vision2020
Re: Covering Moscow News
And I also forgot to mention my regular fix of Letters to the Editior
----- Original Message -----
From: Wayne H Beebe <whbeebe@turbonet.com>
To: Vision 2020 <vision2020@moscow.com>
Sent: Saturday, December 11, 1999 9:19 AM
Subject: Re: Covering Moscow News
> I know the inkster follows Vision2020 to get her material. I like her
two.
> I also find Business Bits quite informative! Also, there is People of the
> Palouse.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Travis Tonn <vart@turbonet.com>
> To: Don Coombs <dcoombs@uidaho.edu>; <vision2020@moscow.com>
> Sent: Friday, December 10, 1999 10:20 PM
> Subject: Re: Covering Moscow News
>
>
> > I subscribe to the Idaho-Spokesman Review Sunday edition, but am
> considering
> > recieving the Daily News just so I can read Vera White's satire of local
> > public figures and issues.
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Don Coombs <dcoombs@uidaho.edu>
> > To: vision2020@moscow.com <vision2020@moscow.com>
> > Date: Friday, December 10, 1999 5:09 PM
> > Subject: Covering Moscow News
> >
> >
> > >If you think it's desirable for people to know what's going on in town,
> > >you're interested in how the news is covered. Moscow used to have 3-1/2
> > >agencies covering the area: The Daily News, the Lewiston Trib, KRFA and
> > >KWSU (the WSU stations) and -- in a half-hearted way -- the Spokesman
> > >Review.
> > >
> > >The WSU stations dropped out some years ago, when their reach was
> extended
> > >to Port Angeles and Bellingham; they couldn't afford to cover or find
> > >air time for news of dozens and dozens of towns. What they could
> > >afford was seamless classical music, and the national news shows.
> > >
> > >The Spokesman Review now and then covers Moscow, and Friday the paper
got
> > >out in front and looked good. On the front page of the Idaho edition,
the
> > >Spokesman had "Washington State auditors say the administrator of
> Moscow's
> > >Gritman Medical Center violated laws and breached ethics while
> > >(in his previous job) overseeing a hospital in Western Washington." And
> > >Andrea Vogt, the reporter, put together a long story which jumped to
page
> > >9.
> > >
> > >The Lewiston Trib whiffed on the story, which means there will be
> > >opportunity Saturday morning for the Trib to cover the story in its own
> > >way or to pretend that it's not really news and ignore it. The Trib has
a
> > >reputation for not taking that last, easy, route.
> > >
> > >The Daily News, with all morning to cover the story after the Spokesman
> > >broke it, chose to use portions of the Spokesman story (which is
> perfectly
> > >legal because both newspapers belong to the Associated Press) and add
> > >nothing of its own. In other words, the Daily News ran heavily edited
> wire
> > >copy on a story in its own town. The Daily News also changed the lead
so
> > >that instead of identifying the person (Tom Stegbauer) as the
> > >administrator of Gritman Medical center, it identified him as "A Port
> > >Angeles hospital administrator." In the third paragraph, it got around
to
> > >reporting his present employment at Gritman.
> > >
> > >Nobody should judge on the basis of one day's papers, but the Spokesman
> > >definitely did better than the Trib in covering Moscow on Friday.
> > >
> > >While the Trib sports section was guessing who the strongest
> > >candidates were to replace Chris Tormey as UI football coach, the
> > >Spokesman sports section -- even though it had an earlier deadline than
> > >the Trib -- reported that three candidates had withdrawn, including
Scott
> > >Linehan, who was one of the Trib's two "strongest candidates."
> > >(In its defense, the Trib's information appeared in an opinion column,
> not
> > >a news story.)
> > >
> > >*********************************
> > >
> > >On a personal note: I can be persuaded to keep observations like the
> above
> > >to myself. All it will take is one or more people letting me know they
> > >prefer to judge papers by how much "good news" they print. (I tend not
to
> > >communicate when I'm depressed.)
> > >
> > >Don H. Coombs
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
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