Bad Journalism + Biased Editor = The Gray News

Monday, July 24, 2006

Gray News gathers news via telepathy

On July 21, The Gray News wrote:

"In the middle of the continued discussion of a mobile vendor's permit for an ice-cream truck that wants to do business at Wilkie's Beach, the television camera went off, and no more of the Council was to be seen. But it finally voted 3-1, with Foster opposed, to deny the permit, on the ground that Gray's mobile-vendor ordinance only allows parking on private property with written permission; an ice-cream truck parks on the road, which is public property. Councilor Julie DeRoche said later that it's time the Council (a) held to Town ordinances as written and (b) revisit ordinances as necessary.

The Council also received applications for the MSAD #15 Board of Directors seat from Celeste Gosselin and Sheryl Robinson, who ran for a set on the Board in June and lost by only three votes. The Council has set a deadline of July 28 for applications, and will name a replacement on August 1."

There were no Gray News personnel at the meeting. If they were not there, HOW did they get the news? The obvious answer is that they got it from their friends on the Council. Since Julie DeRoche was mentioned in the part after the cameras went dark, we can see they got the news from her. Even if they got it from an audience member, the report should state that.

It is highly unethical for a news organization to put out the news that is from the mouths of the elected officials and pretend it is actual newsgathering.

Unfortunate events occur: so the cable committee guys ran out of money or bought faulty equipment or something that caused a serious malfunction in the one job they are supposed to do, and the cameras went dark. Sometimes things happen. But from the point at which the news reporter is no longer gathering the news personally, Mr Clark should have clearly stated in his report that it was from a newsmaker. It is lying to the public to do anything otherwise.

The only conclusion one can reach from this breach is that The Gray News is in the pocket of the Council and totally unethical.

6 Comments:

  • Julie DeRoche needs to be watched closely.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:26 AM  

  • As well as Alison Libbey! They were both promoted by Gray News and Ray Clark?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:49 AM  

  • It was the candidates who chose to send their releases only to The Gray News. However, the candidates did agree to be interviewed by The Monument.

    By Blogger Gray Maine, at 11:03 AM  

  • Thursday is Monument day: the day where you can trust what is in the newspaper because it wasn't delivered telepathically, or made up.

    Fridays? Wear black arm bands

    By Blogger Gray Maine, at 4:57 PM  

  • Biasbuster, you're beginning to loose your analytical focus on the Gray News. Be smarter than the others.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:49 PM  

  • I know! It's because ther's no news in the Gray News to bust. Except for this week, of course, when they gathered the news via osmosos, the paper hasn't seen an enterprise story or meeting coverage or spot news in a long time. We will see what is in it this week and maybe I can bust analytically again. Meanwhile, enjoy the entertainment.

    By Blogger Gray Maine, at 6:20 AM  

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