Bad Journalism + Biased Editor = The Gray News

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Won't that be nice

Oh boy! Maybe I don’t have to do this anymore! The Gray News sold out to an out of town businessman, who owns several newspapers. The Gray News is part of a chain now.

I hope that the new owner will monitor the Gray News staff (of two: Nathan and Ray) and publish articles that have some facts in them! And from which the reporter actually went to the meeting! And isn’t angry, petulant, scathing, snide, or pompous!

Won’t that be nice.

I’ve learned from watching the news industry though that you’re supposed to be optimistically skeptical. So Biasbuster will watch for a while to see if there are any positive changes before moving off to do other things.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed that improvements will be made…that the staff is shaped up or shipped out…that the newspaper becomes once more not an embarrassment to the town, themselves, and the entire journalism industry.

Won’t that be nice.

I can’t wait to declare: “My Work Here is Done.”

posted by Gray Maine at 10:56 AM

36 Comments:

  • You'd think that but then read this weeks edition of the Gray Enquirer. Their feet are held to the fire of thre truth yet! " And many are angry at the Town's Council's abrupt closing of the Gray Dispatch last Friday." The Gray dispatch was closed because of two resignations and threats from at least one other employee. For the safety of Gray, the town manager secured the services of the county dispatch imediately and there was no gap of service. Not only is this a lie, but Mr, Clark KNOWS this is a lie. Apparently being taken over by another owner will NOT affect his reporting propaganda INSTEAD of the facts.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:01 AM  

  • "Won't That Be Nice"!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:20 AM  

  • The Gray Dispatch Center was closed because a petition was taken out to dispute Gary Foster & Company's vote to close it Jan 15, 2007
    Gary Foster does not like to be told what to do by the majority of the citizens of GRAY- So, he beat them to the punch and usurped his power play by closing the dispatch and he had the town manager fire them all!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:50 AM  

  • Hi Anonymous,

    The vote to close dispatch came before the petition to save it. You have your chronology of events reversed. Since that is the case, the rest of your argument fails.

    I won’t comment on your opinion of an allegedly power hungry Gary.

    BB

    By Blogger Gray Maine, at 12:44 PM  

  • Notice all the focus on Gary all of a sudden. It's the same political machine that brought you the recall...the petition...coming to an election in June...Mr Foster. They are trying to tear him down because he's up for election in June. See through their BS yet? It's ALL about politics...not what's best for Gray.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:41 PM  

  • Does anyone know if the Petitioner's have reached their
    'magic numbers' yet???

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:42 AM  

  • This week's Gray News 'reported', without sourcing, that the petitioners had gathered around 400 at the polls, combined with the 600 they had already gathered, which is just about enough.

    If you can believe that...first, the GN inflates and misrepresents. Second, I find it interesting that they only got 400 at the polls, it was a hugely heavy turnout and many more than 400 was to be expected.

    So downward ratchet that likely inflated 400 to 250, and downward ratchet the likely inflated 600 to 400, and my guess is that they are only halfway there.

    Deadline is Friday 2:00 or it's moot.

    But I'm only guessing, and thus I might just as easily be proven wrong on Friday.

    By Blogger Gray Maine, at 11:53 AM  

  • And, if you have signed this damaging and costly petition, ask that your name be removed before the signitures are verified on Friday. Don't be part of this costly political move.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:36 PM  

  • What are you afraid of?

    Let the citizens decide.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:46 PM  

  • I don't quite understand what you mean? Decide, what, please?

    By Blogger Gray Maine, at 7:23 PM  

  • Ms Decide I'll tell you exactly waht I'm afraid of. If you don't remove your signiture it WILL cost the town money for an issue that isn't an issue We are already at county and it's working GREAT. The recallers, petitioners, trouble makers...whatever you want to call them are politically motivsated and do NOT care that this petition is BAD for Gray and will cost us TAX dollars for no reason!
    Get your name off this petition. Call the town office.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:38 PM  

  • I am not politically motivated and I signed the petition :-)

    By expanding an already excellent service & creating more jobs here @Gray Dispatch we will actually make more money (not cost us tax dollars as you claim)

    Please do not be afraid of the petition process
    -It is a legal mechanism found in Gray's Charter for the very reason it is being instituted now

    The Town Council and Town Manager closed the Gray Dispatch in a foolishly reactionary fashion
    One of which will cost our town money and possibly lives

    I say sign the petition and let all the people decide not just 6

    By Blogger GrayMaine04039, at 7:29 AM  

  • I hope Ray Clark retires from his long journey as editor of the Gray News
    He deserves a rest from the small group of disgruntled naysayers that relentlessly complain.

    For over six years your goal in life has been to distroy Ray Clark.
    The negative energy it takes for you all to gripe and wine and snarl is taking a toll on your well being- Don't you realize how deep the acidity and bitterness you feel for Ray is eating away at your soul?

    sidebar:
    Just think about the endless hours you have spent reading the Gray News
    Did you even think for once that you were the Gray News' best customer?

    By Blogger GrayMaine04039, at 7:48 AM  

  • I've had this blog for 6 years? Time flies. I guess you and I agree on one thing: we BOTH hope Ray Clark retires. Won't that be nice.

    And I don't have a soul, I sold it to the devil every time I read the Gray News.

    By Blogger Gray Maine, at 11:39 AM  

  • graymaine04039 said:
    "I say sign the petition and let all the people decide not just 6"

    Last time I looked, the council was made of five people, not 6.

