We Want Media

William Bastone metamorphosized before my eyes. “Never shy away from doing something because someone might be upset about it in the operation,” he said. The guy that first walked in, nervously twiddling his wedding ring in his navy suit and magenta flower-print tie, was not the same guy who ultimately laughed and said he’d “kill” for Grand Jury testimony. Well, they say where there’s smoke there’s fire, and The Smoking Gun definitely has plenty of fire.

In today’s age of blogging, sometimes we forget that snark and flash isn’t as important as passionate, old-fashioned investigative reporting. Bastone, The Smoking Gun’s editor and founder, reminded our class that the paper trail still exists and that a dry-sounding document can still tell wonders. Well, it wasn’t so much of a wonderful experience for James Frey, the guy who fibbed in his memoirs. It was, however, a great bust by The Smoking Gun after documents revealed his story was false. Of course, people need entertainment, too. Celebrity mug-shots and Mary J. Blige’s zest for Fiji water are “Milky Way bars” in Smoking Gun’s otherwise nutritious content. Yum.

Having evidence shown to you is a lot more believable than a rumor that may or may not be true. It takes meticulous work and meticulous minds to add up all the pieces into true exposé material. Luckily, Bastone tells us he never throws a piece of paper away. The site and Bastone are hungry for news and they exist to break it as often as they can. So, if you have a story idea, give the three-man team at The Smoking Gun a call.

Bastone promises he’ll be the one answering.