posted January 02, 2026 10:47 AM            

AI answers that Shirley operated

outside traditional journalistic constraints, using emotionally charged confrontations and social media...

AI went on and on, basically slamming Shirley and painting him as a far right shill, vs mainstream media who AI said prioritizes accuracy, balance and legal responsibility.

posted January 02, 2026 10:51 AM            

AI answers:

Traditional journalistic constraints include accuracy, fairness, objectivity, verification, legal compliance, and ethical responsibility. Journalists must verify facts, seek multiple sources, avoid bias, protect sources, and balance public interest with privacy and harm...

When investigating fraud, journalists typically:
- Gather documents (e.g., financial records, public filings)
- Use **Freedom of Information (FOI) requests**
- Interview whistleblowers, experts, and officials
- Cross-check data for inconsistencies
- Present findings only after **editorial review and legal vetting**

posted January 02, 2026 10:56 AM            

Don't journalists usually have to go personally to a location of a business to see if they are actually operating as they claim?

AI answers:

Journalists do not have a legal right to enter private property without permission, even for investigations. They can observe and report from public spaces, but visiting a business in person requires consent or legal authorization. If a business denies access, journalists must leave to avoid trespassing.

While in-person visits can support reporting, journalists typically rely on document review, interviews, data analysis, and official records to verify claims. They may conduct "tag-along" visits with authorities (e.g., health inspectors) when there's a clear public interest.

Unlike influencers who may film unannounced visits, professional journalists prioritize legal and ethical boundaries, avoiding confrontational tactics that could compromise accuracy or lead to liability.

posted January 02, 2026 11:01 AM            

Shirley did not illegally break into a daycare facility. What is your point??? and how is a journalist supposed to investigate a daycare if he doesnt go there in person and knock on the door, which is exactly what Shirley did?

AI reply:

You're correct that Nick Shirley did not break into any daycare facility. However, multiple reports—including from CNN and USA Today—confirm that police escorted him from at least one location after trespassing complaints, and state inspectors found children present during official unannounced visits to the same centers he claimed were empty.

posted January 02, 2026 11:06 AM            

Did mainstream media ever even knocked on doors of those businesses to investigate before Shirley brought nationwide attention to them??

AI replied:

Yes, mainstream media had investigated Minnesota daycare fraud long before Nick Shirley.

The Minnesota Star Tribune and other local outlets covered fraud in state programs for over a decade, including:

A 2015 investigation into daycare overbilling
Extensive reporting on the Feeding Our Future scandal (which involved $246 million in funds, with $128 million linked to fraud)
Warnings as early as 2009 about weak oversight in state programs
While Shirley’s video brought national viral attention, the core issues were already known. The Star Tribune had published hundreds of stories on fraud in Medicaid, childcare, and nutrition programs, and had even exposed failures by state regulators and law enforcement.

posted January 02, 2026 11:11 AM            

so if these issues were already known, why were they were not publicized in larger media, and MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHY WERE THEY NOT FIXED?

AI reply (and I bolded the important parts)

The fraud issues were not widely publicized because early warnings were downplayed, legally blocked, or dismissed. State officials raised concerns as early as 2019, but faced lawsuits and accusations of racism from groups like Feeding Our Future when they tried to investigate. A Ramsey County judge ordered payments to continue, and federal agencies initially didn’t act.