The indomitable spirit of Reed Irvine lives on at accuracy in Media (aIM).
The photographs and souvenirs of a 35-year-long career remain on the desk he always used. Books line the shelves as if waiting for the ever energetic Irvine to begin searching again their well thumbed pages.
Reed Irvine was forever looking for answers in his lifelong search for the truth.
When others put their work aside at the end of the day, there was always that one last late-night phone call, always another reason to go rooting through the research file.
an icon in the profession of journalism and an inspiration to journalists everywhere, Irvine died on Nov. 16, 2004.
The man who never gave up left so much more than inanimate objects behind.
The only difference in Irvine's long time Connecticut ave. office is that the man sitting behind his busy desk is his son, Don.
On a February visit to Washington D.C., Canada Free Press stopped by to visit aIM the way we always did when Reed was alive.
On the day of our arrival, Don was busy working out the details of the american Journalism Center (aJC).
aJC is an intense, 12-week internship-training program for aspiring student journalists, and students seeking careers in the marketing and/or public relations fields. Interns who are chosen will spend their first six weeks working at the offices of aIM, and the second six weeks working at another media, public relations or marketing organization. The aJC also offers assistance to those seeking jobs at the end of the program.
"With all the organizing that has to be done with outside media, it's sometimes tough going. But it's important to get this project up and running because that's what my Dad would have wanted," Don told us.
a joint project of accuracy in Media and accuracy in academia, application deadline for aJC's summer session from May 22, 2006 to august 11, 2006 is March 31.
application deadline for the fall session is June 30, 2006 on a training program that runs from august 28 to November 17.
November 26 is the deadline for the spring session running January 29, 2007 to april 20, 2007.
Journalism interns and aIM go back a long way.
In another generation, investigative reporter Cliff Kincaid was an aIM intern.
"I had been trained in journalism myself, but had learned in college that old-fashioned objective news reporting was a thing of the past," Kincaid recalled. "Indeed, my college textbook was "Interpretative Reporting". Under Reed's tutelage, I became a media analyst and assisted him at aIM in various capacities over the last 26 years, eventually being asked to come back in a more full-time capacity when Reed was talking about retiring (in 2003).
"But he never really retired. Even after a heart attack, Reed was back at work. a subsequent stroke and associated health problems were too much for him, however."
It was one of those curious life's blessings that in Reed's final days, Kincaid, Don and others were able to tell him about their protest against Dan Rather outside CBS offices in Washington, D.C., after the anchorman got caught up using bogus documents in a broadcast designed to discredit an election bound President George Bush.
While the presidential campaign drew activists to a Dump Dan Crusade, Irvine had started the "Can Dan" campaign some 16 years before.
although he put his own spin on it, Rather resigned in disgrace. The bloggers, whose persistent search for truth had revealed the bogus documents, were recipients of a special aIM award named in Reed's memory.
The bloggers' award would have been perceived as classic poetic justice to the truth-is-everything Reed Irvine.
Never afraid to tackle an issue no matter how controversial, Reed's work earned him the prestigious Gielow Family Foundation "Friend of Freedom award".
The award, Kincaid points out describes Reed accurately, hailing him for "his tireless dedication to the search for truth, his dogged determination to disseminate the truth…Clearly, without information that is accurate and truthful, citizens are deceived and unable to make informed and proper judgments about their leaders, the major issues of the day, and indeed, the fate of the country. Reed Irvine is an american treasure and his many years of unselfish service contribute mightily to the cause of freedom."
Reed heard good news all his life about his own successes, but never brought them up in conversation.
His biggest success story is one that keeps his legend alive, his son, Don Irvine, who carries on the legacy no matter how tough the going.
Reed would be so proud of him.
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
Pursuant to Title 17 U.S.C. 107, other copyrighted work is provided for educational purposes, research, critical comment, or debate without profit or payment. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for your own purposes beyond the 'fair use' exception, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Views are those of authors and not necessarily those of Canada Free Press. Content is Copyright 1997-2018 the individual authors. Site Copyright 1997-2018 Canada Free Press.Com Privacy Statement