Ray Clark's journalism is unscrupulous, lazy, and vague
June 30, 2006, Ray Clark wrote:
“Mrs. Cabana will be the fourth town manger in Gray in the last ten years. She has many friends in Gray, who characterize her as pleasant, efficient, and a confident leader. Her appointment was not unexpected.”
So, who were the other managers? If a reporter goes so far as to mention one part of one fact, then finish it off by providing the rest of the information. It begs the question and is actually just plain lazy not to.
That Mrs. Cabana has many friends is nice. However, it is useless to put that in a news report unless the friends are quoted. A diligent reporter would have called the friends and asked one to make an on the record statement to support the reporter’s claim that Mrs. Cabana has these characteristics. Substantiate. Otherwise, it is editorializing.
Second, and most problematic, is the last sentence. The hiring process is extremely confidential. That Ms Cabana was currently employed while seeking a different position is especially sensitive. Why was Mr. Clark expecting her appointment? By the reaction of Ms. Cabana’s boss in Cape Elizabeth, it was quite unexpected. Did Mr. Clark have inside executive session knowledge? Was there a leak? It looks so.
It was wrong of the council, or Acting manager, (The only people privy to executive session material) to leak executive session information. Someone should be investigated, and censured.
If Mr. Clark knew something that he shouldn't, he should have kept it to himself, out of respect for the people involved and out of respect for the process of executive sessions. He did this before, when he named an employee who had previously been carefully unnamed, regarding a problem with her department and an upcoming executive session to censure her. Mr. Clark apologized over that one. He should apologize again.
Unscrupulous, lazy, and vague journalism. Busted!
“Mrs. Cabana will be the fourth town manger in Gray in the last ten years. She has many friends in Gray, who characterize her as pleasant, efficient, and a confident leader. Her appointment was not unexpected.”
So, who were the other managers? If a reporter goes so far as to mention one part of one fact, then finish it off by providing the rest of the information. It begs the question and is actually just plain lazy not to.
That Mrs. Cabana has many friends is nice. However, it is useless to put that in a news report unless the friends are quoted. A diligent reporter would have called the friends and asked one to make an on the record statement to support the reporter’s claim that Mrs. Cabana has these characteristics. Substantiate. Otherwise, it is editorializing.
Second, and most problematic, is the last sentence. The hiring process is extremely confidential. That Ms Cabana was currently employed while seeking a different position is especially sensitive. Why was Mr. Clark expecting her appointment? By the reaction of Ms. Cabana’s boss in Cape Elizabeth, it was quite unexpected. Did Mr. Clark have inside executive session knowledge? Was there a leak? It looks so.
It was wrong of the council, or Acting manager, (The only people privy to executive session material) to leak executive session information. Someone should be investigated, and censured.
If Mr. Clark knew something that he shouldn't, he should have kept it to himself, out of respect for the people involved and out of respect for the process of executive sessions. He did this before, when he named an employee who had previously been carefully unnamed, regarding a problem with her department and an upcoming executive session to censure her. Mr. Clark apologized over that one. He should apologize again.
Unscrupulous, lazy, and vague journalism. Busted!
posted by Gray Maine at
1:28 PM
9 Comments:
bozo can't look at the truth more than a few seconds.
By
Anonymous, at 4:14 PM
Pleas don't call him a bozo...or any other names...
By
Gray Maine, at 6:03 PM
Name calling is not acceptable; however, I have a real concern with Ray Clark's comments regarding our new Town Manager. They raise some serious questions that need to be clarified...sooner than later!
{1} How did Mr. Clark gain access to this sensitive information in the first place??
{2} Someone obviously 'leaked' executive session information; and should be investigated, and censured! Whomever is responsible for such lack of judgment.. is very irresponsible and cannot be trusted with confidential material! Something needs to be done to address this!
By
Anonymous, at 6:37 PM
I was surprised to read that Mr Clark thought the appointment was "not unexpected." I would ask Mr Clark, why were you expecting Ms Cabana's appointment in particular? He should answer that.
By
Gray Maine, at 6:54 PM
I am curious about that as well. I would like to know if Mr. Clark had inside information, or anything suspicious like that. Sadly, it wouldn't surprise me if he did.
On another issue, has anyone seen the BWG blog today? Nathan actually posted someone's e-mail right on there. How unrespectful and unprofessional. No wonder people don't want to have to give their names or e-mail. He'll just post that information online so that he can ridicule the comments he disagrees with. I know you do not like name-calling, but that man is just nasty.
By
Anonymous, at 6:20 AM
I do not go to the BWG blog. Ever. Why take a bath in sulphuric acid?
Posting someone's e-mail is very bad. I am truly sorry to hear this...I agree with you, anonymous, that's exactly what they do over at the Gray News, ridicule. It used to be they did it in their paper, ridicule the people who'd sent statements to them, right in the hard copy. But the internet is worse because the comments are archived forever and anyone from anywhere in the world will be reading it, but without at least the modicum of local context. I hope the person does not end up with a lot of spam because of Nathan's poor judgement.
And again, dealing with Nathan and the blogs is like throwing acid on yourself. Do not engage, it never proves positive.
By
Gray Maine, at 6:35 AM
I was equally intriqued by that concluding comment. However, I am less inclined to subscribe to grandiose conspiracy theories and storm the Baron's castle with firebrands and pitchforks. Mr. Clark is personna non grata with this Council. He may be aquainted with Ms. Cabana and her philosophy and may be aware that it is compatable with the Council's.
There could be numerous explanations for this teaser, but I doubt inside information is the source.
Based on the professional qualifications published in the monument, I am more intriqued why the Council hired a Town Clerk instead of a Town Manager.
By
Anonymous, at 6:55 PM
I know that John Welch leaks so much confidential information you could strain spaghetti thru him. I personally believe that Mr. Clark had inside info and his ego would not let him keep that tidbit to himself.
As for hiring a Clerk...First, Mitch Berkowitz's first Managerial post was subsequent to his tenure as the Parks and Rec guy. Everyone has to start somewhere.
Second, perhaps Ms. Cabana was the most qualified. I am hoping that a person with a bit different perspective will be a winner. We have had such a string of losers.
By
Gray Maine, at 1:23 PM
Ray Clark and Nathan Tsukroff are unscrupulous and unethical. As far as I am concerned, they serve no valuable functin in the Town.
By
Anonymous, at 10:58 AM
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