Comments on: Statesman’s opinion guy: I’m a hypocrite

By: elchupacabras

elchupacabras — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:13:19 +0000

After reading Kevin Richert’s diatribe against this site, I have lost all professional respect for him. To insinuate that you fail to hold those who comment up to the same “standard” he establishes is stretch. I know personally that you have rejected a number of comments, including some of mine, but I don’t have a chip on my shoulder over the matter like he does.

Sorry Kevin, your credibility is gone, buddy.

By: Don@IdahoRadio

Don@IdahoRadio — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 04:58:21 +0000

If you’re following this fun — Kevin has another post on his blog – and in comments you’ll find my response.

http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2009/03/25/krichert/final_words_me_about_online_comments

By: RadioActive

RadioActive — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:33:37 +0000

Well in all fairness…. here is a site that is sure to gain some hits in the future…..

http://www.newspaperdeathwatch.com

Its truly sad that its come to this….

but then again times they r’ a changin’

By: Jim Smith

Jim Smith — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:05:42 +0000

Hey Don, you’d better be careful. This could make a case for the Blog Police!

Thanks for letting us hang out in YOUR hobby room. Frankly, I think you should put up a “Control Freaks Go Home!” sign.

By: Don@IdahoRadio

Don@IdahoRadio — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 02:17:07 +0000

To Brian McG — you make a fair point. This site is primarily focused on radio — and of 2,487 posts in the past 5.5 years — about 40 were about the daily paper.. about a tenth of a percent.

Fortunately this is a blog and not an old-fashioned newspaper — meaning there is unlimited space. Kevin’s outburst aside, the editorial policy here doesn’t change. I put about $30 per month into this site, which is a hobby. I write about newspapers because I find them interesting – just like radio. Locally the paper didn’t even put news online until 2002! They’ve been slow to change and generally disappoint me. I’ve read GREAT newspapers all over the place.. and am sad my hometown doesn’t have one.

Cyclops also makes an excellent point. Again, this site is a hobby and is focused on media. I take great pride in some of the reporting done here over the years. I also dig up lots of news items that never carry my byline over at the day job. And I won’t speak for Kevin, but his efforts are certainly exceptional as well — just today he had an excellent piece on Idaho’s open meeting law. Ahh crud… I’m being a hypocrite again… I said something positive about the paper. Ooops.

The bottom line is this: The Internet is a WONDERFUL thing. If you want radio and newspaper news… you can come here. If you want pieces on CCDC… you can dial up the Boise Guardian. If you want an opinion blog — you can hit up Kevin’s site.

The point is simple for me: it isn’t up to the Idaho Statesman to dictate the comment policy for blogs. It just simply isn’t any of its business. If I decide to require users to send photos of their dogs in order to post — that’s MY business, not theirs. Sure, they can link to whomever they want… but maybe they should have an actual policy that dictates what sites they link to. Anything less comes off as an attempt to silence free speech.

By: Cyclops

Cyclops — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:23:19 +0000

Why don’t both of you pick up your marbles, go home, put a band-aid on your emotional “Owweeis” and get to reporting how the CCDC is screwing the county on the parking situation.

By: Brian MCG

Brian MCG — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:47:55 +0000

This site is called Idaho Radio News and not Idaho Media News so how is newspaper getting such great coverage?

By: elchupacabras

elchupacabras — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 22:05:39 +0000

I’ll second prompter jockey’s comments. I think both, he, I and the “big guy” at that fish wrap producer (newspaper) probably crossed paths, working for the same company as “he” did at one time.

I do appreciate having a local daily, but they need to come off of their high horses and start to realize things are a different world now as opposed to 20 years ago.

By: Former Prompter Jockey

Former Prompter Jockey — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:51:19 +0000

Jim Steele speaks volumes with his wise and sage post. Hope you’re well Jim.

And Don, don’t sweat it– getting under the skin of certain folks at the Statesman is a sign that you’re doing something right. I’ve never seen you as a hypocrite here nor anywhere for that matter.

fpj

By: sledgehammer

sledgehammer — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:11:19 +0000

Hey Don –
Remember Kevin’s advice to the journalism student at an IPC forum who was asking for career advice?

“Find something you are passionate about and start a blog.”

Like this blog?

So he believes in good local blogs, but not if they report negative news about his paper, or he will promptly punish said blog with banishment and namecalling.

Who’s the hypocrite?