The Local Newspaper: Fair and Balanced?
Running a small-town newspaper like the Taco Times / Perry News-Herald is undoubtedly a challenge. It's hard work, there's not much money to be made, and someone's always going to be unhappy with its coverage. There's a small pool of advertisers, and angering one of them could cause significant financial loss to the paper.
Nevertheless, as a community I'm sure we desire a paper that's fair and balanced—one that delivers all of the news. How does our local paper measure up? There have been a number of complaints lately that certain stories have been ignored, such as the closing of EMS, the disciplining of a student caught with a gun on campus, an incident with local law enforcement and an airboat, and the arrest of a high-ranking school district official.
What local news do YOU think deserved coverage but didn't get it (no rumors or personal attacks, please—just actual news)? Do you believe it's realistic to think a small-town paper could keep its head above water financially if it angered important advertisers? Or are those advertisers just as reliant on the publicity they get from the paper as the paper is on their advertising dollars? Who needs whom more? Or is advertising not the issue here—are there genuine editorial disagreements over what events are worth being covered by the paper? And how is the Internet changing the news game?
Nevertheless, as a community I'm sure we desire a paper that's fair and balanced—one that delivers all of the news. How does our local paper measure up? There have been a number of complaints lately that certain stories have been ignored, such as the closing of EMS, the disciplining of a student caught with a gun on campus, an incident with local law enforcement and an airboat, and the arrest of a high-ranking school district official.
What local news do YOU think deserved coverage but didn't get it (no rumors or personal attacks, please—just actual news)? Do you believe it's realistic to think a small-town paper could keep its head above water financially if it angered important advertisers? Or are those advertisers just as reliant on the publicity they get from the paper as the paper is on their advertising dollars? Who needs whom more? Or is advertising not the issue here—are there genuine editorial disagreements over what events are worth being covered by the paper? And how is the Internet changing the news game?
We do need local newspapers if we want to read local news. The Internet will not give us that. But we do need important stories covered. A small town newspaper needs to be more than birth and wedding announcements, church news and obituaries. Local businesses need local newspapers, too, because radio and TV ads are far too expensive. The missed stories mentioned were important--too bad if they were overlooked, worse if they were hushed up
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You raise some good questions, but before I give my 2 cents...high-ranking school official arrested? Sounds like a topic to me.
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I'm not sure how the Police Office and the Hospital contribute to the income of the newspaper, but it seems to me the paper will not print anything negative towards them. They do go out of their way to announce every law enforcement officer on duty when they arrest someone for whatever. The paper is a waste of 50cents really. If I see one more half page about the Redhats eating lunch at the Downtown Cafe I'm going to throw a tantrum. Lately the Redhats have been outdone by the Master Gardeners...but when your hot your hot.
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HAHA,That's funny...and sad that things like this are considered news.
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The sad thing is come Thursday night and Friday morning everyone complaining will be reading one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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"The Local Newspaper: Fair and Balanced?", about as much as Faux News. LOL! But really, the local newspaper is not "fair and balanced", never has been and never will. I could list a lot of examples, we all could. I feel that the local newspaper will not print anything that goes against their advertisers, cronys and others of the same like minds or political persuasion. I understand the publisher was in Live oak prior to coming to Perry and had a rough time there as well. You have to give kudos to the folks in Madison County and now Jefferson County - Green Publishing, at least they are colorful. Given the last year's stories that have came up on this blog that never appear in the local newspaper, it is almost funny, if it was not so sad. At least the Woods and Water appears to use the spell and grammar check, kudos to Woods and Water! A lot of folks in this county have been saying someone should start a new paper in our community, I think we have and it is this blog! Does it burn? It should. Have another drink and a smoke.
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Here we go, another thing to complain about. If TCT is the next newspaper of Perry, then why don't we call it the National Enquirer. Look lets come up with some other topics to complain about.
1. Nature Coast
2. Hwy 19 north work being done by the State
3.Christmas shop opening, all kinds of things there from wrong colors to gaudy.
4. Intersection of 19-98.
5. hunting in Taylor County.
6. Hunting in the State of Florida.
7. Hunting in the United States.
8. Hunting around the World-now theres a WIDE OPEN TOPIC.
9.HAGENS COVE
10. GOOSE PASTURE.
11. Econfina River.
12. The Gulf of Mexico
13. Gilmans possibly closing.
14. Ware Oil
15. New motel being built.
16. Cheverolet and Ford dealerships.
17. Politics of Florida.
18. Politics of the World.
19. The economy
20. The ecomony in Perry
21. The ecomony in Florida.
22. The World economy.
23. Is Taylor County to big.
24. Is Taylor to small.
25. Is Taylor County just right.
26. Pine trees in Taylor county compared to Oak trees in Taylor County.
27. Buckeye
28. Dept. of Corrections
29. Dept of Transportation
30. Available sports in Taylor Couty
31. A pro franchise coming to Taylor County.
Look I can go on and on and on- but to make it simple whatever we put on here is gonna be chatised and critisized to death, no positives just gossip and complaining, any thing to cut, jab or punch something or someone. Very seldom do we see positives on here, so by no means call this site a newspaper call it what it has become, but not meant to become a place for people to sit behind a screen and be hurtful and hateful towards people and businesses and organizations or civic groups and government body's that try to do day in and day out to do good, but get beat up by a bunch of cowards that hide behind the keyboard in front of them. Enough said.
