FREE WHITEWATER

Uncategorized

As U.S. cities go from two newspapers to one, some talk of zero – International Herald Tribune

by  • 

The International Herald Tribune, a newspaper with a sharp-looking website, asks how long it will be until a major American city is without a hometown newspaper. Not that long, I wouldn’t wonder.

I agree with the sentiment that loss of professional journalists would be a blow to civil society, but that hardly means that loss of print publications would be dire; online awaits.

Online, though, one will hope to find, next year and beyond, websites that are curious, investigative, diligent, and fearless of controversy.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/12/

business/12papers.php

Press, Press Release, Register Watch™

Register Watch™ for the February 26th Issue: About that autism press release…

by  • 

Recently, I posted the Associated Press Managing Editors’ Statement of Ethical Principles. They don’t cover every circumstance, nor need they do so. One applies ordinary principles of reasoning, fairness, and composition to a critique. One need be nothing special; it is enough to read and write.

I have been a critic of the Whitewater Register, and in this post, I’ll offer an example of how that paper continues to fail the community it professes to serve. (As though, by the way, the paper’s actions were altruistic service; if I’m not mistaken, the Southern Lakes chain of which it is part is a for-profit enterprise. Service would imply some professional, if not altruistic, standards. I’m not convinced.)

In the February 26th issue of the Register, inside the paper, one finds a story entitled, “Hixson testifies on autism bill before insurance committee.” The story refers to local Wisconsin representative Kim Hixson (D-43), and his testimony on behalf of a bill that would require extension of insurance benefits to those diagnosed with autism.

I’ll leave it to others to debate the merits of extending coverage by law. For now, I wish to remark on the story as journalism, not as public policy.

The story, and accompanying photo, do not seem to have begun life as a story at the Register, as one can guess by the designation “submitted photo” and the lack of a byline. There’s another reason I think so – I have a copy of Hixson’s legislative press release, on his official stationery, dated February 23, 2009. Aside from a few changes to capitalization, the release and story in the Register are the same. See for yourself:

I cannot fault Hixson for any of this – politicians send out press releases all the time. It would only be odd if he didn’t send out a release.

The problem rests with the Register: running a politician’s release without a single question, additional source for or against, &c. Nothing – cut and paste isn’t reporting, or journalism, or service to this community. There’s no designation that says plainly, “This is a press release, from Rep. Hixson, dated so-and-so.” That would be awkward, but at least candid.

The Register’s practice does benefit the Register, however. There’s space to fill, to support ads (often for out-of-town concerns). Simply stuffing a politician’s release on a page, without any real reporting around it, benefits the Register as an advertising delivery vehicle.

This practice is also a shoddy departure from real journalism, and fails our community.

Press

Open Letter to the Editors of the Janesville Gazette, Daily Jefferson County Union, and Whitewater Register

by  • 

Good afternoon, All

My name is John Adams, and I am the pseudonymous publisher of Free Whitewater (freewhitewater.com), a small blog about municipal affairs in Whitewater, Wisconsin. I am the sole publisher and author of the website, and have been publishing there since May 2007.

Occasionally, I publish press criticism, and I have offered critiques of articles in The Week, Janesville Gazette, and the Whitewater Register. Readers at my website are familiar with an occasional series about the Whitewater Register, called Register Watch™ , in which I publish reviews of stories and articles appearing in my weekly hometown paper.

Like many bloggers, I am an ordinary person with an interest in local affairs, and press coverage of my town. There is nothing special about either my background or my abilities; I am a common man.

No one believes more in a free and confident press than I do – I believe that better press coverage — rigorous, inquisitive, and independent – produces over time a better politics and a more open, free, and productive culture. (As it is, Whitewater, Wisconsin has a poverty rate higher than her neighbors.)

I’d like to ask a few questions, about your press coverage of our community, and I’d like to publish your replies on my website, with your permission.

  • On average, how many stories directly about Whitewater, Wisconsin do you publish weekly?
  • How many reporters, on your staff, cover Whitewater, Wisconsin (on any topic) regularly? If you have more than one reporter assigned, are they assigned to stories based on issue, or the reporters’ relative experience, or any other standard other than mere availability?
  • Of these stories on Whitewater, how many are original copy from your reporters, and how many are press releases?
  • If you publish press releases from politicians, community groups, or businesses, do you identify the release expressly as a press release? If so, how do you indicate to readers that a published story includes, in whole or in part, content from a press release?
  • If you do not expressly indicate that a published story includes, in whole or in part, content from a press release, then why do you not so indicate?
  • Do you have a standard of journalists’ ethics to which you subscribe, and to which you hold reporters, editors, photographers, &c. responsible?
  • If so, which standards are those to which you subscribe?
  • Do you have a policy for checking your reporters, editors, and photographers for potential conflicts of interest? If that policy is separate from any other principles of journalists’ ethics to which you subscribe, then what is that separate policy?
  • Your newspaper has a website. Do you have plans to expand that website, or change it in significant ways? If you have plans for expansion, do you feel that web-only publishing might be in your future?
  • Are you, or any of your reporters, photographers, or editors members of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council?
  • As you know, Sunshine Week – http://www.sunshineweek.org — takes place March 15 through 21. Do you plan any articles, stories, or particular focus of coverage on freedom of information during that week?
  • If you should have a hero or heroine, among journalists, politicians, or anyone else, then who would that be?

