"Help!..." Gets An Answer
Carla Axtman
My ever-growing-to-do list this week is getting a reprieve.
Based on responses to my post from last week asking for feedback about the East County Gazette, I'd planned to call the editor to find out more about how the paper chooses which stories to byline and which to leave without.
Thankfully, contributor Dan Bosserman left a comment offering some enlightenment:
The only reason there was no byline on the Flores article was that it came from a news release. I will speak to our editor about so identifying such articles in the future.
This is just the final paragraph of Mr. Bosserman's comment. The first five paragraphs are an explanation of his personal political journey and how he came to work for the paper. These last two sentences are the "money" part, as far as I'm concerned.
It seems that the lack of a byline was simply an oversight and not a deliberate attempt to advocate for one group/issue/candidate over another. I certainly appreciate Mr. Bosserman's effort to provide clarity and look forward to seeing the "news release" citation in the paper in future editions.
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2:09 p.m.
Jun 30, '08
Wow, I picked this up from Dan's original comment:
I was a part-time writer for the now-defunct Sandy Profile, and we disparaged his publication thoroughly.
You KNOW that times are tough when you're being sniffed at by the "part-time staff for the now-defunct Sandy Profile." But wait, that laid-off staff is now writing for the sniffed-at publication? Would that be a step up or a step down?
my business profiles, which mostly consist of "puff pieces," basically amounting to a half page of free advertising.
Welcome to the East County Gazette: Your source for News Releases and Puff Pieces.
Jun 30, '08
This post is lame.
This whole topic is lame.
This is so lame, I can't believe that I even wasted my time responding to this post.
Next time, don't be so lame.
Jun 30, '08
I don't think the topic is lame. The issue is this publication's credibility. There are a lot of people who will believe anything they see in print.
Jun 30, '08
I don't think the topic is lame. The issue is this publication's credibility. There are a lot of people who will believe anything they see in print.
Jun 30, '08
This topic is definitely not lame. The East County Gazette doesn't have the same impact as the Oregonian, but it is sent to quite a few households, which I believe includes the homes in Gresham, the fourth-largest city in Oregon.
1:07 a.m.
Jul 1, '08
Majority, Dan Bosserman followed the "disparaged" comment, referring to the time of the founding of the E.C.C. Gazette, with this: "But he [the editor] became truly interested in responsible journalism over the years." So it doesn't seem that Dan B. is currently "sniffing at" his employer, nor that he thinks he's taken a step down.
Jul 1, '08
"This post is lame.
This whole topic is lame."
And for that matter where id the byline for the "news" articles posted here?
9:33 a.m.
Jul 1, '08
And for that matter where id the byline for the "news" articles posted here?
You mean that photo to the left of the headline and the name "Carla Axtman" directly under it?
Jeez.
10:01 a.m.
Jul 1, '08
"But he [the editor] became truly interested in responsible journalism over the years." So it doesn't seem that Dan B. is currently "sniffing at" his employer, nor that he thinks he's taken a step down.
Fair enough. I actually respect the guy for showing up here and giving his two cents.
Jul 1, '08
I appreciate Dan Bosserman offering to speak to the editor of the East County Gazette, but I note he isn't listed as being on their staff. Said editor was excused for running unattributed a news release, but it was from the office of the legislator who was lionized "for her leadership on this issue." If there was no intent to advocate for the candidate, why did they go to her site? It would seem to obviously be an outlet for self-serving PR.
4:11 p.m.
Jul 1, '08
Rulial:
Correct. Gresham, which hit 100,000 residents in February, receives the publication in their mail. It would be my guess that the surrounding areas do as well. This publication could easily be going to areas covering 160,000-180,000 residents. It's not just some free paper sitting around to be picked up.
I usually flip through it to see what's going on when it comes in the mail. Although I don't recall seeing one lately.
Jul 1, '08
Responsible journalism is an important issue whether it's in a local free paper or in the New York Times. Bad habits spread. Newspapers and magazines frequently print press releases as news. The journalist standard is to note the origin is a press release or promotional material. It would be a bit much to expect Linda Flores to right a balanced article about herself, but noting that the article was produced by her office would help to offset the bias in the article.
<h2>It really is not okay to demand responsible journalism from most outlets and excuse the local paper. They deserve to be respected well enough to be asked to be responsible.</h2>