Open Forum: The Tribune
It's going to be a long weekend for everybody, so let's open a thread. We've all been patient with The Tribune/Evening News over the past four months, and we have, for the most part, kept our opinions to ourselves.
And although Mr. Tucker seems a touch ambivalent about candid appraisals, he does seem to be inviting comments. So, here's your chance. What do you want to see from The Tribune and the Evening News? Where have you seen improvement? etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
We'll take a look again on Monday morning.
And although Mr. Tucker seems a touch ambivalent about candid appraisals, he does seem to be inviting comments. So, here's your chance. What do you want to see from The Tribune and the Evening News? Where have you seen improvement? etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
We'll take a look again on Monday morning.
posted by All4Word at 6:29 PM
11 Comments:
Random observations, pro and con:
The E-Board idea has promise, but 50- or even 75-word snippets are too short for any idea to be developed beyond man-on-the-street sound bite – and that does absolutely nothing to further understanding.
It’s not so much that I object to the presence of something like Mallard Fillmore, but wasn’t it strange that the Tribune prefaced it for probably ten days with a note explaining that it was running because of the liberal slant of most editorial cartoons? Why was the explanation necessary?
I like the way that Amany’s been following council meetings with one or two additional articles on the subject matter, which makes sense because often there’s often too much for one article.
We need James “Focus on Family” Dobson’s column like we need a fascist fundamentalist propaganda artist – oops, I’m afraid I’m being redundant.
One thing the Tribune really seems to be missing is the undercurrent of support in the community for building code enforcement, ordinance enforcement, and a growing recognition that we’re going to have to do something about unregulated rental properties.
Our blog postings on matters like these are among the most read. Maury’s taken a stab at reviving the “eyesore” concept (hint: he needs a digital camera; you have to see an eyesore), but think what the Tribune could do with this.
It’s good that the newspaper has started trying to sort things into areas, i.e., building a modest business page, putting Chris’s sports article back on the sports page, and so on.
It’s bad that sensationalism seems to be ruling the front page, but I’ll concede that there’s little else to do with a story like the Camm trial, which people will talk about until they’re blue in the face, knowing nothing about it and having no hope of influencing the outcome of the trial, while matters that would benefit from public interest go unnoticed.
The paper’s just responding to demand, I suppose -- and that's sad in a way.
For many years, I’ve maintained the position that while it is understandable that a newspaper must constantly be dumbed down to accommodate a steadily less literate public, at least something can be included that is challenging and interesting for the rest of us. Some of the new local columnists fit this description, and that’s good. More like them are needed.
Anyone else?
Sorry to squeeze in a new topic, but did anyone read the story about Valpo's $400 million house? The county auditor let someone change a home value from $121,000 to $400,000,000. All taxing units are now being dunned to return disbursements.
Apropos of that, it will be interesting to see how a stripped-down news staff will handle it when New Albany receives its budget back from the state. How does it work? Why does the state always trim the budget, creating a game out of it? Are we, indeed, past the Overton Tax (the $2.8 million that was stripped from last year's budget)?
Here's an opportunity for The Tribune to shine. If the budget is clean, show how that will affect city services. If the budget is butchered, find out why.
That is the job of an independent newspaper - to show the effects, not to simply copy meeting minutes into the record.
Amany had only become better, and these last few weeks she has put the pedal to the floor in her reporting. Her stories have been more illuminating. Who will pick up the slack? Chris Morris?
But who reports isn't as important as how. I see an attitude coming from the paper that indicates they believe we're too simple to understand things the way they do. That they can't risk hurting our little brains with anything too taxing.
Well, new guys, first demonstrate that you can write the challenging stuff. Then you can worry about whether we're being over-matched.
In addition, I'd love to hear an explanation of the principles of random Internet archiving of Tribune articles.
Even conceding that the newspaper might wish to wait a day past the print issue shelf life to post material on the Net, there is no consistency whatsoever in the archiving. Some items appear, others don't, and there is no pattern.
The web archive's just like the library -- a place where people go to get the back-dated stories. When the system isn't discernable, this can't be done as easily.
It's fascinating to discover that some people think our efforts vis the local newspapers are motivated by ill will. Granted, a progressive movement will rely heavily on an organ of communications that reveals rather than obscures. We seek that.
