Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Roldo reports on Gloria's reporting the truth, out-reporting the PD/Lesic PR staff

CoolCleveland.com - Roldo Link Reporters Snooze To Avoid Displeasure Of Bosses --George over at BFD gives us the heads up on Roldo's commentary this week in which he takes note of Gloria's depiction of the county hearings on the sales tax, and contrasts it to the work done by the PD reporters and editors. It makes me wonder why the PD couldn't afford to be more forthcoming, more "journalistic." In the case of the sales-tax hike for the general fund, they functioned as a public-relations agency for the commissioners and the Greater Cleveland Partnership, not as a newspaper. If ever they felt they were charged with reporting the truth in a balanced manner, they seem to have forgotten.

4 comments:

  1. that's what they always do. like I said before - PR machine for the Med Mart and tax levy for the CMSD. Check the PD archives for the August 2005 levy campaign. They kept showing photos of children "reading" books as "evidence" of the progress that was being made in the schools. One photo showed two 14 year old black males "reading" the Berenstain Bears and another showed a nine year old girl "reading" a book. On the rear cover of the book she was "reading" the summation of the book's content stated that it was suitable reading for kindergartners. the girl was nine. Check it out. Now when the police Union suggests a tax increase for more cops, the negative cop articles commence in a steady, unrelenting fashion. Check the archives, my friend and you will see that what I'm telling you is the truth. Welcome to the "stay true to da game" city (mayor's campaign literature phrase).

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really don't see how you can restore the PD to being a journalism machine, either. They have built-in financial conflicts because of the advertising dollars. In the instances you cite, somebody should have been pointing out that there was a parody going on. It's hard to lampoon what's so strange and bizarre in the first place, but we may as well get on with it, even though nobody will be able to tell the lampooning from the straight news.

    ReplyDelete
  3. brent larkin and rest of the editorial staff wouldn't print the letters to the editor that pointed out the parody. imagine that.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Can you share any solid source material on the suppression of what should be a necessary dialogue?

    ReplyDelete