Press Release

Learn about In-laws and Outlaws at the Genealogical Society

by  • 

I received the following press release, that I am happy to post —

The Walworth County Genealogical Society will meet Tuesday, April 7, 2009, 7:00 PM, at the Community Centre, 826 E. Geneva Street, Delavan. Graig Pfannkucke, Wonder Lake, IL will talk about “In-laws and Outlaws.” The subject matter covers how to deal with the “Bad Guys” in family trees. He will supply research tips on how to find the famous and infamous.

Craig is a well-known speaker who presents interesting programs and workshops on a variety of genealogical, historical and archaeological topics. He is a former history teacher with a BS and a MA degree in history, who is now president of Memory Trail Research, and a board member of McHenry County Illinois Genealogical Society, McHenry County Historical Society, Chicago Genealogical Society and the Genealogical Archivist of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Historical Society. Craig Pfannkucke is an interesting speaker who always adds humor to what ever topic he presents. Please come for a evening of learning and entertainment. The business meeting will occur after the talk.

The monthly Society meetings are open to the public and the Society’s publications can be ordered at that time. Brochures are available with information about the society and a complete listing of the books.

For additional information, please call the Vice President at 275-2426.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: March 12, 2009

by  • 

Good morning, Whitewater

There are no public meetings scheduled for the City of Whitewater, today. Their quiet is your happiness.

In our schools, there’s been a parent survey, available on the district’s website. The survey is available — as makes sense — in both English and Spanish versions.

It only takes a few minutes, and is well worth submitting.

Uncategorized

AppleInsider | U2 jumps ship from Apple to Research in Motion

by  • 

Great news in the world of music, and proof that Bono and U2 are super-smart. They’ve jumped from endorsing Apple to a deal with Research in Motion, maker of fine BlackBerry wireless phones.

As you can guess, I think it’s a smart move.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/03/09/

u2_jumps_ship_from_apple_to_research_in_motion.html

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: March 11, 2009

by  • 

Good morning, Whitewater

There’s a Birge Fountain Committee meeting at 2 p.m. today, at the White Memorial Building. That’s Whitewater’s only apparent public meeting. If we must have city government, then our municipality’s focus on the Birge Fountain’s better than most activities in which someone would otherwise meddle. If you’ve not already requested time off from work to attend the meeting, there’s still time. I’m sure your private sector employer will understand why you want to wander off attend a fountain meeting in the middle of the day.

Scheduling like this isn’t even a public meeting, for goodness’ sake — it’s like someone’s club, styled as a public activity. Sell the fountain to some rich person with poor taste in sculpture, and let him scrub it, or polish it, or whatever. It probably wouldn’t even go for that much, on the market, anyway. A few hundred bucks would probably get a buyer the fountain, filled with water, and even a few goldfish thrown in the deal. After the sale — one less item to schedule on the city’s calendar.

Well, if a fountain committee in a town with vacant storefronts (by Main & Elizabeth, Main & Tratt) isn’t enough, there’s more to lift your pride today — it’s Jerry Zucker’s birthday. The Wisconsin Historical Society marks the occasion —

On this date [in 1950] film producer Jerry Zucker was born in Milwaukee. With his brother David, he has written, produced, and directed a number of classic comedies including Naked Gun, Airplane!, Top Secret, Police Squad, and Rat Race. Zucker also produced My Best Friend’s Wedding, First Knight, A Walk In the Clouds, and My Life and gave the 2003 commencement address at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Be proud.

Press

Associated Press Managing Editors’ Statement of Ethical Principles

by  • 

These principles, and even more so basic principles of reasoning, and standards of writing, are useful to a common person who wishes to think, and write, about press coverage of his town.

Statement of Ethical Principles

These principles are a model against which news and editorial staff members can measure their performance. They have been formulated in the belief that newspapers and the people who produce them should adhere to the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct.

The public’s right to know about matters of importance is paramount. The newspaper has a special responsibility as surrogate of its readers to be a vigilant watchdog of their legitimate public interests.

