Most recently, his contribution to digital democracy is unmatched. His work on Missouri's Executive regarding digital document retention was handled the results rippled to Washinton D.C.
While at Gannet's News-Leader in Springfield, Messenger acted fearlessly, engaging tough assignments regardless of the heat he had to take for it. Once such storyline spawned a threatened Sunshine Law strike by the Greene County Sherif. Civil rights in relation to jail conditions isn't exactly a popular topic - it took incredible courage for Messenger to take the topic on - several other regional media outlets won't.
The Columbia Tribune still has some of Messenger's first posts before arriving to Missouri fresh from the Colorado Rockies. He moved the Springfield Bloggers meetings from monthly to bi-monthly - politics - beer - live blogging elections.
While watching political propaganda flow through party mouthpieces many of his ideas have been integrated into campaign platforms. Moving to the St. Louis Dispatch covering the state legislature will undoubtedly raise him to the most visible political writer in Missouri.
Missourians will be better off for it. Best off, back here in Southern Missouri we won't have to miss him.
Assignments:
Busplunge: I can't read the date on the Christian County Headliner. Are you sure this car is from the 1950's? The photo above is a larger view of theChristian County Headliner.
Two Books you should donate to the Branson Edge: Good News Bad News, The Turner Report, Benjamin Franklin's Biography.
Fun Tadbits from: Chatterbot Ron Davis: When he published the first issue of 417 Magazine the cover story was about overmedicating children diagnosed with depression. Messenger predicts Governor Matt Blunt could possibly take military job. Branson High School taking Soccer Coach from Nixa- Two-time Sports Blogging Champ El Soccer Guru - Steve Olson will release an interview later this week on SGF Soccer
Andy Cline predicts media anarchy in 10 years time. (I thought media anarchy began in 1982 with Donahue and predict Oprahism becomes world's second largest religion in the year 2916).