    In Gray, graymaine04039, we have a representative democracy, where the council decides. That's why we elect them. If you are really intent on chiming in and wanting to be a part of each and every decision, I'd suggest petitioning for a change in government, to a charter-less one like New Gloucester where all the people decide every little thing at a town-wide meeting.

    Or even quicker, you can move to New Gloucester, and then you'd have a chance to decide on everything, like you want.

    By Blogger Gray Maine, at 11:43 AM  

  • The six included the town manager :-)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:22 PM  

  • the town manager does not decide. Only the elected officials. The Manager's job is to carry out what the council designates. That's how it works...you might be mixed up from having watched the previous Manager, who was accumulating a fiefdom. But normally that's not how it's supposed to work. We don't elect the manager and managers have no decision making effects, except for direct personnel under them.

    By Blogger Gray Maine, at 6:21 PM  

  • Dear bias_______Such a superior road you choose to take whenever someone tries to help you to understand what they were saying
    5 councilors and one t.m.= six
    In fact I bet we will find out that it was even less of a number than 6 that carried out the dastardly deed

    The point of "letting the citizens decide" was missed completely with your smoke screen tactics and grammarian attitude

    The 6, 4, or even 2 were the ones that made the ultimate decision-hastily--
    To close Gray Dispatch immediately

    Not you, not me, not the citizens

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:37 PM  

  • It may be time to clean house of any of those working against the safety of our town. The town manger should take a long hard look at the public safety department...politics and safety do NOT mix.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:52 PM  

  • Biasbuster here...Anonymous, I was only trying to help you understand that the Manager does not decide. We don't have a council of 6. Looks like you still don't understand how it works.

    Here it is again, shorter: The manager does not make decisions. OK? Hope this helps.

    By Blogger Gray Maine, at 6:44 AM  

  • The manager did decide what was in the best interest of the town. She had until January to move to county dispatch by unanimous vote (thats five not 3 for those of you having difficulty with the math). The dispatchers quit leaving the towns safety at risk then she made arrangements for the county to take over imediately, It troubles me that the public safety leadership was not able to make a smoother transition. Better leadership is needed apparently.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:40 AM  

  • Maybe I am not explaining it well enough. The manager "made arrangements" at the direction of the council. If she had made that decision on her own she would be overstepping and likely be reprimanded or fired. he is contractually obligated to serve the council. When the council told her to go ahead and do that, she did.

    By Blogger Gray Maine, at 10:33 AM  

  • Thank you bias... for clearing up the fact that it was T.C.'s decision and that Deborah Cabana was following through as she was ordered to do-

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:27 PM  

  • Technically correct. The council voted to make it happen with a transition team by a certain date in January. When the revolt at the dispatch left the town at risk, the manager took the bull by the horns and made our town safe in a very short period of time. The council had not met again to move the dispatch forward earlier. I commend the manager for her actions and hope she can get control of the out of control department. The gap in leadership is hurting us and apparently no one has stepped up.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:16 PM  

  • I think the Council's solving of the emergency situation caused by Dispatchers' resignations demonstrated leadership in its highest form. They stepped up and solved it--with no gap in service. The council directed the manager, the manager did not act on her own. I hope you understand that now after having been told 4 times.

    By Blogger Gray Maine, at 5:17 PM  

  • There was nothing mentioned in either paper about the results of Donnie Carroll's Petition? {Maybe I missed it} Does anyone know whether Donnie's Petition Efforts Failed or not??

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:26 AM  

  • I heard enough people were lied to about the process to get the signitures. They were not told more than needed to get their signiture. 'It's just to get it on the ballot' and 'This is to protect our public safety' were common themes at the dump and the polls. Information and truth were not their friend. Ignorance was. It shows how people should be aware of the WHOLE story before signing ANY petition.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:30 AM  

  • (I can’t wait to declare: “My Work Here is Done.”)

    Neither can we! bubye!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:42 PM  

  • I know! Won't it be nice to have The Gray News ethically bringing unbiased news without an agenda. [sigh] I can't wait either, anonymous, that will be a happy day.

    By Blogger Gray Maine, at 2:52 PM  

  • Biasbuster, Please don't declare Your Work Here Done. As long as Ray Clark holds a pen, clarification of his comments will be necessary. He Lies, He is unethical, and prints biased editorials. Someone {You} is sooo much needed to present the FACTS! Maybe Windham Independent will need a 'wake up' call too!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:52 PM  

  • Is your prideful head soooo big that you think we read the Gray News and then confer with this hate blog to find out the real truth?

    My, my how you have digressed to a lowly state of mind!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:18 AM  

  • I do what I do because of what I stated earlier. I don’t know why you come here.

    By Blogger Gray Maine, at 7:30 AM  

  • For the laughs
    Now and again
    for the laughs

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:50 AM  

  • Anonymous 7:50 AM
    If it's "Laughs" YOU want, why not join the Circus! There is too much 'foolishness' going on in this Town! Good People are trying to do Good Things! {Why Not Put YOUR Energies to Good Use}?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:38 AM  

  • Yes, biasbuster, why not put YOUR energies to GOOd Use!
    This blog is such a waste of your own good time

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:14 PM  

  • good use is as good use does. It is a highly valuable thing to point out where a group of people are harming the town, how that harm hurts public participation, journalism.

    On the other hand, some people think that petitioning to overturn everything the council does and disrupting the town is a good use of time and energy.

    I might suggest that if this blog that you visit, and read, and comment, is a waste of time-- that your time might be better spent reading blogs that call the neighbors currently serving on council the 'KKK'. As for my choices of how I spend my time, thanks for the advice.

    By Blogger Gray Maine, at 7:45 AM  

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