Jerry Roberts Fights Back
Here's a link to Jerry Roberts' must read opinion in the LA Times. To paraphrase the article -- in the bastardized words of James Carville -- "It's all about ethics, stupid".
Labels: Jerry Roberts, Santa Barbara News-Press
posted by Sara De la Guerra | 6/05/2007 02:16:00 PM
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12 Comments:
Comparing the respective "Blowback" articles by Wendy McCaw against Jerry Roberts, it's apparent which of the two is intelligent and ethical.
Wendy wanted to be in the L.A. Times — a real newspaper.
While she got her wish, albeit only on the web site, she apparently failed to think it through. (What a surprise.)
A real newspaper allows — welcomes — a multitude of voices: Witness Jerry Roberts' and Lou Cannon's well-reasoned rebuttals.
By definition, Wendy can never have the last word in a real newspaper.
Jerry Roberts emphasizes in the L.A. Times that fundamental ethics are at the core of The Mess.
He's right, or Wendy McCaw wouldn't be obsessively trying to put him under.
She would not let anyone write anything like Roberts' article in the News-Press.
How ethical and true is our news from the News-Press these days?
In the NLRB hearing earlier this year, Editor-in-Chief Scott Steepleton was basically accused of not telling the truth by the judge.
But he's writing most of the news in the News-Press these days.
Check out the tally this morning:
Steepleton - 4 articles (including his usual immigration bias);
Hannah Guzik - 1;
Staff Report -- 1 (what staff?);
London Britches -- 1.
Steepleton makes no pretense that he's reporting anything other than what McCaw wants reported.
What happened to the biggest story in town: the NLRB prosecution of the News-Press?
Now that he's sold his soul to McCaw, Steepleton has to hang on, since, once ousted by McCaw, he'll never get work again at any reputable newspaper.
Complete lack of ethics aside, what happens when the highway from Ventura is closed again and Steepleton can't make it to work in a town where he's never lived?
I have no connection to the Newspress except as a reader and friend of Charles Storke. I knew the newspaper management when it was owned by the New York TImes. I must point out that I was an involved and engaged reader, and often took the time to respond to news articles, opinions, and columns, and suggested stories. Many reporters heard from me over the years, and I would often write Jerry Roberts in particular, spilling my guts in a variety of responses running the gamut from a fit of pique to fulsome praise. (I am sure the easy access of email has required the development of great forebearance on the part of journalists!) Of course, I had some pet causes that I really cared about and boy, would I jump at those issues. I'm sure I was on occasion annoying. I also know Jerry Roberts must have received a plethora of this kind of feedback. What would always amaze me, was that he WOULD TAKE THE TIME to write back rather extensive replies all the while attempting to explain to me the inside baseball dimensions of journalism, the separation of the news section and the opinion section (I was often pissed at Travis Armstrong) and on occasion, he gave me his own opinion on certain heartfelt community issues. He always wanted to know my opinion of what I thought would make the Newspress a better paper. He made me feel like a participant in the process--that he cared about the reader. It was all so wonderful. And as a result my respect for him grew and grew. I do hope we live in a world with some justice so that Mr. Roberts finds his way into a better situation. May God bless him.
I have no idea what it was like to work for him.
Lou Cannons' letter was a pleasure to read.
Let me close by noting that I had many communications with different people on the staff of the Newpress over the years. They all (well, mostly all) seemed truly commited to the community dimension of their job. It is by this fact, that I measure the tragedy of the present situation.
Having now read Marty Blum's letter to Travis, it comes to mind, why shouldn't we focus on getting rid of Travis? Why is Travis still in there?
Are there people in the community who think that Travis rants are good for the community, --that he a real addition to the intelligence level of the NewsSuppress?
Why couldn't the firing (resigning?) of Travis be a superb gesture on the part of ownership toward peace and harmony in the community? Who does this Travis think HE is?
I am an open-minded guy. I listened to Dr. Laura on the radio! I shall do the same for Travis! I have never heard him on the radio.
Have you? Who listens to Travis? Who likes reading Travis?
Travis is bad for business.
When I gave the Plaza to the people of Santa Barbara, I never imagined a Travis sitting up there making such discordant noise. Almost makes me regret my splendid gesture of 1848.
Criag Smith has a letter from Marty Blum, I think she did a few things wrong, that will easily let the NP not publish the letter:
1) exceeded the 250 word limit. A long letter just gives TA the ability to edit the letter, and make her look bad.
2) ask for a correction
3) state just the facts to be corrected, cleanly.
4) Personal attacks, which brought here down to Travis's level.
Mayor, spit the letter into pieces, pieces that are so tight that they cannot be edited without changing the meaning.
The pieces:
1) I hope you will publish the attached letters separately in full. The corrections should be published in the editorial section.
2) Polite request for a statement of facts about the mistatements in TA's editorials
3) Your personal feelings about being a public figure who is the target of a editor who misstates facts.
4) Your feelings about the present actions of the editor. Perhaps find a few cosigners who have been wrongly portrayed. Simple we feel we are wrongly portrayed. We wish the editor would fact check prior to publishing. More importantly, we demand the our responses be published in the NP. No bashing, just say, hey readers, have you noticed that the editorials are one sided... we just wanted to point that out, in a civil manner.
Newspress, hire a student intern to be a fact checker for Mr. Armstrong. Someone needs to check his facts, and get statements post writing, prior to publishing.
anon 8:35: I've worked with Scott Steepleton professionally and it pains me to see him climb into bed with Wendy as he has. Scott's a fine journalist and a real gentleman, one of the better talents at the "old" News-Press. He is, however, not fit to be the top editor of the paper, much less basically the only journalist, manager, chief cook and bottle washer, etc.
He could be doing so much better, but his decision to join forces with Wendy will eventually prove fatal to his career.
"Eventually"? How about now?
Sorry folks, but the mental image of Scott Steepleton climbing into bed with Wendy is more than my tender sensibilities can handle. Talk about pornography... Yikes!
Steepleton is also a liar and a bully. It is bad enough to work for abusive management; it is worse to lie, cheat and steal on its behalf.
Sorry, folks, but the mental image of Scott Steepleton climbing into bed with Windy McFlaw is more than my tender sensibilities can handle. Talk about pornography... Yikes!
I see on the Smoking Gun website that an NBC producer is suing for being fired. Seems she had a problem with unethical journalistic behaviors in the production of the "Predators" series. Oddly I haven't seen any coverage of this on NBC, maybe because they're too busy making jokes about Paris enjoying her cavity search in jail...WTF is happening to professional media???
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