But some see this as a struggle between us and the newspaper publisher. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Cheer for improvement in coverage. But don't whine when your own heroes are exposed (particularly on city council) for the obstructionists and ward-heelers they are.
The newspapers will get better when subscription rates and readership rise. It does no good to demand improvement if you don't plan to pay for it.
I also find it fascinating that, once again, those who "self-exclude" themselves from participatory government by hiding behind a white hood complain about being "left out." Price-less.
The Gang of Four counts on a toothless media. Larry Kochert must be in extremis without his pet mouthpiece to feed sound bites. He even went so far as to try to dictate a quote to Amany last meeting, insisting that she put his paltry defense of his stewardship of the sewer department into the paper.
In the same 24-hour period when the trogs reflexively jump to support (?) The Tribune when they perceive it to be under "attack" by progressives, Mr. Tucker pillories their heroes as childish and irresponsible. Gotcha! Expect more as the new guys figure out where the bodies are buried.
Now if we can only get past this compulsion on the part of The Tribune to make "news" stories sexier instead of more informative. Now if we can only get past this belief that The Tribune has, for too long, been too liberal. That is laughable, and gives rise to the suspicion that part of the makeover is to pander to the right wing. Based on what I've seen from the recruited regular local columnists, the next logical step is a blast fax column filled with GOP talking points straight from the RNC and the desk of Karl Rove. And if anyone can explain to me how Libertarians aren't fellow-travelers with the GOP, I'd appreciate hearing it (not really, please).
all4word, you wrote:
"And if anyone can explain to me how Libertarians aren't fellow-travelers with the GOP, I'd appreciate hearing it (not really, please)."
So which is it? Do you really want to investigate and learn more about libertarianism? (Which btw, isn't necessarily the same as the political party with the same name.) Or do you want to continue to go along with your preconceived notions? Trust me, by the email I get, the local GOP does not consider this libertarian necessarily aligned with them. Sure, it happens, but it can just as easily happen with folks of other political leanings.
Heck, everyone believes in granting others a little bit of individual freedom somewhere in their lives. And that's when their paths will cross with libertarians.
Also, here's a little tidbit of information you may be interested in: libertarians generally read a lot, buy books often and are big believers in supporting local small business. So if you ever have anything to offer libertarians besides snide comments about how they are only GOP'ers let me know, okay? ;)
I shan't tempt the hair-Singh trigger again with any one-liner about Libertarians or libertarians.
He came at me with a frying pan that time. Deb seems a bit calmer than all that.
Oops, just did it again.
It was a JOKE.
Please ...
Anyone who has ever visited my store knows it is an equal-opportuntiy offender, and an equal opportunity provider.
Yet, after 16 months, I've never met Deb. Huh?
It's great to know libertarians are readers and supporters of local businesses.
I did, however, take care to capitalize the L-word, but then I never know what the comprehension level of readers is. I do appreciate that Deb caught the distinction.
Snide? I thought it was pretty forthright, myself. Opposing communitarianism is opposing communitarianism, whether you wear an elephant on your sweater or not.
The Tribune impressed me today. Tucker's City Council comments were a step in the right direction but one that is inevitable for anyone who attends a meeting. The inclusion of the feature on shotgun houses in the Home and Garden section, though, required a bit more thought. I hope to see that continue with more serious input from the design community concerning urban spaces.
all4word, you're right, I've never set foot in your store. I didn't know anything about it until I happened upon Roger's blog. Who's fault is it that I didn't even know you existed? But now that I do, I might drop by one day, so I might look you up. I like to put faces to names. I'm glad that you are willing to take a buck from anyone who wants to buy any book from you. Ahh, the free market in action. Gotta love it. :)
And your communitarianism comment continues my wondering as to how deeply you've looked at libertarian philosophy. We are not against that, we are however, against force. So if you have an idea for a voluntary community, then I say go for it and I would support you all the way.
P.S. to Roger, I don't know what happened with you two guys, but Kirk is really a sweet puppy dog. ;)
Brandon, you're exactly right that words mean different things to different people. And people co-opt words all the time.
But I was only going on the specific item pointed out which was that libertarians are somehow against communitarianism. If one's view of communitarianism means it is voluntary in nature, then libertarian philosophy does not oppose that idea.
That's pretty much all I was saying. :)
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