Friday, August 12, 2005

An editor's "One standard for thee; another for me."

Remember Raleigh News & Observer exec. news editor and blogger Melanie Sill who famously told readers the N&O hadn't reported on the Air America loan scandal but “if a story is reported and distributed we will look at publishing it." Liberal bias, she said, had nothing to do with the N&O's silence.

Sill recently posted on another matter that has her very upset. She says many public officials and others are giving N&O reporters the brush-off. She's even experienced it herself.

According to Sill, the N&O only wants to ask people:

the kinds of questions readers often ask in online forums, letters to the editor and notes or calls to The N&O.

But Sill says a growing list of public officials:

are comfortable adopting no comment as standard practice.

An example?

The latest example is Gov. Mike Easley’s (denial of a request by an N&O reporter) for an interview.

And there's more:

Public information officers who don't return phone calls. Police chiefs and sheriffs who won't answer questions.

Brush-offs by police chiefs, sheriffs and governors understandably upset journalists.

But it's even worse than that for Sill and her team. All North Carolinians know there are a handful of people here who are far more important than even the governor. And Sill says they too are now brushing-off the N&O:

UNC basketball coach Roy Williams … wouldn't talk to N&O reporters.

And:

N.C. State football Coach Chuck Amato wouldn't grant us an interview — on the phone or in person.

Sill ends with this:

While working on this column, I sought to hear (Governor) Easley’s side of things. I put in a request to interview the governor or his representative on Monday afternoon, noting I was on deadline. The response? No interview with the governor or anyone else. Instead, I received a lengthy email statement from Cari Boyce in the governor's press office saying that our reporters are free to chase down the governor at public events (as they do as often as they can) and ask him questions.

Thanks, Ms. Boyce, but that's not what I asked.

Well, we don’t know what the folks Sill’s talking about would say to us; but we sure know Sill is in foot-stamping mode.

That said, I find myself asking a question: Why is Sill so upset with people she feels don't respond to her and her staff's questions when she hasn't responded to important questions and comments readers posted days ago at her blog?

Examples:

Many readers saw Sill’s “if a story is reported and distributed we will look at publishing it” remark as an excuse or worse for not reporting on Air America.

One of them noted:

On March 31, 2004 (you published) an A1 front page piece entitled "New liberal network takes on conservative kings of radio" on Air America by James Rosen of your Washington Bureau.

So, apparently you have no problem with reporting on Air America on your front page AND doing your own independent reporting on it when it is a good, positive happy piece. However, when it is not so happy, it doesn't even make it into the paper, much less A1.

Many readers made observations such as this:

In her first Air America post, Melanie said:

"We've checked our news services in recent days and do not find this story"

but in her second post (after many commentators told her where to find "this story"), Melanie said:

"I found the same stories on Air America that you all mention a couple days ago in Internet searches and by using Factiva, a paid service we use for research"

Sill tells readers, “ public officials who won't discuss issues central to their public responsibilities are dissing you, the public.”

But she says nothing about news editors who make glaringly self-contradictory statements and don't bother to explain them.

Tell us what they're doing to the public, Melanie?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just posted this. Let's see if she answers (ha!)

(Inspired by http://www.johnincarolina.com)

Accurate news READING depends on information from first-hand, knowledgeable REPORTERS. That’s why N&O’s reporting is hampered when REPORTERS AND EDITORS who are the principal GATEKEPEPRS in news stories say “no comment’ or refuse to PRINT STORIES THAT SHOW FAVORED GROUPS, SUCH AS AIR AMERICA, IN A NEGATIVE LIGHT BUT ARE ONLY TOO WILLING TO DEDICATE SPACE TO POSITIVE STORIES. When those people are EDITORS FOR NEWSPAPERS, the interest of an informed public is seriously harmed.

Many BLOGGERS show endless patience in providing information and answering questions ABOUT WHERE THESE STORIES CAN BE FOUND, but a growing list OF EDITORS AND REPORTERS seem comfortable adopting no comment, CLAIM THEY COULDN'T FIND THE STORY, THEN TWO DAYS LATER ADMIT THEY DID, AND REFUSING TO ANSWER QUESTIONS POSED IN THIS BLOG as standard practice.

