If a Tree Falls in Ohio and Doesn't Kill a Conservative, Will a "Journalist" Care?
In my widely unread Media Notes posting last week I documented the forthcoming gutting of the Cleveland Plain Dealer newsroom. Alec MacGillis, a senior editor at The New Republic laments the cuts with an article that asks, " If a tree—or a union or a company or a corrupt local official—falls in Ohio or Michigan or anywhere else outside the well-covered coastal precincts, will anybody hear it?"
In asking the question, MacGillis cites two examples of Republican "corruption" that surely would have come to light sooner if only the the Plain Dealer had more resources. The only problem is that neither of the two examples offered happened in the PD's market.
He even commiserated with Saint Connie Schultz-Brown who sacrificed her job at the paper to "to spare herself and the paper the agita that was sure to come with her husband Sherrod Brown's Senate reelection campaign."
But for some reason they didn't talk about the scandals that have rocked the Democratic-controlled county government, all of which were brought about by the Feds and certainly not any investigative work done by newspaper "journalists." And they certainly didn't talk about how this looks:
| Democrat | Office | Sentenced | PD Endorsements |
| Gerald McFaul | Sheriff | House Arrest | 5 |
| Jimmy DiMora | Commissioner | 28 yrs | 3 |
| Frank Russo | Auditor | 21 yrs | 7 |
What they are lamenting is the loss of a Democrat opposition research center and propaganda organ. You can't be a credible journalist and still root for, and be part of, the ruling class in a one-party town.
Equally amusing is how the paper and its union staff can be so hostile to Republicans and the business community and be puzzled by the fact that ad buys and subscribing readership is in a freefall. How many union jobs could be saved if The Plain Dealer represented everyone's interests and points of view and gave Republicans a reason to read the paper again?
- Comment (17)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (10)
Comments:
Jul '11
Re: If a Tree Falls in Ohio and Doesn't Kill a Conservative, Will a "Journalist" Care?
And so should it be with our TV networks.
Mar '11
Re: If a Tree Falls in Ohio and Doesn't Kill a Conservative, Will a "Journalist" Care?
Wow, the Thomas the Hutt Suddes won't have a place to pontificate anymore. Shame really.
Mar '11
Re: If a Tree Falls in Ohio and Doesn't Kill a Conservative, Will a "Journalist" Care?
BTW, I did read your prior post, I just couldn't add anything too it, so that's at least 5, right?
Jan '11
Re: If a Tree Falls in Ohio and Doesn't Kill a Conservative, Will a "Journalist" Care?
EJ Hill - I hope you sent this to the Plain Dealer/ Any reply?
May '10
Re: If a Tree Falls in Ohio and Doesn't Kill a Conservative, Will a "Journalist" Care?
WiCon, I don't think they care. The ownership of the paper is largely absentee and the local management is locked in its progressive bubble.
As I pointed out in one of my linked posts, when the senator's wife crossed the line between columnist and campaign worker and resigned, Plain Dealer Editor Debra Adams Simmons praised Schultz with all the liberal code phrases she could find, from "her steadfast commitment to social and economic justice" to the tried and true "efforts to speak truth to power."
If that's what you expect from your employees you're basically doomed.
May '10
Re: If a Tree Falls in Ohio and Doesn't Kill a Conservative, Will a "Journalist" Care?
We canceled The Pain Feeler about five years ago when we realized the sports and funnies were the ony sections being read. The rest was intolerable.
Cleveland has had one brief window during the last few decades when it wasn't a complete dysfunctional basket case: the mayorship of Republican George Voinovich, which came in the aftermath of the epic trainwreck that was the mayorship of Democrat Dennis Kucinich.
Never has it occurred to our newspaper that maybe perhaps possibly a return to sensible center-right governing of the Voinovich type would make sense.
Cleveland as a zero newspaper town wouldn't be so bad by comparison.
Sep '12
Re: If a Tree Falls in Ohio and Doesn't Kill a Conservative, Will a "Journalist" Care?
I spent the entire campaign reading the biased editorials in the Plain Dealer, and looking at the cartoons on the editorial page that always lampooned Republicans. I was gleefully waiting until Gov. Romney won the election, then I could see how the Plain Dealer would have to eat crow. Well, we saw how that worked out, so right after the election I cancelled my subscription and told them exactly why I was no longer going to be reading their paper.
