The Journal Does It Again
Yet another piece of shameless advocacy in the North Coast Journal this week. You'll remember back in August their cover story consisted of a Barack Obama worship piece by Tom Hayden. That wasn't even published as an editorial or op- ed. It was their cover "story".
So, again, this week's cover story consists of Judy Hodgson's adventures as an Obama campaign worker in Colorado. Not quite as blatant as the Tom Hayden piece, but close enough.
I used to think of the North Coast Journal as having some of the most level headed reporting in the county. That certainly has changed over the last few years. The shameless promotion of Obama shows The Journal now has become pretty much a venue for their writer's advocacy for various causes.
I don't have a problem with editorials or even certain columns, like Hank Sims Town Dandy, containing either subtle or outright advocacy. But using their main story space for candidate advocacy seems absolutely shameless to me. I should think even some Obama worshippers might feel the same.
posted by Fred Mangels @ 7:26 AM
30 comments
30 Comments:
Report: Journalists From Three Newspapers Booted From Obama’s Plane
Maybe they could merge with blogger Heraldo- call it the Weekly Journal- Herald-o. Same balance.
Rose links us to the hate site. Says a lot about you, Rose.
Thank you for bringing this up Fred! It's about time the Journal got called on its hypocrisy. Weren't they the same ones attacking other local media for their owners' involvement in politics?
Ah, but if you're pimping for the Democrats, the rules get tossed out the window.
ok, leave Rose alone. That site is not a "hate site." Get a grip man.
How about this site
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/31/obama-plane-pitches-reporters-mccain-endorsing-papers/
Fred is going to wake up Wednesday morning and realize he's on the wrong side of history. Too bad. You're too young for that, Fred.
I was really disappointed to see it as well, but not for the reason you listed.
Last weekend the NCJ said they did not have enough time to do articles on any other council races within Humboldt County. There are elections in Fortuna, Rio Dell, Ferndale, and Blue Lake to name a few, yet the Journal "didnt have time".
There are major issues, especially in Fortuna, with our general plan update, and a controversial shopping center planned - yet the Journal "didnt have time".
The Journal also devoted time to fringe party presidential candidates, yet they "didnt have time" to cover the other NORTH COAST cities.
This was a piece that wouldve been fine to run after the election. Perhaps that wouldve given them time to run pieces on the smaller NORTHCOAST cities.
Shame on you NCJ, you dropped the ball. Again.
"Fred is going to wake up Wednesday morning and realize he's on the wrong side of history.".
No problem with that. Libertarians lose all the time. I'm used to it. At least I can feel proud of myself for having the mental clarity to stay above the two party fray.
Besides, the Obamatrons might just win on Tuesday, but they won't be taking home any prize.
Leave it to Rose to link to a site that equates Barack Obama with Stalin.
And what's wrong with the NCJ's publisher writing about her volunteer activities? She's for Obama. Big surprise, she's a smart gal.
CPR wrote, "And what's wrong with the NCJ's publisher writing about her volunteer activities?".
Making an Obama piece a cover story (twice) for the NCJ tosses out any suggestion that the NCJ is any kind of objective news magazine.
This is absolutely shameless. I'm really surprised you're supporting it. Most Obamotrans have just kept their mouths shut. You seem to think there's no problem with a news staff surrendering their journalistic integrity, so long as they're supporting Obama.
My case against Obamatrons rests.
As an aside, I can't help but think that the only reason the Media Maven, Marcy Burstiner, hasn't addressed this issue, is because she's an Obamotran herself.
The first Obama cover story SCREAMED for her comments. Apparently, she felt there was no problem with it.
What the fuck, may I ask, is an "Obamatron"?
Or is it "Obabamatran"?
Please make up your mind.
An Obamatron is one of those mind numbed robots who follow Obama's every move. Those who worship him and would wait over two hours in line just to hear him speak.
But back to the issue: You wouldn't see something a little wrong if the Times- Standard published a 2000 word commentary praising McCain/ Palin on the top fold of page A1 of their paper?
"...one of those mind numbed robots who follow Obama's every move..."
Sorry, I'm not acquainted with them.
"You wouldn't see something a little wrong if the Times- Standard published a 2000 word commentary praising McCain/ Palin...?"
The North Coast Journal is an alternative weekly, not a daily. They don't pretend to not have opinions. If the publisher travels to another state in order to work on a campaign and wants to write about it, what's wrong with that?
Preferring Senator Obama over Senator McCain may be classified as "advocacy," but it's like endorsing a better diet, or safe driving habits. It's conventional wisdom.
