I.A. itself. The agency, which usu- Most of his reporting focused on the relationship between the ally keeps mum about newspaper stories involving its actions, crack dealers and the contras. But his over-hyped, sensationalized issued a statement calling Ceppos's apology "gratifying." language contributed to misimpressions that his reporting could It is fair to say that no regionally generated story has inspired not support. so powerful a reaction as Webb's tangled tale of the introduc- Webb gave his enemies a sword and they used it. Without tion of crack into L.A. ghettos by drug dealers who helped fund exception. bigfoot reporters focused not on the portions of his the C.I.A.-backed and -created Nicaraguan contras. Initially ig- reporting that were new and original but on the unsupportable nored by the national media—even the Los Angeles Times—the allegations his story seemed to imply. Ignoring the story as it story spread around the world on the Internet and ultimately led built steam, both on the Internet and through church and com- to Congressional investigations, vituperative town meetings munity group meetings in inner-city neighborhoods, the main- featuring then-Director of Central Intelligence John Deutch stream media finally fell on Webb's reporting with the subtlety and lengthy rebuttals in almost every national newspaper. Like of a panzer division. The New York limes published an article

roundup Mercury News series draws fire San Jose paper finds itself under scrutiny

BY JACQUELINE MYERS ing funds to use against the Sandinista gov- short on facts, and are rife with internal ernment. But the Washington, New York contradictions that undercut Webb's the- A San Jose Mercury News series about and Los Angeles newspapers began taking sis." a California drug ring's ties to the Latin issue in October with Webb's references to But not all reaction is criticism. The Na- American Contras—which were backed the "CIA's army," the series title "Dark- tional Association of Black Journalists by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency— Alliance; the newspaper's use of an original heralded the Mercury News series, saying spurred other newspapers to do their own logo that depicted a crack-smoker super- it became the "buzz of black America." stories in the classic print tradition of fol- imposed over the CIA seal, and other details, 4 Richard Prince, who wrote the "Journal- lowing up. that were interpreted as suggestions of a isms" column in the September/October But this time was a bit unusual because link 1996 issue of NAB' Journal, said, "How the Mercury News series, which ran last Other news organizations, including long have black folks been saying all those August, has recently been covered almost The Boston Globe, Accuracy in the Media, drugs couldn't be coming into our com- as much as the subject. The series has re- Columbia Journalism Review, Extra! and- munities without the government's ceived—and continues to receive—so much Newsweek, have since focused attention knowledge?" attention that the Mercury News set up a on the stories. The cover story in the January/Febru- Web site to present the material and as- Robert Suro and Walter Pincus of The ary 1997 issue of Extral also came to the signed reporter Pete Carey to evaluate the Washington Post said their own investiga- Mercury News' defense. Norman Solomon coverage the series has received. tion found no evidence to "support the said "the elite media's attacks . . . . were The series, titled "Dark Alliance," fo- conclusion that the CIA-backed Contras— clearly driven by a need to defend their cused on a Los Angeles drug ring trafficking or Nicaraguans in general—played a major shoddy record on the Contra-cocaine story through L.A. street gangs to raise funds for role in the emergence of crack as a narcotic the Contras, the opposition to what was in widespread use across the United States" then a Sandinista-led government in Pincus, who covered the widely-publi- Defending what he terms "solid jour- Nicaragua. cized Iran-Contra affair in the 1980s, said nalism;' Solomon denounces criticisms of Dark Alliance identified the street gang the information found in the MercuryNews Webb's references to the contras as "the activity as the driving force behind the ex- series did not match the allegations it made. CIA's army." He says Webb's reference high- plosion of crack cocaine use that has swept Tim Golden of The New York Times lights "a relationship that is fundamentally across the United States in recent years. said while there are indications, there is no relevant to the story." The heart of the subsequent controversy evidence that Nicaraguan drug traffickers Peter Kornbluh in the current issue of is whether the CIA participated in or had had anything to do with the CIA. He also Columbia Journalism Review said the- any knowledge of the drug ring's financial said there is no proof that small amounts Mercury News series promised evidence, support of the Contra mission against the of cocaine possibly distributed for pur, but did not deliver it. But, Kornbluh said, Sandinista government. poses of raising money for the Contras had the Mercury News had done something The Washington Post, New York Times increased significantly the use of crack in the elites hadn't "revisit a significant story and LATimes have all raised doubts about the United States. that had been inexplicably abandoned by "Dark Alliance," saying there is no evidence Jesse Katz, Claire Spiegel, and Ralph the mainstream press, report a new di- to prove the CIA knew about or was in any Frammolino of the Los Angeles Times said mension to it, and thus put it back on the way involved. there was no proof that profits from a national agenda where it belongs. Mercury News Executive Editor Jerry Nicaraguan drug ring went to the Contras; The series also prompted another unan- Ceppos told Editor & Publisher magazine that the Clips and the Bloods, Los Ange- ticipated buzz—online activity. The that his only regret about running the se- les street gangs, received profits from cocaine Associated Press reported that within days ries was that it didn't contain a paragraph sales and that Nicaraguans weren't the first of the beginning of the "Dark Alliance" se- saying "clearly what the Mercury News the take cocaine to L.A. ries, more than 2500 Web sites had linked doesn't know. whether the CIA indeed had The Aim Report, a newsletter published directly to Mercury News Center, the on- knowledge of the drug dealing in Los An- by Accuracy in the Media, calls Webb's se- line Mercury News edition. geles." He said the paper had not reached ries "media malpractice." The Dark Alliance collection can be or reported on a decision regarding CIA "Splashed over page after page, with found at http://wwwsjmercury.com/drugs involvement or knowledge. striking graphics and photographs, the se- "Dark Alliance" reporter Gary Webb ries had the first-glance appearance of never reported that the Contra fund-rais- well-documented authenticity," the report ing was headed by the CIA, or that the reads. "But even a cursory reading shows Jacqueline Myers is the Ward Neff intern agency was even aware of the efforts at rais- that the articles are long on innuendo and for the Society. Asivriman. January/February 1997

y,kvv‘tkvw*W,' , • I , _ •