Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
The big story this week has been the story about a Buncombe County audit that found serious problems with how evidence was tracked and stored under the care of former Sheriff Bobby Medford. Medford lost in the November elections to a former deputy, Van Duncan, who is now sheriff.
The audit was done in December and found something like $200,000 was missing. Also missing were some drugs and a couple hundred guns and rifles. The Citizen-Times broke the story on Thursday.
WLOsers, spanked hard by this, basically buried the news in their shows, although they did talk to Medford. Then on Friday, Diva Darcel had the audacity to note: “As we first reported yesterday…” blah blah as she introduced a story by Charu following up on the audit and the evidence.
Yeah, as you first reported; as you first reported after getting your getting your butts handed to you. As you first reported, after swallowing the lump in your throat as you read the Thursday morning newspaper. As you first reported, after the weekly Mountain Xpress blogged a little update with context on their reporting, and after you heard it blared on the radio because they all picked it up, and after you read the story on the AP wire on your computer at your desk.
Yeah, as you first reported. Save that line for the next time you’re truly the first to report something.
In other news: a bicycle rider had a heart attack or something and died riding one of the Bent Creek trails; the Zona Loft project, a supposed “green” condo building proposed for downtown Ashvegas, got the greenlight to move ahead; a Winston-Salem developer announced that its teaming up with Mount Zion Missionary Baptist to do a $20 million condo project at Eagle and Market Streets on The Block; and Simple Simon and Tallahassee Tammy and Cuevas and some of the other WLOSers were stuffing their faces with barbecue all afternoon down in Tryon at the bbq festival down there.
Hey, if you wanna call me a news 13 employee, then Ash should really flat out admit he works for the CT.
But I used to do news promo, but not in this market. I work at a production company now.
But the Medford interview was good. He got really angry.
And as for why they didn’t update the site earlier…uh…Maybe becuase the website isn’t a big priority for a TELEVISION NEWS OUTLET.
But they did get an ENTIRE obit piece on the air for Ruth Graham, while CT just had a headline update until 6.
But once again, LOCAL NEWS SUCKS. Thats life.
Calm down A and P; we’re just ranting and venting here and when it comes to the CT or 13 there’s plenty to talk about. So why lighten up? Local news can be good but apparently not in WNC. Look at who owns 13 and you’ll see they will never change. Both outlets are simply launching pads where the occasional good writer/news/weather person heads off to other places. And, sorry, but 13 has never done an "awesome" interview with anyone; their reports always leave viewers scratching their heads.
"It’s called LIFE" A to the P, it sounds like your life, you must work for News 13.
WLOS and Citizen-Times both interviewed Medford on the same day. WLOS didn’t have it "WAY before" the C-T.
WLOS picked up the Associated Press version on their website at 2:15 p.m., the day the C-T ran it in the paper. That’s a long time to finally pick up such a big story. What were they doing between the time they read the Citizen-Times (maybe 6 or 7 a.m.) and the time they finally got the story on their site?
They said "as we first reported on such and such day"
They didn’t say "As we broke the story yesterday" or anything like that, so get off their ass. Your twisting words and it’s petty.
Secondly, they did get an awesome interview with the sheriff WAY before the C-T.
So jesus christ, lighten up. News 13 isn’t perfect. The CT sure as hell isn’t perfect, It’s local news. Local news is never as good as it should be.
The paper will get scoops on occasion, but their writers mainly suck.
News 13 will get scoops on occasion, but their reporters sometimes ruin the stories as well.
It’s called life. It’s not perfect, get over it.
"Transition". What transition? They’ve been trying to get their act together for years. After looking at the last rating’s book (WLOS is #3 again.) they need to do something. I remember when 13 was a solid #2 from 1998 to the early 2000s. And they were competing against WSPA and WYFF, not the ACT!
Fairview Farley is right, although WLOS is in a transition stage right now, lets give them another year to get their act together.
It doesn’t really matter if WLOS was first or last; nobody watches the 13 news to be informed, only to be moderately entertained. Their news reports leave viewers wondering what really happened, their sensationalism titallates primal urges, and their overall unprofessionalism is acknowledged.
Oh, and it appeared Cuevas got scared of the rain and didn’t go to the BBQ Festival.
Also, as far as the "as we first reported yesterday" phrase goes… I’ve never taken it as they’re saying "we were the first to report the story." It just seems like a reference point. Otherwise, you might think the follow-up story is their original story.
congrats C-Times, you got a good story and blew everyone away, you should win many awards with this story.
yes they got spanked but you can’t call leading the 6 with it and then another story about it following it burying it. and yes they got medford before the paper did. so quick to criticize, so get your story straight.
Loved the interview with Medford. He’s sitting in a recliner and there’s a jar of Vaseline on the end table.
Are we gleefully rubbing their noses in it this morning, or what?
Congrats to the AC-T for sweeping this dirt from under the carpet.