MERRY CHRISTMAS! (the open thread)

8 Comments

1. 

   Ash December 25, 2009

   Merry Xmas, bb!

   Reply
2. 

   bb December 25, 2009

   Merry Xmas Ash!

   Reply
3. 

   Ash December 25, 2009

   Been There, I’m the same way. I can’t came to be a native, but my family and I moved here in the mid 1970s, and I’ve always considered this home. I’ve gone away, come back; gone away, come back. There’s something about these mountains… I’m more firmly planted here than ever before.

   I appreciate you stopping by to check out what’s going on here. Thank you.

   Reply
4. 

   Ash December 25, 2009

   MediaWatch, thank you for your note and your critique of the latest Mountain Xpress cover story. You raise legitimate questions. Can I publicly critique Xpress the same way I do other media? I’ll have to think about that. It would probably require a change in my role — I’d have to operate more as an ombusdmen — but it’s worth considering.

   I can tell you that we’re working hard to improve in every aspect, despite the doom and gloom about today’s economy, the specific pressures on the newspaper industry and the daily grind. It’s a difficult battle, and we have a long way to go.

   Thank you for continuing to read the Xpress, as well as this blog.

   Reply
5. 

   Been There December 25, 2009

   And Merry Christmas to you as well. I love Asheville and Western North Carolina. Raised here, and having seen much of the world, I keep coming home.

   I thank you for providing a good alternative to the normal "news" offered and breaking important stories.

   All the best, mate, and may 2010 be even better.

   Reply
6. 

   MediaWatch December 25, 2009

   Thank you, Ash, for being the media watchdog in our community. In some cases, you are more vigilant than the Citizen-Times and even your own newspaper, Mountain Express.
   I wonder if your function as media watchdog can extend to Mountain Express, or would you be biting the hand?

   Was the recent Mountain Express cover story and lead article "The right profile: Two local cases raise concerns about racial profiling" an example of "yellow journalism?"

   According to Wikipedia, "Yellow journalism is a type of journalism that downplays legitimate news in favor of eye-catching headlines that sell more newspapers. It may feature exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, sensationalism, or unprofessional practices by news media organizations or journalists." Other characteristics, says Wikipedia, are "scare headlines in huge print, often of minor news" and "dramatic sympathy with the ‘underdog’ against the system."

   Based on two cases of young African-American men being stopped and searched by police for possible drug offenses, the article conceded that "the statistics give no hint of racial profiling." The article quoted local NAACP President John Hayes, "People get pulled over, and plenty of them assume it’s profiling. Well, maybe it was and maybe it wasn’t."

   The article then goes on to detail the experiences of its only two sources, one of whom it identifies as a "well-known local musician" whose work on the steel drums has drawn "raves from reviewers in JazzTimes magazine and elsewhere."

   Is it relevant to what happened to the musician that he has been reviewed in JazzTimes magazine? Is it relevant that this musician has been mentioned in Mountain Express ten times in the last year?

   Some other questions. Should Mountain Express have interviewed other people, black and white, male and female, young and old, for perspective on how police officers conduct stops and searches?

   Since the two stops and searches reported involved suspicion of drugs, should the reporter and editors have considered if the age of the men, not necessarily their race, was a factor in the incidents? Are elderly drivers stopped as often as young drivers on suspicion of drug-related activities? Are young white (and Hispanic) men stopped for similar causes? Are men targeted more often than women? Could this be youth profiling? Gender profiling?

   Was this a legitimate news story that justified its somewhat yellowish headline, "Two local cases raises concerns . . " and its prominent placement on the cover? Exactly who was raising the concerns, since the NAACP president was ambiguous in his analysis of the two incidents? Would a more accurate headline have been, "Two young African-American men angry at being stopped and searched by police, claim racial profiling; police deny accusations, provide statistics in their favor."

   Reply
7. 

   Ash December 25, 2009

   Hey Frank! Thank you. It’s been great getting to know you over the past couple of years, and I’m grateful for your friendship. Here’s to 2010, indeed!

   Reply
8. 

   FJK December 25, 2009

   Back at you, Jason. Merry, Merry & Happy Happy! It’s a pleasure knowing you and having a good blog in such a great place. Here’s to 2010. May it be the start of better times for all.

   Reply