vision2020
RE: A kinder, gentler Don...
Shahab:
You write many spirited and thoughtful comments on Vision 2020. I may not agree with them, but they are usually very well reasoned and almost always passionate. I appreciate hearing a reasoned comment from someone with a different perspective from mine.
When you call people stupid and ignorant, and then do it again and again, I lose sight of your message and feel pretty defensive for the folks you are berating. That is especially true when I have had personal interaction with those you attack and have found them to be just like most of the rest of us here in Moscow--committed and caring if less-than-perfect (by whomever it is that defines perfect). I make no argument with what you have said about the quality of the Daily News or about the errors that are made. But I have trouble with the assertion that the people are stupid and that the DN should essentially quit operating.
I get upset if I'm misquoted, and it definitely can have a detrimental effect on one's business or personal reputation--or just make me lookdumb (which statement makes the huge assumption that I wouldn't look dumb if I were quoted accurately, but that is a different matter). But I have never thought that a reporter either intentionally or stupidly made the misquote or got the thought wrong. In fact, of the several reporters with whom I have had personal contact, I have to say that I liked them all. And, my contacts with the folks in classified ads, the advertising manager, and the editor have all been positive--and left me with the impression that they are all good folks who are trying to help.
Again, I am not minimizing the inconvenience or loss you suffered because of a Daily News error, but I would ask you if you must continue to berate the DN in this forum that it be in the constructive way in which your other posts arrive.
Thank you for your consideration of these thoughts.
Mike Curley
On 20 Apr 01, at 19:25, Shahab Mesbah wrote:
Date forwarded: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 19:26:40 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Shahab Mesbah" <meteor2@moscow.com>
To: <vision2020@moscow.com>
Subject: RE: A kinder, gentler Don...
Date sent: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 19:25:02 -0700
Forwarded by: vision2020@moscow.com
I agree that we are fallible... but when you make mistakes more often than
not... I think you should get out of the business! One mistake in particular
hurt my business dramatically. Just because there is a severe IQ deficiency at
the paper my business was portrayed incorrectly. I never did shake that mistaken
stereotype. I would have to agree that many times there is no harm done when
there is a little mistake but when you start hurting others by being stupid you
can't expect not to get punished. There is no excuse for this level of
incompetence. You would not put up with it from anyone else.
"Your brother in arms"
Shahab...
-----Original Message-----
From: Western, Diamond [mailto:westerdi@mcmurdo.gov]
Sent: Friday, April 20, 2001 7:00 PM
To: 'vision2020@moscow.com'
Subject: A kinder, gentler Don...
The Daily News does make errors. I have yet to find a news media that
doesn't. I recall one time I was interviewed by the News along with a
cohort regarding one of our shenanigans. The article wound up misquoting
the other fellow, then attributed the whole darn thing to me. It was
embarrassing, to be sure. At least it was an improvement from when they ran a
story on the event - I was called for a picture. I asked if they would like any
information. I was told no, they would take it off the wire. Talk about warmed
over misquotes...
Recently some photos I had taken were used for a press release. NBC news,
the real thing, ran the photos as South Pole Station in spite of them being
listed as McMurdo. No harm done, but there is a significant difference between
the two.
It happens... while I am not condoning sloppiness, I realize anytime
something occurs between more than one person, there is significant chance
of error. And even when I work by myself I generally have a communication
problem with all of the other voices...
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