Julia Willebrand

Founding Member (since December 2006)
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The failure of democracy in the US due in part to media concentration and its influence on public policy are primary concerns of mine.

About Julia Help
Location: NY, New York, United States
Occupation: Retired Professor, US Green Party
Interests: economics, foreign policy, environment particularly climate crisis, sustainable cities
Expertise: foreign policy, solid waste
Background Help
Journalism: None
Education: Post-graduate school
News: 90 minutes a day or more
Internet: 90 minutes a day or more
Languages: English-only
Politics: Left
Age: 65 or over
Gender: Female
Income: $25K to $49K
Favorites Help
Contact Info Help
Email:
Address: NY, NY, 10024, US
Last Visit: Mar 16, 2010 - 5:57 PM PDT
Last Edit: Jan 19, 2010 - 4:42 PM PST
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Activity

Julia reviewed this story - Feb 16, 2010
Julia's Rating
3.5

I'm not sure that it qualifies as journalism given tthe lack of sources. It's unfortunate that Kall didn't elaborate on Bayh's manipulation of ballot access rules to ensure there would be no primary..

See Full Review » (11 answers)
NT Rating: 3.5 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Feb 16, 2010
Julia's Rating
4.6

The story is well sourced. The rumour that Geitner may be on his way out could have been elaborated more. The explanations of CDS, etc are intelligible. So it's quality journalism

See Full Review » (11 answers)
NT Rating: 4.3 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia posted and reviewed this story - Jan 30, 2010
Julia's Rating
3.6

much detail related to the failure of the US gov't to establish priorities. A gov't which can authorize a $700 billion bailout in a few days should be able to find a way to handle the question who pays the cost of acute care for dangerously injured victims of an earthquake. This story details the failure and its causes.

See Full Review » (11 answers)
NT Rating: 3.6 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia posted and reviewed this story - Jan 29, 2010
Julia reviewed this story - Jan 29, 2010
Julia's Rating
3.4
See Full Review » (9 answers)
NT Rating: 4.1 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Jan 19, 2010
Julia's Rating
2.8

More a scare story than a factual report. The author does not even bother to identify the source of the "erroneous report" except as the WWF. For all the info given the report could have come from the World Wrestling Federation.

See Full Review » (11 answers)
NT Rating: 3.8 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Jan 19, 2010
Julia's Rating
2.5

A vacuous piece with little insightful information. Given the author's position as staff political reporter for the New Yorker some background on US near continuous involvement in Haitian crises would be expected.

See Full Review » (11 answers)
NT Rating: 3.3 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Dec 23, 2009
Julia's Rating
2.3

No. The story is poorly written, weakly sourced and full of hedging phrases which appear designed to confuse. The fudging of facts is rampant. For example "extraordinary rendition is defined as " a tactic of capturing militant suspects". a phrase containg no concrete information. Or Obama is said to have stated "early on" that he was closing the "foreign detention network. When did Obama say this? And what are some examples of the Foreign Detention Centers?

See Full Review » (11 answers)
NT Rating: 2.6 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia commented on this story – Dec. 23, 2009
Julia reviewed this story - Oct 18, 2009
Julia's Rating
2.8

More facts, less author opinion would have strenthened the piece. how about names of "intractable consevative democrats", "activists" for whom "Reid is a whipping boy". Blind quotes from "progressive strategists" does not a serious piece of journalism make. "

See Full Review » (12 answers)
NT Rating: 3.1 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Oct 15, 2009
Julia's Rating
2.7

No. A great deal of begging the question despite his calls for adhering to a scientific view. And his lumping economic caused terroristic actions, i.e., Israel's occupation of Palestine and biblebelt buy-in to free market propaganda as a result of belief in religion isn't supported by his exposition.

See Full Review » (12 answers)
NT Rating: 3.4 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Oct 10, 2009
Julia's Rating
3.1

It's a fun piece of journalism for the already informed. If you haven't already read Michael Pollan, it would would have liitle meaning. And a little more detail about Big A'g's influence on the farmers showing up to protest Pollan would have made for a better story.

See Full Review » (12 answers)
NT Rating: 3.3 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Oct 7, 2009
Julia's Rating
4.3

Well done story. However some comparisons with US circumstances would have helped. Holland has a populations of 15 million the US 20 times that. How would that effect coverage? What kinds of innovation do Dutch insurance companies use to compete. No examples were given.

