MyTwoCensus
Encyclopedia
MyTwoCensus is a non-partisan, political watchdog
group for the 2010 U.S. Census, created in February 2009. It tracks topics such as the constitutionality of including illegal immigrants in the census.
, as a project to identify reasons why the 2010 U.S. Census would be a controversial process. As part of this process, Morse applied and won a grant through The Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship program with the Phillips Foundation. The award allowed Morse to continue his pet project. Morse first developed the idea as he was on Craigslist
, looking for an additional job in San Francisco, and noticed that US Census Bureau was looking to hire employees in the Bay Area at the rate of $22-$26 per hour. After further research, Morse and friend Evan Goldin created the group's website and blog
, MyTwoCensus.com, in order to provide unofficial oversight for the U.S. Census Bureau. In March 2010, the site added a community message board operated through the social-networking site, Ning.
, and attends census worker recruitment sessions in his reporting. In 2009, MyTwoCensus discovered that the U.S. Census Bureau had supposedly paid the delivery company FedEx
several million dollars over time to mail documents that were not time-sensitive. The group publicized the findings after a census worker wrote to the website questioning the bureau's use of "priority overnight delivery". The group has been critical of Census Bureau management, including Robert M. Groves the current Director of the United States Census Bureau
, as well as both Republican
s and Democrat
s for their handling of 2010 Census operations. MyTwoCensus is syndicated on BigGovernment.com and has been mentioned in right-wing publications, such as that of conservative blog
ger Michelle Malkin
. Though most MyTwoCensus reports are authored by Morse himself, other journalists, including Emily Babay and Emily Schultheis of The Daily Pennsylvanian
and Laura Masnerus (formerly of The New York Times
) have written for the site as well.
On November 17, 2011 Stephen Robert Morse announced a change in MyTwoCensus activities with a focus on critiquing "politicians, media, society, pop culture, and more, in both the US and abroad."
Watchdog journalism
Watchdog journalism aims to hold accountable public personalities and institutions, whose functions impact social and political life. The term "lapdog journalism", for journalism biased in favour of personalities and institutions, is sometimes used as a conceptual opposite to watchdog...
group for the 2010 U.S. Census, created in February 2009. It tracks topics such as the constitutionality of including illegal immigrants in the census.
History
The group was created by Stephen Robert Morse, a freelance journalist located in San Francisco, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, as a project to identify reasons why the 2010 U.S. Census would be a controversial process. As part of this process, Morse applied and won a grant through The Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship program with the Phillips Foundation. The award allowed Morse to continue his pet project. Morse first developed the idea as he was on Craigslist
Craigslist
Craigslist is a centralized network of online communities featuring free online classified advertisements, with sections devoted to jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums....
, looking for an additional job in San Francisco, and noticed that US Census Bureau was looking to hire employees in the Bay Area at the rate of $22-$26 per hour. After further research, Morse and friend Evan Goldin created the group's website and blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
, MyTwoCensus.com, in order to provide unofficial oversight for the U.S. Census Bureau. In March 2010, the site added a community message board operated through the social-networking site, Ning.
Activities
The MyTwoCensus website reports on the handling of the census. MyTwoCensus is headed by two journalists: Morse and Goldin. Morse has said that he utilizes Google NewsGoogle News
Google News is a free news aggregator provided by Google Inc, selecting recent items from thousands of publications by an automatic aggregation algorithm....
, and attends census worker recruitment sessions in his reporting. In 2009, MyTwoCensus discovered that the U.S. Census Bureau had supposedly paid the delivery company FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
several million dollars over time to mail documents that were not time-sensitive. The group publicized the findings after a census worker wrote to the website questioning the bureau's use of "priority overnight delivery". The group has been critical of Census Bureau management, including Robert M. Groves the current Director of the United States Census Bureau
Director of the United States Census Bureau
The Director of the Census Bureau is the chief administrator of the United States Census Bureau. The director is appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate...
, as well as both Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
s and Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
s for their handling of 2010 Census operations. MyTwoCensus is syndicated on BigGovernment.com and has been mentioned in right-wing publications, such as that of conservative blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ger Michelle Malkin
Michelle Malkin
Michelle Malkin is an American conservative blogger, political commentator, and author. Her weekly syndicated column appears in a number of newspapers and websites. She is a Fox News Channel contributor and has been a guest on MSNBC, C-SPAN, and national radio programs...
. Though most MyTwoCensus reports are authored by Morse himself, other journalists, including Emily Babay and Emily Schultheis of The Daily Pennsylvanian
The Daily Pennsylvanian
The Daily Pennsylvanian is the independent daily student newspaper of the University of Pennsylvania.It is published every weekday when the university is in session by a staff of more than 250 students. During the summer months, a smaller staff produces a weekly version called The Summer...
and Laura Masnerus (formerly of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
) have written for the site as well.
On November 17, 2011 Stephen Robert Morse announced a change in MyTwoCensus activities with a focus on critiquing "politicians, media, society, pop culture, and more, in both the US and abroad."