Thanks to BuryPensions for quoting from Sunlight’s recent blog “What Has Happened to NJ Spotlight?” on NJ Spotlight’s double-standards when it comes to publishing op-eds.

NJ Spotlight gave Sunlight a very hard time on an op-ed critical of the NJEA, which ultimately led Sunlight to have the op-ed published in the Star-Ledger instead.  Meanwhile, NJ Spotlight had no problem publishing an op-ed by NJEA-member Mark “Jersey Jazzman” Weber, who works for NJEA-funded New Jersey Policy Perspective.  Weber’s op-ed is fact-lite, substandard research – just another in a long line of shoddy work by Weber and NJPP.   But apparently that was all OK with NJ Spotlight.

What has happened to NJ Spotlight, indeed?

BuryPensions also raises the presence of Super PAC New Direction New Jersey’s ads on New Jersey Globe’s website.   New Direction is of course 70%-funded by the NJEA, so BuryPensions rightly questions what sort of impact this might have on the Globe.

The bottom line is that it is right to raise questions about the co-optation of NJ media organs by powerful special interests like the NJEA.  The sad truth is that the NJEA’s deep pockets are filled by taxpayer dollars.  What a rigged system!