The Morning Call has announced that in July they will conduct a journalism course. My question is who is going to evaluate the Morning Call? Their recent article about the new United States Attorney for Eastern Pennsylvania once again associates Pawlowski with Allentown's $Billion dollar buildout. The paper can't seem to understand that he was only an accidental tourist on that train, not the conductor.
In fairness to the paper they have some excellent reporters who do good work. This isn't New York City in 1950, with five newspapers competing for readers. This is small-town USA, with one paper trying to survive. The paper is further restricted by outside corporate ownership, dictating staff size and budget.
Fortunately, they have an examiner apprising them of their shortcomings... you're reading him now.
Good analysis and warning. I don't read the daily rag because of its liberal agenda. They do have some good reporting people on staff who I would really love to hear their real feelings on working for an out-of-town, dictate, journalistic failure!
ReplyDeleteI agree they need a full re-examination of their daily effort, however, advertising saves their neck; not their pride.
Perhaps they can teach a class on rosey journalism. They are accomplished writers when it comes to putting a positive spin on reporting that covers serious problems and legitimate concerns. They did that again last week with their reporting the the ASD "slashed" the twenty eight million dollar deficit to just under ten million with reducing personnel. That just isn't credible and their was no shortage of praise for the smoke and mirrors.
ReplyDeletein a hurry, "without reducing personnel"
ReplyDeleteAs you say, with their shortcomings and short staff, they do some excellent work.
ReplyDeleteHaving carried the paper as a boy, I hope it survives. I like the interplay between TMC and your blog—thoughtful point/counterpoint is needed today.
The trends in journalism nationwide are disturbing and TMC is doing its best to swim against the tide with increasingly limited resources. They did do an excellent job covering the Pawlowski trial, but I doubt they have the resources to do the kind of in-depth investigation that in the past we took for granted. Few local papers do, and that signals difficulties ahead for democracy. We're also threatened by the practice of getting news only from outlets that reconfirm our existing worldview.
ReplyDeleteLike Geoff I carried the paper as a boy and I hope it survives. Warren Buffett said a few years ago TMC had the qualities of a newspaper he'd buy, so maybe there's a glimmer of hope for the long-term.
This story addresses what is happening to newspapers everywhere, and why:
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/05/13/denver-post-profits-newspaper-industry-218360
The Call did an excellent job on the trial but they royally ignored, or glossed over the crimes while they were being committed. They are repeating this with the ASD presently.
ReplyDelete