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So just to be clear, your argument is that the newspaper *does* provide fair, balanced, and complete coverage of newsworthly local events?
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No what I am saying is that you and a couple of people have intellegent things to say on this site, most if not all the others have nothing better to do in their life except complain about everything, this blog was set up as a conversation of things going on in Perry, and you have to agree that it has become a hate avenue against people that try to do some good in this comunity. I just thought that if they want to complain then they should have some topics of choice, these were just a few that came to mind, I could have several hundred other things, no matter what ther topic, they will always complain, and be hateful, because apparantly in their lives they must be very miserable. I will leave it at that and not coment again.
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Given all the pandering that the local newspaper appears to do to the potentates and charlatans of the county, you would think that these folks would have some level of respect for the local newspaper, well these folks, or their kids, are just one law-break event away from being mad at the local newspaper as well. When a newspaper does not stand for honest reporting, no has any respect for the newspaper.
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The local paper is agood thing to have.Alotof people rely on it for local news.The bad thing is,alot of citizens crimes and mistakes are made public.Even more are kept quiet so certain families are not humiliated by their famalies actions.You would be surprised how many names do not make the famous Booking Desk!
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The letter to the editor in Wednesday's edition with the comment "residents deserve truth not spin" about the local newspaper's reporting in a recent article says it all. The local newspaper needs to stick to facts, report fairly and accurately and leave the editorializing on the editorial page and in the "muddle". I feel that so much selective reporting has gone on through the years, the local newspaper will never have any credability. I say bring back Ken Smith! LOL!!!!!!
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Newspaper does not print facts, nor does it print retractions for false info it reports.
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Well, if it has to do with TCDA, Chamber, golf course cronys, Dyal and company, ect.....the local news paper is not going to print anything. Look at the ongoing lawsuit between Pam Feagle and the Chmaber that has never been reported on as an example. Look at the doings at the school board, ditto. It is always funny to me when you do not see a "reporter" at public meetings (school board, bocc, city, ect..) and yet there magically appears a story on the meeting. This what has been call the tail waging the dog. Great job local newspaper. I understand that there has in the past been cronys calling folks who have written letters to the editor to request not printing such letters to save face of a loca potentate / charlatan.
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Since our paper doesn't write complete stories or none at all, maybe if or when they cover the football playoff game tonight, they could leave out I don't know maybe the score or who we play. lol
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I'll say this for the paper... Their sports coverage seems to be pretty thorough. I've seen some lengthy, detailed articles about football games.
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Well, I read in the Tallahassee Democrat this morning about a $500,000 scratch-off lottery ticket purchased at the Jiffy Store on North Jefferson Street. I bet if it was purchased at a Ware Oil - WACO Store it would have been in the local newspaper. The local newspaper is very selective on what - who they publish stories about. Kudos for te coverage on the homecoming parade and doings, Dyal must be buying a lot of ads. LOL!
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The chamber had their banquet last night and fun was had by all, if you missed it, then you missed the event of the year. The entertainment was great, and the food was better. You should have been there.
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The newspapers in Taylor County amusing hmmm… now there’s an exciting topic that has plenty of opportunity for conversation. I read through the post and was immediately struck by the ease at which one whiner complains about whining and ugly comments all the while beating up others for their mean spirited comments with more mean spirited comments. Too much and ain’t it a hoot. But the topic is “the local newspaper fair and balanced”.
Who knows where the fulcrum is set on that balance beam. The years long political comic view printed each week certainly shows which end that titter-totter is weighted. Next, are the local newspapers capable of printing inaccurate information and deceptive/misinformation based on data source as well as skewed information to support public or private views? Now that is the question the other post appear to answer.
First let me respond to the person just saying the profit from paper business is low due to small market base. Boloney, the sales of print, advertisements, commercial and the county contract for all legal add up to my wife drives a Lincoln, no pun intended.
I really liked the list of topics and will submit some news topics of my own for consideration. I think at least this way the reader will all be as entertained as I am now.
An interesting fact is the Chamber of Commerce meetings are listed under government in the newspaper community calendar for years is that deceptive or a continuing typo.
I think an excellent opportunity for young MBA’s and journalist/reporter would be the capitalist view of competition is good for the market. This would suggest a very small capital investment for a venture opportunity dream in the making with an established market and identified profit and dissatisfied customer survey and analysis from data collected on this site. Cool.
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Where would you suggest listing Chamber meetings? It's not government, it's not a civic group, not associated with veterans. Even though it's not a support group maybe between AA & Celebrate Recovery?
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The newspaper bunch are a strange lot. Is there anyone at the office with any journalism integrity? I think not. I agree with the previous poster, bring back Ken Smith, at least it would be entertaining! LOL!!! At least the local newspaper could give us a weekly update about the golf course doings! LOL!!!
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No it is not fair and balanced. It melts in your hand and I am sure reading local paper would melt your mind as well. Garbage in garbage out.
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I read papers from the region all the time as my work takes me all over North Central Florida. I am sorry to say the the "local newspaper" in Taylor County falls short of the other publications in the region. It does not take much of an extra effort to publish a better paper with honest reporting when you are publishing a bad paper that a large amount of the citizens do not care for. The selective reporting of events and items is sad as well. I always laugh when items from Taylor County are reported in Madison, Live Oak and other places that never make the Taylor County paper. I think everyone should stop buying ads and make a statement to the "local newspaper".
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