It may be true that Nevada could use an independent news service. But putting Chuck Muth in charge of one is hardly setting the stage for independence.

Muth recently launched Nevada News Bureau, calling it a nonpartisan, independent source of local and statehouse news in Nevada. The operation states it is needed because: "Budget constraints caused by falling ad revenue and paid subscriptions have forced the publishers of Nevada's major print newspapers to lay off staff. This has resulted in cut backs to both statehouse reporting and investigative journalism and has diminished their ability to be an effective reporter and 'watchdog' for the voter and taxpayer."

We couldn't agree more with that premise. But should the Review-Journal really rely on the news bureau's reporting, even if it is a free service.

Muth, after all, isn't what you'd call a nonpartisan. His Citizen Outreach certainly espouses a conservative-libertarian political philosophy. And it's Muth who has become the go-to consultant for the Nevada GOP during its struggle to create an identity, message or following.

Citizen Outreach gets its funding from political ideologues. We would find that as troubling if ProgressNow Nevada launched a "news service" aimed at filling voids in the mainstream press. But Muth doesn't just run Citizen Outreach.

He is the creator and administrator of the Dump Reid political action committee -- clearly no nonpartisan entity. We don't know who funds the PAC, whether they even live in Nevada, or whether the name is actually legal. He hopes to raise $5 million for the PAC. Did we mention Citizen Outreach has a PAC here and a foundation to boot.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/oct/04/right-new-source-news/

All that aside, there's no problem with the Nevada News Bureau doing exactly what it is doing. For one thing, it's actually created a job for one of those laid off journalists it mentions in its mission. The problem with the News Bureau is that it is already regurgitating reports by the Nevada Policy Research Institute and Muth is already a fairly regular contributor to the Review Journal's editorial pages http://www.lvrj.com/opinion/tied-hands-make-pickpocketing-more-difficult-59930767.html and a pretty good tipster for its reporters.

We can already see the day when the Review Journal decides it's easier to let the news bureau cover some legislative news than it is to actually have staff in Carson City.

The RJ has a history of helping Muth.

Back in April when the Teabaggers wanted to have a mass tax day rally and protest, the RJ actually printed a brief asking those who were interested in attending to contact the organizers. And, it published the organizers' names and contact info. http://www.lvrj.com/news/42869347.html

Muth is also no stranger to national politics either, creating a Western CPAC-style conference in Las Vegas through his connections to Grover Norquist and Americans for Tax Reform. This Conservative Leadership Conference has drawn hundreds to some of its events.