The Journal used to do a really good job, at least I thought, of taking a level- headed look at issues. Certainly it leaned left, if only evident from their ballot recommendations, back when they did those.
Maybe that's why they stopped doing endorsements: They can just make them in their supposed "news" items?
I'm surprised you don't see the ethics problem. Sure, Judy can publish whatever she wants, but I think most publications that deal with news and politics like to feel they have at least the appearance of impartiality.
Judy seems to be so obsessed with Obama she was willing to toss the integrity of her paper aside to lavish more praise on him. And she is probably so obsessed- as you and the rest of her staff seem to be- that she doesn't even see a problem with integrity.
I find that very troubling.
Our Obama, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name...
"...the appearance of impartiality."
Glad to that you have such high standards.
Judy is "obsessed" with Obama? Why,because she'd like to see him elected, rather than McCain?
Because she's willing to cast aside the integrity of something she's worked on for years- the North Coast Journal- for Obama with what seems to be no concern.
No concern?
"Carson Park Ranger said...
Leave it to Rose to link to a site that equates Barack Obama with Stalin."
Typical CPR comment. The first graphic image that comes to his eyes is what he uses to judge the entire web site. Superficiality personified.
People hate Bush for many good reasons. But he did not, as I and others incorrectly predicted, cause the mass arrests of Americans for political reasons.
Fred, do Libertarians believe in the right to keep and bear arms? Do you know why the supporters of the 2nd Amendment have been so quiet this year? Obama, after all, wants to impose sweeping new restrictions on the right of Americans to bear arms.
Right on Fred. I agree with you completely on this.
The NCJ is back to the Easterhouse days of non-objectivity. Seems that Judy and CPR have consumed too much of the koolaid again.
"Do you know why the supporters of the 2nd Amendment have been so quiet this year?"
Of course libertarians believe in the right to bear arms, although you run into some on occasion that don't. There was a regular LP candidate here in California that regularly received Fs from the gun group's candidate scorecards. Not sure what his trip was.
As far as the gun groups being so quiet, I don't know I'd say that. Both NRA and Gun Owners of America oppose Obama. The GOA put up this page:
http://www.goapvf.org/obama.htm
You'll also find, in this blog's sidebar- my Election 2008 section- a link to the NRA's page on Obama. I'm not an Obama hater, like some, but don't mind bringing out his anti- gun record.
Funny thing was, the NRA ended up endorsing McCain who wasn't all that strong of a gun rights fellow, either. They tossed Bob Barr, who sat (sits?) on the NRA Board of Directors, aside. No surprise there, though. NRA has always been a bit wishy- washy on candidates.
As an aside, just checked GOAs page on Bob Barr. Not bad, but I thought they would have given him a little more praise. But, GOA is much more hard core than NRA:
http://www.goapvf.org/barr.htm
The Journal has attacked local journalists before for the most minor of political involvements, so for their own publisher to fly halfway across the country to be a campaign staffer for a month smacks of hypocrisy of the most rank and vile sort.
Rank and vile, no wonder Joel Mielke/CPR feels right at home.
Perhaps, but I don't have a problem with her taking her own time to fly to Colorado to help out. I might not have said much even if she wrote about it and published it, although not as a cover story.
But even this last cover story might not have seemed so improper to me if they hadn't used Tom Hayden's commentary as a cover story last August. I felt that was over the top and it made it worse to follow it up with this last one.
Then again, it is her paper to do with as she chooses. Running a blog is one thing but, if I had an ownership interest in a publication like the NCJ, I wouldn't want my fellow owners turning it over for use by a political campaign.
Thinking further, I remember before the Hayden commentary was published. I believe they ran a story earlier on similar to Judy's last one. It was about the local gal that took over the job of local Obama organizer, whatever her name was. Remember that one?
I thought it was rather odd at the time but wasn't all that surprised as I was pretty sure the NCJ staff were likely all Obama fans. I don't remember if I said anything about that story at the time, or not.
"The first graphic image that comes to his eyes is what he uses to judge the entire web site."
Yes, there were so many other reasons to make fun of that crappy site, but there's only so much time in a day.
Carson Park Ranger/Joel Mielke takes money from the Journal, so it figures he'd make excuses for their totally biased behavior.
Joel does get a stipend for the cartoons he does for the NCJ, but I'd hardly say that's why he's on their side. He, and most he knows, are Obama fans to the max. Thus, he doesn't see anything wrong with a paper publishing things they all love reading.
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