No statement of principles can prescribe decisions governing every situation. Common sense and good judgment are required in applying ethical principles to newspaper realities. As new technologies evolve, these principles can help guide editors to insure the credibility of the news and information they provide. Individual newspapers are encouraged to augment these APME guidelines more specifically to their own situations.

RESPONSIBILITY

The good newspaper is fair, accurate, honest, responsible, independent and decent. Truth is its guiding principle.

It avoids practices that would conflict with the ability to report and present news in a fair, accurate and unbiased manner.

The newspaper should serve as a constructive critic of all segments of society. It should reasonably reflect, in staffing and coverage, its diverse constituencies. It should vigorously expose wrongdoing, duplicity or misuse of power, public or private. Editorially, it should advocate needed reform and innovation in the public interest. News sources should be disclosed unless there is a clear reason not to do so. When it is necessary to protect the confidentiality of a source, the reason should be explained.

The newspaper should uphold the right of free speech and freedom of the press and should respect the individual’s right to privacy. The newspaper should fight vigorously for public access to news of government through open meetings and records.

ACCURACY

The newspaper should guard against inaccuracies, carelessness, bias or distortion through emphasis, omission or technological manipulation.

It should acknowledge substantive errors and correct them promptly and prominently.

INTEGRITY

The newspaper should strive for impartial treatment of issues and dispassionate handling of controversial subjects. It should provide a forum for the exchange of comment and criticism, especially when such comment is opposed to its editorial positions. Editorials and expressions of personal opinion by reporters and editors should be clearly labeled. Advertising should be differentiated from news.

The newspaper should report the news without regard for its own interests, mindful of the need to disclose potential conflicts.

It should not give favored news treatment to advertisers or special-interest groups.It should report matters regarding itself or its personnel with the same vigor and candor as it would other institutions or individuals. Concern for community, business or personal interests should not cause the newspaper to distort or misrepresent the facts.

The newspaper should deal honestly with readers and newsmakers. It should keep its promises.

The newspaper should not plagiarize words or images.

INDEPENDENCE

The newspaper and its staff should be free of obligations to news sources and newsmakers. Even the appearance of obligation or conflict of interest should be avoided.

Newspapers should accept nothing of value from news sources or others outside the profession. Gifts and free or reduced-rate travel, entertainment, products and lodging should not be accepted. Expenses in connection with news reporting should be paid by the newspaper. Special favors and special treatment for members of the press should be avoided.

Journalists are encouraged to be involved in their communities, to the extent that such activities do not create conflicts of interest.

Involvement in politics, demonstrations and social causes that would cause a conflict of interest, or the appearance of such conflict, should be avoided.Work by staff members for the people or institutions they cover also should be avoided.

Financial investments by staff members or other outside business interests that could create the impression of a conflict of interest should be avoided.

Stories should not be written or edited primarily for the purpose of winning awards and prizes. Self-serving journalism contests and awards that reflect unfavorably on the newspaper or the profession should be avoided.

(Adopted 1994 as revision to APME Code of Ethics) 

Available online at
http://www.apme.com/ethics/

Uncategorized

On Press Criticism

by  • 

I have written before that bloggers may appear new to the American scene, but that they really represent only a contemporary innovation on America’s tradition of pamphleteering.  America’s colonial and revolutionary writers published pamphlets on all manner of subjects, and that’s true of blogging, too. 

Blogging on political affairs, whether about places near or far, is particular in one way: the blogger finds himself noticing how reporters and journalists have covered the topics in which he, too, is interested.  Often, a blogger only begins writing after reading shoddy reporting.  Shoddy in every which way: inaccuracies, half-truths, conflicts of interest, lack of curiosity, favoritism, dull writing, &c.  

Whitewater has this problem – we’re a town with a weekly newspaper (the Register) that’s failed this community, and two nearby papers (the Gazette and the Daily Union) that cover the Whitewater only sporadically.  (There’s more to be said about these two nearby daily papers, different in their ways, but I’ll leave that for another time.)    

These papers have left Whitewater politicians, community leaders, and supposed people of influence (big fish only in our small pond) without the critique common in bigger cities, and healthier communities. 

I’m convinced that if we had better journalism in Whitewater, we’d have a better, healthier politics.  Instead, lots of asinine ideas go without a healthy public critique, convincing their asinine proponents that their ideas might – indeed, must – somehow make sense. 

