The Shadow Comments on the Decline and Fall of Objective News Reporting

Attention Pat Rice, Editor, Daytona Beach News Journal: Well you still seem behind the ball on NSB news and You and the NJ recently did a powder puff piece on the Waterfront Loop in NSB, but it failed to note at the end of this alleged piece of “news” that the NJ received advertising money at the same time for Christmas on Canal.  Even Fox News notes where its money comes from. The Shadow thinks your failure here is not a good sign for independent journalism.

NJ Cub Reporter Mark Johnson does another powder puff article on the CC meeting, but talks about the parking problem on Columbus Ave, when the real story was about the CRA ethics issues, which he wrote on the following day and the NJ made that one hard to find. Another example of advertising winning out over the news. Hope they did not slip on the "soap flakes" on Flagler,; maybe we should call it "soap suds" reporting. Pat, We are still looking forward to some real reporting by real investigative reporters on the antics down here in New Smyrna Beach.

Apparently Mr. Rice chooses not to listen to our comments regarding the lack of investigative reporting being done by the News Journal in New Smyrna Beach. we find that strange since the CRA story, among others, cry's out for some "professional investigative journalism." Instead, all we get is a powder puff story, that never asked the important questions, about the lack of progress on construction of the Canaveral National Park Visitor Center. We guess maybe they were too busy counting their advertising revenue from the City, the CRA, and SVAA.

We will just keep reminding him...........

UPDATE: Looks like Mr. Rice is reading our page and sent his cub reporter Mark I. Johnson out to do a story on the CRA problem of transparency and possible graft. Too bad all Johnson did was list the times when Board Members abstained. He then complicated the problem by mentioning that Doug Hodson never filed any conflicts. Most reporters would have had a red light come on and ask why. But apparently not our Mr. Johnson.

We will keep Pat informed and help out with the Reporter 101 class if asked.

UPDATE: Got to Ask Pat Rice Again About the Power Puff Story on NSB Partnerships?

Did your reporter ask why the land was polluted and who polluted it? Did he ask why the tax payer (at all levels of government, federal, state and local) is on the hook for the cleanup? Did he ask who owned the property before and why they did not clean it up? Did he even bother to ask why in the world the City was characterizing this fiasco as  partnership? No, he apparently just checked in with your advertising department and then printed what the City handed him. And you call that independent journalism? We at the Shadow don't!

ATTENTION EDITOR OF THE HOMETOWN NEWS

While on the subject of the decline of journalism we note that with the demise of the Robert Lott's SEV Observer, known by most as the City Cheerleader Newspaper, its' former editor, Robert Burns has slid over to the Hometown Press Release (oops, did it again, Hometown News) and wrote two pieces for Friday's edition. Sadly, both appear to be just a regurgitation of press releases, with some flowery additions. We know this is in the case of the lead article on the front page, the so-called City "visioning session"held at the ACA facility. If one were to believe Mr, Burns' flowerily prose, he was there when the "...morning light flooded into the (ACA)..." Our sources, who were monitoring the event, tell us he arrived around 2 PM and left at 2:30 or so and thus was not there to see the "...morning light...". So much for responsible journalism versus lets just spruce up the press release. But then we don't have responsible journalism from the print media in the area.

We will see if we can help the editor out with some tips on responsible reporting. Maybe the NJ will offer Burns a seat in the Reporter 101 class.

Nothing new from the Hometown News; the neighbor's dog stole it

From 01/16/2012

The News Journal continues to softsoap the happenings here in NSB regarding the CRA and City government. The articles on Sally and the Hub are less than thorough and lack any critical review of the proposals. They are at best cheerleading for the concept without justification. The continued hurrahs for the non-existent Waterfront Loop are disgusting and make one question if the News Journal is a newspaper or merely an advertising outlet for the City. Their piece on Tony Otte and the CRA are devoid of any factual documentation to support his absurd claims of attendance at events; the entire article is unsupported by the reporter in any way. At some point the Editor, Pat Rice, needs to decide what the NJ really is. We eagerly await the awakening.

From 02/06/12

NJ on the SVAA - Carni Attorney Returns Taxpayer Owned Property

The News Journal, seems to continue to have an inside track to information not shared by with other outlets, did new piece this week on the return of numerous boxes of items purchased by Ms. Carni with the taxpayer owned and county approved American Express card. It also seems that more than three weeks after being suspended and then fired, she still had the keys to the offices. Make some wonder what was going on out there after hours? The larger issue is the apparently the absence of FDLE from this adventure despite the County and Mr. Byron doing everything to allude to their involvement. Nice footwork but not very helpful to the taxpayer who is concerned about how their property is being controlled. Finally, the Shadow is concerned about the lack of open and transparent dialog between the County media office and media requesting information. That needs to be addressed and addressed now by Mr. Bruno and the Council, as we do not think that is at their direction.

The Hometown News had little of anything that could be called news; just more of the homey club postings. But it did hit the driveways on Thursday instead of Friday. Must be easier to get the copy out when there is nothing in it but ads.

Will someone PLEASE start a real newspaper here?

Rise and Fall of Journalism In NSB

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