The latest example is MELANIE SILL's absence from RESPONDING TO MY AND OTHERS POSTS NOTING THAT THE N&O HAS PUBLISHED OVER A DOZEN POSITIVE STORIES ABOUT AIR AMERICA BUT NOT A SINGLE NEGATIVE ONE WITH RESPECT TO THE ONGOING SCANDAL OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS. MAJOR NEWSPAPERS AROUND THE NATION were writing about several former AND CURRENT EMPLOYEES OF AIR AMERICA AND ITS PARENT COMPANY WHO STOLE MONEY FROM A NON-FOR-PROFIT AND DIVERTED IT TO AIR AMERICA'S COFFERS. THE READERS requests for a STORY FROM N&O/SILL were denied, and official spokespeople SUCH AS SILL provided little real information. In the end, we were not able to answer the obvious question about why the FUNDS WERE DIVERTED OR WHY N&O REFUSED TO PUBLISH ANY NEGATIVE REPORTING, DESPITE HAVING PUBLISHED NO LESS THAN ***6*** FRONT PAGE OR FRONT SECTION PAGE STORIES IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS ON AIR AMERICA.

Other examples abound BUT SILL'S DETERMINATION TO NOT ANSWER QUESTIONS LEAD TO NUMEROUS BLOGGERS AND OTHERS NOTING WHERE THE STORIES WERE, RESULTING IN SILL'S ADMISSION THAT SHE *HAD* IN FACT FOUND THE STORIES, BUT REFUSED TO PUBLISH. NOR WOULD SHE EXPEND REPORTERS ON WHAT SHE CALLED A "LOCAL NEW YORK STORY", DESPITE THE FACT THAT SHE *HAD* DONE SO IN ORDER TO WRITE FLUFF PIECES ON AIR AMERICA OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS, INCLUDING THE AFOREMENTIONED FRONT PAGE STORIES.

If you’re a media basher, you might JEER this behavior. But REPORTERS AND EDITORS who won’t discuss issues central to their public responsibilities are dissing you, the public.

We're asking the kinds of questions readers often ask in online forums, letters to the editor and notes or calls to The N&O. "Why was this done? Why WASN’T this done? " SILL AND THE N&O can do a better job of reporting – more accurate, complete and fair – ESPECIALLY WHEN THOSE EDITORS AND REPORTS who know the answers decide to DO THEIR JOSB AND REPORT NEWS rather than give the cold shoulder to READERS.

Which brings us back to SILL. EDITORS have many official duties, and we don’t expect SILL to be available for BLOG RESPONSES on every story. (SHE should have people who can represent HER EDITORIAL BOARD'S positions). But a quick survey of this BLOG brought HER name back repeatedly for being unavailable to answer questions about a number of EDITORIAL policy matters WITH RESPECT TO HER WILLINGNESS TO AUTHORIZE REPORTING RESOURCES FOR POSITIVE PIECES ON AIR AMERICA, AGAIN INCLUDING ***6*** FRONT PAGE OR FRONT SECTION PAGE PIECES IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS, YET NOTHING ON THE ONGOING SCANDAL.

THIS WEEK, NUMEROUS READERS OF N&O asked to SEE REPORTING about one of SILL'S pet issues, AIR AMERICA. The request was declined. Sure, the EDITOR is busy. But doesn’t HER job involve explaining HER thinking on REFUSING TO COVER NEGATIVE STORIES ON AIR AMERICA BUT GOING OUT OF HER WAY TO REPORT POSITIVE ONES?

While working on this column, I sought to hear SILL'S side of things. I put in a request IN ANOTHER MESSAGE OF THIS BLOG to GET A RESPONSE on THURSDAY afternoon TO MY POINTING OUT THAT SHE HAD PRINTED SO MANY FORNT PAGE STORIES ON AIR AMERICA THAT WERE POSITIVE, BUT DECIDED NOT TO DO SO WHEN THE STORY WAS NEGATIVE. The response? NONE.

Thanks, Ms. SILL, but that’s not what I AND THE OTHER READERS asked FOR.

JWM said...

You ended with:
Thanks, Ms. SILL, but that’s not what I AND THE OTHER READERS asked FOR.

People like you, lots of you, have been a wonderful source of support and information since I posted about Melanie Sill and McClatchy's Raleigh N&O's decision not to report on the Air America loan scandal.

I've been trying to put a good post together saying a proper thank you to you all, but I keep wanting to add more, leave no one out, and make it more meaningful.

I look at what I'm putting together and feel like the guy who the next morning read the thank you note he'd been working on:

"Thank you for the oranges. I love orange. It's my favorite color."

If you scroll back a few posts, you'll see a start on the kind of thank you commentators here and at Melanie's blog deserve, a few fouls excepted.

I'll keep working toward something I believe is better.

Meantime, this must do.

John