Sunday, November 18, 2012

Big Disappointment

Two of the regulars on WAMC's The Media Project--Alan Chartock and Rex Smith--were absent tonight, and Daily Freeman publisher emeritus Ira Fusfeld moderated a discussion with Judy Patrick, of the Schenectady Daily Gazette, and Mike Spain, associate editor at the Times Union, which, it was touted at the beginning of the show, was supposed to focus on print journalism. The participants responded to a question from someone named Bill about providing context for news stories, they talked about the press's gentle treatment of David Petraeus, they probed the bias of MSNBC vis-a-vis Fox News, they marveled at the impact of a harsh restaurant review in the New York Times, but they spoke nary a word about an issue involving print journalism right in their own backyard.     
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7 comments:

  1. glencadiaNovember 18, 2012 at 8:05 PM

    I was also hoping WAMC would pick up the Sleepergate story from the front page of the Times Union last week and they haven't yet, you know, the story about the lawyer (one of five) who billed for impossible hours.

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  2. unheimlichNovember 18, 2012 at 8:45 PM

    I've since looked into the "sleepergate" story thanks only to your own diligence, Glencadia. It's an all-too-believable tale.

    Needless to say it's shameful that the Register Star won't cover a Columbia County story which merited a Times Union cover.

    How did The Columbia Paper fair?

    (Don't expect the sound-bite intelligentsia of AMC's "Media Project" to report on this.)

    Thanks for keeping on top of it.

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  3. SamuelNovember 18, 2012 at 9:02 PM

    Albany media, including TU and WAMC, don't care the least but about Columbua County, which represents an insignificant share if their total market.

    -- Jock Spivy

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    1. Carole OsterinkNovember 19, 2012 at 7:35 AM

      In fairness, Jock, both WAMC and the Times Union did cover this story, which is why I thought it would be a natural for discussion on The Media Project. It involves important media issues--the relationship of publisher and editorial, blogs and traditional print journalism. But I was wrong.

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  4. AnonymousNovember 19, 2012 at 10:05 AM

    I'd bet money that Alan Chartock wants to lead a discussion on this subject and left instructions for the panel to not talk about it in is absence.

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  5. SamuelNovember 19, 2012 at 2:40 PM

    OK, Carole, fair enough, I see your point.

    The gasbags on The Media Project mostly spend their air time patting each other on the back and abasing themselves before "Dr." Chartock.

    (At Yale, where every faculty member has a doctorate, only MDs are ever called "Doctor." Every new lawyer today is awarded a JD. Are we supposed to call Bill Better, for instance, "Dr. Better?" Ridiculous.)

    The Media Project crew are astonishingly smug and self-satisfied.

    I'm amazed at how little I've ever learned from that show, especially in comparison to what's in smart blogs these days, including Gossips. Much more useful conversation about real issues in media and journalism here.

    -- Jock Spivy

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  6. Greg DraissNovember 19, 2012 at 8:13 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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