Jake Wagman Launches Shield Political Research

By Jerry Berger
Berger's Beat
June 23, 2012

http://bergersbeat.com/

Jake Wagman's sudden departure from the Post-Dispatch has gotten mixed reviews. As for this columnist, I have always been enchanted with his work in covering politics and local government. For now, Wagman has turned to forming Shield Political Research. Explained best by Wagman, . . ."Many newsrooms no longer have the resources they need to thoroughly scrutinize those seeking public office. . .The solution is an opposition research firm that gives campaigns the tools and tenacity of watchdog reporting. . ." He added that Shield will focus on state and local campaigns that often receive the least p0ress attention. Website is shieldresearch.com. Good luck, Jake!. . .The Associated Press has confirmed that St. Louis native Greg Burke is leaving his Fox News post to help the Vatican with public relations. He'll work with Rev. Federico Lombardi, who runs the Holy See's press office and papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Vallis, who, like Burke, is a member of Opus Dei. . .With a top Philadelphia Catholic official having been found guilty of endangering children, attention turns to the case against St. Louis native Robert Finn, now bishop of the Kansas City diocese. It's set for trial in September and revolves around the same basic claim: that known and suspected child sex crimes were hidden by church staff. Finn should be worried, says SNAP's Barbara Dorris. "The Philly case involved older and more complex evidence, and layers of church bureaucracy," she explained. "The Finn case involves more recent and clear cut wrongdoing in a smaller diocese with fewer underlings who can be scapegoated". . .Students at St. Louis University law school are poised to pursue dual degrees in the fall, combining law with master's degrees in health outcomes research and evaluation sciences. . .Ex-KMOV staffer Sarah Randolph, a Wildwood native and former mid-Missouri TV and radio reporter, has joined The Hauser Group, a St. Louis-based PR firm. . .Meanwhile, scribe John Hoffman has turned to reporting news of both Town & Country and Chesterfield on his site, http:johnhofffman.net.