In this interview, veteran foreign and UN correspondent, Joe Lauria, the new editor of Consortium News, following the death of its founder, Robert Parry, speaks about Parry's history, his helping to expose the Iran-Contra connection and later âthe October surprise,âand how the censorship of his writings by the mainstream press led him to form a âconsortiumâ of independent journalists which has since become the most important source of well documented information countering the fake news promulgated by the mainstream and now by some formerly âalternativeâ news sources.
Lauria describes his own experiences in censorship in reporting the build-up to the Iraq war that eventually led him to be fired and to begin writing for Consortium News.
Lauria responds to a question about the lawsuit filed by the DNC against Russia, Wikileaks, and the Trump campaign which he sees as a fundraising gimmick by the Democrats but also one that will reveal the ties that Bernie Sanders has to the party and its endorsement of its hawklike approach to Russia, Syria and Iran.
He also speaks of Consortium News being the only site publishing the letters and statements of VIPS, the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, that challenge mainstream thinking and US foreign policy and that it will continue to do that.
He also points out that these former intelligence professionals have been taking their independent positions, as has Consortium News, before RT, before Russiagate appeared on the scene.
Lauria then speaks of his plans to expand Consortium News coverage to other issues, most notably labor, and recalls that in the past, most newspapers had special labor reporters and that Consortium News is looking for well-documented contributions from journalists on all issues that are relevant for the general public. He then expands upon the role and problems of labor and workers in the current environment.
Those interested in contributing either articles or support for Consortium News can do so by going to consortiumnews, com.
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