We're sure many of our readers were scratching their heads this morning, wondering about this morning's Scott Schwebke masterpiece (which we'll link below), dredging up for what [?] the fourth or fifth time in the past several weeks [we've lost count] the shop-worn meme concerning the Boss Godfrey sham debates which never happened.Thanks to one of our gentle readers, we've now received a document which illustrates the simple three-step process by which the twisted Godfrey administration message makes its way right to the front to the front page of publisher Lee Carter's Gondola-Examiner [formerly the Ogden Standard-Examiner]:
Step One: Boss Godfrey's boot licking pet lackey John "Pureheart" Patterson sends out to the Gondola-Examiner a completely bogus and self-serving press release via email to Ace Reporter Schwebke on October 13, 2009:
• Council candidate debate will not be shownStep Two: Ace Reporter Schwebke, quite possibly the laziest reporter in Standard-Examiner history, immediately recognises a good opportunity to cut and paste.
Step Three: On October 14, 2009 (this morning), the news editor at the Standard-Examiner accepts Schwebke's cut/paste gibberish, and pawns it off as a real news item, even while entirely ignoring any discussion of tonight's legitimate candidate debate:
• City nixes televised debatesThree simple steps, people.
That's how it works at the Official Boss Godfrey House Propaganda Organ.
The Standard-Examiner: Boss Godfrey's very own "trick pony."
9 comments:
Just another example of the single greatest weakness in the SE's political reporting: its tendency to do press-release journalism regarding nearly anyone in a public office. The fault lies, IMHO, with the news editors. It's their decision to accept as "news" any press release Pureheart decides to send out, and to present it unexamined and unquestioned. If the editors were determined not to be played by the administration in this way, they would not be. So I'd go a bit easier on the reporting staff: they're doing [and not doing] the reporting the SE's editor want done... and not done.
Rudi
Where is the link to the Schwepke article so that we can see how closely he hewed to PureHearts press release. Or were they one and the same?
It really is pretty amazing that the Godfrey administration would put out a press release like that on this subject and not mention the past legitimate debate or the one to be held tonight. I mean really, does no one in the mayor's office have the slightest bit of shame?
Another lie PureHeart puts out within his press release is the totally false statement about having it in the Mayor's office being the only way it is possible for Ch-17 to broadcast a debate. And he presumably had a straight face when he wrote it.
I also highly doubt his claim to thousands of regular viewers for the mayor's channel.
Stan B
don't you mean straight faces?
js
BB
BB
Straight faces....
Nice. Very nice.
Simply amazing. Because most Ogden residents saw the farce that was the channel 17 debates the administration has instead managed to cancel the televising and still insult the candidates that refused to play along. I really enjoy John Patterson putting out a press release and refering to himself in the third person. No mention at all of allowing a taped replay of tonights debate. But we will be viewing high school football game replay from Utah county. Does the mayor and the S-E share the cost of Scott Schwebkes salary?
I await with eager anticipation tomorrow's probable banner headlined front page story in the SE:
"Mayor Godfrey's Chief Administrative Office, J. Patterson, announced in a press release this morning that after a good night's sleep, he had reconsidered not having Channel 17 televise the one-chair debates, and that he still felt very good this morning about his decision. The manager of Channel 17, Mr. Francis, in an exclusive interview with the Standard Examiner, said he thinks whatever Mr. Patterson thinks and fully supports whatever Mr. Patterson, to whom he reports, decides to do or not do whenever he decides to do or not do it. [Note to reporter: Insert boilerplate rehash of non-debate stories 1-5 here --- A. Howell, Exec Ed..]"
Wouldn't put it past 'em.
I have thirty five cents left over after paying my water bill that says the Standard stone walls the story about tonight's debate just like they did the last one. Unless of course a fist fight broke out in the middle of it, or unless some one from the independent ticket didn't show up. Then it will be front page news for at least three days.
IF there is no debat coverage in tomorrows edition of the S-E by 9 am they will have received my call to cancel my subscription. I will however, pay my paperboy his Christmas bonus...no need to expose an innocent bystander to collateral damage.
Damn
I bet my last thirty five cents that the Standard would not do a story on the real debate and the bastards went and did it. Not only am I broke now, but apparently the Standard is too if they will change their news reporting standards for a lousy thirty five cents! The funny part is, that the thirty five cents is only going to cover Schwepke's salary and they won't end up with it anyway. Guess me and the editor the Standard are both going to be dining on Raman noodles for the next week.
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