So, a blogger finds himself, by consequence, a press critic.  Bloggers are not reporters, nor journalists.  They are, instead, common people who see poor reporting for what it is, on the basis of their own reading and reflection.  (I have never met anyone, ever, who did not consider me a common man, for example.  There’s nothing fancy about anything I write.  The only thing that makes me slightly different is that I really don’t care what anyone in the world thinks about what I write.  Lots of supposedly important people in this town do care what people think, and it’s part of the reason the town’s a mess.)  

In my next post, I’ll re-print the full Statement of Ethical Principles of the Associated Press’s Managing Editors.  I have posted parts of the Whitewater Register, Daily Jefferson County Union, and the Janesville Gazette.  more >>

Press

Poll of the Week: Favorite Local Newspaper

by  • 

Here’s a second poll, folowing last week’s, this time asking a question about readers’ favorite local newspaper.

For this week’s poll, a question about which of three local newsapers, with coverage of Whitewater news, that readers might favor. Preferences are only among these three, each with a print edition (although readers may be reading news through the online editions of the newspapers.) The poll will stay open until Friday morning. Let’s see what you think…

Enjoy.

more >>

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: March 10, 2009

by  • 

Good morning, Whitewater

There is one scheduled public meeting in Whitewater, at 4:30 p.m. today, about the reconstruction of Center Street. Here’s a description, from the City of Whitewater website:

The public is invited to a meeting to discuss the reconstruction of Center Street. Center Street will be reconstructed from Fourth Street to S. Franklin Street. The project includes the reconstruction of the street surface with new curb and gutter, complete replacement of water main, and spot repairs of the sanitary sewer. The street is being widened slightly to accommodate parking on the south side of the street in front of the Library. There will be no assessments to the adjacent property owners for this project. Mark Fisher, Strand Associates engineer and DPW staff will provide a brief presentation of the project then will listen to comments from the public. This project’s contract is scheduled to be awarded by the City Council on May 5 with construction to start in early June and completion in early September.

There’s one public meeting scheduled in Fort Atkinson, at 10 a.m., but I don’t cover Fort Atkinson (except by contrast), and anything involving stormwater is 23% less interesting that anything I would ever consider blogging about. (I seriously doubt that I have any readers who care about stormwater, but if I do, please stop reading. Go out to a bar, or take your girl to a movie, or something, anything, to balance an interest in ‘stormwater issues.’)

In American history today, it’s an anniversary of two technical accomplishments. If you thought that Jefferson and Lincoln were just political men, you’d be mistaken:

Wired reports that

It’s the anniversary of significant scientific and technical accomplishments by two of the greatest U.S. presidents. Thomas Jefferson read a scientific paper in 1797 that’s considered the first American contribution to vertebrate paleontology. Fifty-two years later, Abraham Lincoln filed for a patent, starting a process that would make him the only U.S. president to patent an invention.

The full story is available at Wired‘s website.

City

Prisoner Monday

by  • 

For the next several weeks, it’s Prisoner Monday here at Free Whitewater. Why? Because a longtime reader previously suggested to me that being in Whitewater sometimes felt like living the plot of The Prisoner.

It’s a great British series, that tells the story of a secret agent who resigns from his agency, only to find himself in a mysterious place called The Village.

AMC has the full episodes of the original series online, and also offers one-minute summaries of those original episodes. I’ve previously posted the first two videos.

Here’s the third, one-minute summary, of an epiosde entitled, “A. B. and C.” (There’s a wonder drug involved.) The full video is also available at AMC.

Enjoy.

more >>

Daily Bread

Daily Bread: March 9, 2009

by  • 

Good morning, Whitewater

Two public meetings are scheduled this afternoon in Whitewater. At 4:30 p.m., the CDA Business Park Marketing Committee meets, and at 6:30 p.m. the Irvin Young Memorial Library Board meets.

School’s also back in session, and so many young people are now safely back behind cinderblock walls. Breathe easy, municipal leaders. Conserve your strength until spring break.

It’s another unexpected celebrity birthday in Wisconsin history today, from the Wisconsin Historical Society: in 1959, Kato Kaelin was born on this day.

On this date Kato Kaelin was born in Milwaukee. He made a few appearances in film and TV, but is mainly known for his testimony in the O.J. Simpson trial. Kaelin lived on Simpson’s estate when O.J.’s wife was murdered.

Uncategorized

Local jobless rate soars — GazetteXtra

by  • 

There’s predictable, but troubling, news on the local economy, as the Janesville-Beloit area now has a double-digit unemployment rate. The national average of 8.1% looks favorable by comparison.

Planners cannot keep up – a study on municipal mass transit between nearby towns was, and now surely is, immaterial. Getting people to and from work that way was destined to be expensive; providing stable, private sector work matters so much more than a public transit scheme.

http://gazettextra.com/news/2009/mar/06/local-jobless-rate-soars/