Aug '10
Re: If a Tree Falls in Ohio and Doesn't Kill a Conservative, Will a "Journalist" Care?
Let me quote Michael Ledeen here about the death of the MSM:
FASTER PLEASE !
May '11
Re: If a Tree Falls in Ohio and Doesn't Kill a Conservative, Will a "Journalist" Care?
Haha EJ, I sympathize most with the first 3 words! But yes, here is one guy who misses the idea of print media, but doesn't miss print media at all.
p.s. I read that post; just need to get better about commenting.
Edited on December 13, 2012 at 4:05amMay '10
Re: If a Tree Falls in Ohio and Doesn't Kill a Conservative, Will a "Journalist" Care?
Posts are like producing a TV show with no ratings. I used to do a weekly Media Notes and the lack of response convinced me to drop it. The lack of clamor after dropping it convinced me I was right. But every once and a while I get agitated and I have to vent. Venting makes me feel better and it stops me from kicking the neighbor's cat.
Besides, I made a nice graphic for it that's still on my hard drive. And that's what I was taught in TV. It's just not news worthy unless you have a meaningless graphic to go with the story.
Jul '11
Re: If a Tree Falls in Ohio and Doesn't Kill a Conservative, Will a "Journalist" Care?
By the way, has anybody else noticed that The New Republic has moved sharply to the left since Martin Peretz left? For decades they were the "sane" liberals as opposed to the hard-core leftists at The Nation and Mother Jones. These days the opinion pages in TNR are interchangeable with the others. The books coverage is still the best among opinion magazines, right or left.
Mar '11
Re: If a Tree Falls in Ohio and Doesn't Kill a Conservative, Will a "Journalist" Care?
EJHill
Besides, I made a nice graphic for it that's still on my hard drive. And that's what I was taught in TV. It's just not news worthy unless you have a meaningless graphic to go with the story.· 5 hours ago
It's become the same in my line of work. Unless there is a Powerpoint, it didn't happen.
Dec '10
Re: If a Tree Falls in Ohio and Doesn't Kill a Conservative, Will a "Journalist" Care?
If a tree falls in Ohio and does kill a conservative, will a journalist care?
May '10
Re: If a Tree Falls in Ohio and Doesn't Kill a Conservative, Will a "Journalist" Care?
Foxman - You bet he cares.... for the heroic tree.
Dec '10
Re: If a Tree Falls in Ohio and Doesn't Kill a Conservative, Will a "Journalist" Care?
It was probably his fault that the tree fell, global warming or something.
May '11
Re: If a Tree Falls in Ohio and Doesn't Kill a Conservative, Will a "Journalist" Care?
EJHill
Posts are like producing a TV show with no ratings. I used to do a weekly Media Notes and the lack of response convinced me to drop it. The lack of clamor after dropping it convinced me I was right. But every once and a while I get agitated and I have to vent. Venting makes me feel better and it stops me from kicking the neighbor's cat.
Besides, I made a nice graphic for it that's still on my hard drive. And that's what I was taught in TV. It's just not news worthy unless you have a meaningless graphic to go with the story.· 14 hours ago
Occasionally I think it might be encouraging if there was an "I read this" button at the bottom of my posts, so I don't think they're going 100% unnoticed. Of course, that might also have the exact opposite effect!
Mar '11
Re: If a Tree Falls in Ohio and Doesn't Kill a Conservative, Will a "Journalist" Care?
Ryan M
EJHill
Posts are like producing a TV show with no ratings. I used to do a weekly Media Notes and the lack of response convinced me to drop it. The lack of clamor after dropping it convinced me I was right. But every once and a while I get agitated and I have to vent. Venting makes me feel better and it stops me from kicking the neighbor's cat.
Besides, I made a nice graphic for it that's still on my hard drive. And that's what I was taught in TV. It's just not news worthy unless you have a meaningless graphic to go with the story.· 14 hours ago
Occasionally I think it might be encouraging if there was an "I read this" button at the bottom of my posts, so I don't think they're going 100% unnoticed. Of course, that might also have the exact opposite effect! · December 13, 2012 at 10:31am
I know, right! That might be more functional than the "like" button for original threads.