See Full Review » (12 answers)
NT Rating: 4.3 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Apr 30, 2009
Julia's Rating
3.0

Info on which Dems object to Specter's deal with Reid. but no context or info on what perks come with committee chair. The author should have provided some info on why Appropriations is a powerful committee

See Full Review » (9 answers)
NT Rating: 3.6 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia posted and reviewed this story - Apr 28, 2009
Julia's Rating
4.8

Yes, Clear, well sourced, excellent web links to check background info. Provides more than enough information for reader to draw own conclusion rather than having to rely on the authors interpretation.

MSM and the political establishment often go to any lenght to support the status quo.But here the NY Times does a fine job of revealing how far ... More »

See Full Review » (12 answers)
NT Rating: 4.4 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia posted and reviewed this story - Apr 28, 2009
Julia reviewed this story - Apr 17, 2009
Julia's Rating
3.1

More hard supporting evidence would have been useful. Unsourced statements, e.g. police in Tucson and Phoenix reporting increases in drug related crimes weaken the article.

I favor legalizing marijuana.

See Full Review » (10 answers)
NT Rating: 3.9 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Apr 16, 2009
Julia's Rating
2.2

This is not quality journalism. It reads like much of the "attack social security" MSM biased journalism which shills for the finance industry.. There are statistics and then there are d.... lies. While the treasury is bailing out banks and insurance companies to which it has no obligation, By proposing that Treasury bond interest payments to SS are a drain on the budget this journalist implies that the US government might renege on its full faith and credit obligation to pay the ... More »

See Full Review » (9 answers)
NT Rating: 3.1 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Apr 9, 2009
Julia's Rating
2.6

Somewhat Informative about Blankfein's speech. But pretty empty of analysis when discussing taxing stragies for capping Wall St pay bonanzas. Just rejecting tax caps w/o backup reasoning doesn't constitute good journaiism

Consisdering the fact the the Washington Post (which is too often a Wall St booster club) publsihed it, I'm happy to see it.

See Full Review » (12 answers)
NT Rating: 2.9 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Apr 4, 2009
Julia's Rating
3.4

What's not clear in this piece is the extent of the deception involved in reframing toxic/troubled assets as "legacy loans". Since this an opinion piece the author should have made the identity and intention of the culprits clearer.

See Full Review » (11 answers)
NT Rating: 4.0 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia posted this story - Mar 2, 2009
Julia reviewed this story - Feb 28, 2009
Julia's Rating
1.0

The author needs a dicionary. He criticizes the stimulus bill for failing to offset spending with cuts. He makes off the cuff statements with no ... More »

See Full Review » (6 answers)
NT Rating: 1.3 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Feb 13, 2009
Julia's Rating
3.9

The piece would be improved by including information on what is and is not legal iuse of state funds. Clearly there is something questioable about Senate reearch and printing arms being vailable only to the Republicans. Also Hakim quotes Senate Republicans as claiming they can't function on $3 million staff budget. Yet he provides no information to judge the accuracy of this statement.

The tone of the article treats the "corruption" of the system in Albany as some sort of a squabble ratner tnan a serious violation of public trust.

See Full Review » (7 answers)
NT Rating: 3.8 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed and liked this story - Jan 9, 2009
Julia's Rating
4.6

Useful info. The piece would have been more useful if the reporter had included some stats on private insurance costs and how long COBRA coverage is available and what propsects there are for change with a ne administration in Washington.

I strongly support single payer national health insurance.

See Full Review » (7 answers)
NT Rating: 3.8 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Dec 19, 2008
Julia's Rating
3.5

The facts are set out clearly. Nevertheless a deeper analysis including some indication of what the LBGT community plans to do would have made a better piece.

As a Green activist, I expected a fair amount of dsmissal of Obama's leftish support. But this invitation seems inexcusable.

See Full Review » (7 answers)
NT Rating: 3.7 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Oct 27, 2008
Julia's Rating
3.1

It's more a teaser than a good piece of Journalism. Much more detail and context would be needed before one could give full credit to the thesis that the old dtandby "stages of grief " are "bunk". Nevertheless, debunking pieces are always fun to read.

See Full Review » (6 answers)
NT Rating: 3.0 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Oct 1, 2008
Julia's Rating
3.9

Excellent job of providing facts. While the reporter gives us the facts, it dos seem a tempest in a teapot. Given the campaign finance legal bribery "customary" among US politicians why this particular contretemp deserves major story space in the NY Times is a big question.

See Full Review » (13 answers)
NT Rating: 3.7 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Oct 1, 2008
Julia's Rating
4.4

An exceptional expose of how far off the mark US "liberal" think tank analysis has been in accounting for the realities of both Democratic and Republican supported Middle East policy.

See Full Review » (13 answers)
NT Rating: 4.3 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Oct 1, 2008
Julia's Rating
4.3

An extraordinary exposition of a difficult topic by a distinguish economist. Greater detail on how the speculative process actually raises prices would have provided "added value" for the reader.

See Full Review » (13 answers)
NT Rating: 3.8 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Oct 1, 2008
Julia's Rating
3.9

Interesting story. One detail, the possibility that the "protest permit" process was a scam to unmask possible protestors, could have used some supporting evidence.

See Full Review » (12 answers)
NT Rating: 4.0 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Oct 1, 2008
Julia's Rating
4.3

The devil is in the details. This story provides enough detail to clarify the underlying lender scams, a lack of clear title, which are the basisi of many foreclosure actions.

See Full Review » (12 answers)
NT Rating: 4.3 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Oct 1, 2008
Julia's Rating
3.7

The story links provide the details to back the reporters contention that Cindy MCCain is getting a media free ride.

See Full Review » (12 answers)
NT Rating: 3.6 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Oct 1, 2008
Julia's Rating
2.2

This stoy reads like a PR/whitewashing piece rather than a news report. The authors write "TV news organizations face "unprecedented" scrutiny w/o supplying some supporting evidence. The statemet functions to absolve Fox News by implying that everbody does it . Critics are characterized as "self appointed" watchdogs (?) are there any othe kind. Michele Malkin is described as "trenchant" which means incisive,

See Full Review » (13 answers)
NT Rating: 3.0 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Oct 1, 2008
Julia's Rating
3.1

A good story. Excellent information on what the report contains. and good contrast with Germany's power efforts. But an important element is missing. Cui Bono? Nowhere does the author provide information on why Labor would back peddle on micro energy. Or why it would be supporting new nuclear plants. Although it is implicit that the beneficiaries of this policy shift are major energy producers, details would have strengthen the story.

See Full Review » (13 answers)
NT Rating: 4.2 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Oct 1, 2008
Julia's Rating
4.2
See Full Review » (12 answers)
NT Rating: 4.4 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Oct 1, 2008
Julia's Rating
4.1

A very clear exposition of how a single individual can have an effect on international policy.

See Full Review » (13 answers)
NT Rating: 4.1 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Oct 1, 2008
Julia's Rating
4.3

Good journalism but some more facts re thousands of "benefits" heterosexual couples enjoy as a result of marriage would have improved the article.

See Full Review » (13 answers)
NT Rating: 3.0 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Oct 1, 2008
Julia's Rating
2.4

A feel good story with too many suspect statistics. Exports are up b/c a weak dollar makes US goods cheap. Corn production is up b/c the taxpayer is finanacing more subsidies, including ethanol subsidies. And fertilzer sales are up for the same reason. And an article that discusses "old economies and industrialization w/o mentioning global warming and an energy crisis is a "feel good" story and not a serious journalistic effort.

See Full Review » (13 answers)
NT Rating: 2.4 | See All NT Reviews »
Julia reviewed this story - Oct 1, 2008
Julia's Rating
3.2

A bland story with lots of statistics but little analysis. Among the missing points is the effect on the climate change crisis from loss of the rain forest. No human details re the slavery charge.. and with so much land being taken for crops no mention of bio fuel of which Brazil is the number 1 world producer. An important story weakly covered

See Full Review » (13 answers)
NT Rating: 3.3 | See All NT Reviews »
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Levels & Stats

Member LevelHelp
4.0 avg.
4.0 avg.
Activity
4.7 avg.
Experience
3.6 avg.
Ratings
3.6 avg.
Transparency
3.8 avg.
Validation
4.0 avg.

StatsHelp
Reviews
75
Answers
723
Comments
1
Ratings Received
34
Number of Raters
23
Ratings Given
4

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