DSM: "Readers won't let story die" -- Oregonian Newspaper's ombudsman

[Arugula Latte]

Look what the Oregonian, the major paper of Portland and the state of Oregon, said about the Downing Street Memo story:



Five weeks after a British memo shed light on prewar discussions, readers won't let the story die.

Hundreds of them have focused on The Oregonian in recent weeks, flooding the newspaper with phone calls and e-mails, even demonstrating outside, asking why the newspaper hasn't devoted more coverage to the documents.

The importance of the story can be debated, but three lessons from the noise should be heeded: The newspaper ignores Web conversations at its own peril. The world is smaller, and its news can reach homes without the help of newspapers, so readers can become their own editors. And the political polarization of the country remains as wide and deep as it was last fall, which demands more of newspapers.

*snip*

But those campaigns can make it all the more important for the press to evaluate the issue, in this case to help readers sort out whether the documents amount to a smoking gun or a political ploy. To ignore questions raised by hundreds of readers because of the Web or the international news they've read elsewhere is to risk becoming irrelevant.

Newspapers don't want to find themselves on the outside looking in, when they should be reflecting, even leading, the conversation.


http://www.oregonlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1118484370150942.xml?oregonian?ycocpe&coll=7#continue

[Firenze777]

1. encouraging!

thank you.

[GetTheRightVote]

2. I like the last sentence, leading has not been their forta of late

:kick:

[longship]

3. Read this one

Recommended and kicked

[IndyOp]

4. For the press to evaluate the issue? I don't think so!

But those internet campaigns make it all the more important for the press to evaluate the issue, in this case to help readers sort out whether the documents amount to a smoking gun or a political ploy...

For the PRESS to evaluate the issue? I would trust Truthout, Raw Story, and Air America to evaluate the story... but leave it to the MSM to evaluate whther the documents are smoking gun or 'political ploy' - HA!

The PRESS seems have as serious a problem with arrogance of power as do the politicians.

WAKE UP and smell the country burning PRESS people!

:grr:

[cestpaspossible]

6. The press is actually supposed to just report on the issue

it's the readers job to evaluate it.

[IndyOp]

7. I don't believe 'objective' is possible, there is always some

analysis, some angle -- each journalist should announce their angle and then do their best to just report on the issue. That is the approach in Britain (according to Greg Palast).

:kick:

[sendero]

26. Exactly..

... reading between the lines here, I'm hearing "we'd better get out front and discredit these internet stories in a hurry".

If the newspaper editors in this country were doing their jobs, this war would have never happened to begin with.

[sam sarrha]

5. Just start canceling subscriptions.. they will wake up..Quickly !!

[Contrary1]

8. Yeah, right.

"... Also, the demands of other important stories kept diverting them.
"Our people felt it wasn't a completely clear comment from the raw material,"
Tatro said. "It was our intent to do a story, and it just didn't happen."

[Arugula Latte]

10. And what was that about a poll showing confidence in media dipping hard?

Hmmm ... could there be a connection ... they don't report major stories... our confidence goes down ... but heck, they're just too busy ... they MEANT to get to a story showing the leader of the free world had lied in order to get us into war ... but there were other, more pressing stories ... gosh, wonder if I should believe them ... thinking ... thinking ... :eyes:

[cestpaspossible]

11. lol

[Al-CIAda]

22. Bullfuckingshit is right. n/t

[roguevalley]

9. what makes this better is that the Oregonian has drifted right over

the years.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

12. My letter to the editor of the San Jose Mercury news

Titled "why I no longer subscribe to the Merc".
Dear Susan Goldberg,
In todays paper (Sun, June 12) you claim to be "improving the paper for readers. Also in the same paper, on page 3, you give brief lip service to THE MOST IMPORTANT STORY OF THE CENTURY. The Downing Street Memo and the subsequent revelations that PROVE that George Bush had planned the Iraq invasion well before he said he did and deliberately LIED to Congress and the American people, taking us into a war that has ruined countless lives and bankrupted our country.

Since you seem incapable of gathering any "news" other than what is fed to you by the wire services, I will try to help you by "phoning it in" so you don't have to actually work to do your job. I will even provide links so you can get the info at the touch of a button.

1. September 2000. Plan For a New American Century (PNAC) http://home.earthlink.net/~platter/neo-conservatism/pnac.html September 2000 report produced for Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Jeb Bush, and Lewis Libby That outlines the plan to take over the middle eastern oil supplies and states that "A Pearl Harbor like event" would be necessary to rally the American people behind this strategy.

2. November through Jan 2000. Bush made President, Cheney V.P.

3. Shortly after Bush appointed, Cheney has secret energy meetings. Rumor has it that maps and plans for the mid east invasion were laid out to oil execs. Also note: California had a large budget surplus which was quickly stolen by Enron et al shortly after this "secret" meeting, setting the stage for Arnold.

4. September 11, 2001. A "Pearl Harbor" type event takes place. U.S. attacked by Saudi Nationals so U.S. attacks Afghanistan.

5. July 23, 2002 . Downing street memo says Bush determined to attack Iraq. Must fix facts to fit policy. http://www.downingstreetmemo.com/

6. November 12, 2002. White house declares War with Iraq "Only as a last resort" http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/11/20021112-5.html

7. March 20, 2003, Us Attacks Iraq. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Iraq_war_timeline

Do you think you can connect the dots?
Do you think it might be important to help your readers connect the dots.
Do you think it might be important to the country at large to connect the dots?

We have proof of high crimes and misdemeanors by the current administration that have lead us to war, killed, wounded, bankrupted our men and women in the armed services and bankrupted our national treasury while heaping literally Billions of dollars to Halliburton (Dick Cheney) Carlyle Group G.H.W. Bush and Tony Blair, Oil companies have so much cash they can't even spend it and you feed us the Jackson distraction.

We are forced to look for REAL news to sources outside of this country, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,564-1649071,00.html or on line because you ignore it or maybe, like Bush, because it's "hard work".

And you wonder why the public finds you increasingly irrelevant? Wake up!!! Even your own industry is finally figuring it out. http://www.oregonlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1118484370150942.xml?oregonian?ycocpe&coll=7#continue

Are you aware that John Conyers has asked the White House for answers on the Downing Street issue and been stonewalled. Are you aware that he has the signatures of about 90 members of congress and over HALF A MILLION concerned citizens asking for those answers, that he plans to hand deliver to the To the White house next Thursday.

Will you bother to cover it?

Maybe fit it somewhere on page 13?

It is truly sad that I have to tell YOU the news.

And you wonder why, after 20 years as a subscriber to your paper, I now find it only useful as fish wrap.

Sincerely, and I really do mean sincerely,
Buddy P. Gill

[Hissyspit]

13. Great Letter! But you left out Paul O'Neill and Richard Clark

and they're evidence of Iraq War-fait accompli. Also, much of the stove-piping of intelligence/Office of Special Plans. And the protestations and resignations of diplomats, present and former military leaders and members of the intelligence community.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

18. Hell, I could have written enough to fill the whole newspaper

but they wouldn't read it. I didn't want to overwhelm their little pea brains.

[Hissyspit]

20. Yeah, I know what you mean.

I copied your letter and sent it to myself.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

23. send it to your newspaper

Imagine how many sigs Conyers would have gotten if the press bothered to cover this.

[stevedeshazer]

14. Crocodile tears. I despise the Oregonian.

Long-time Oregonian readers know that this statement carries about as much water as a bucket with a hole in it.

Their coverage of national and local politics has been, is, and will remain abysmal.

The Oregonian is the paper who ignored for DECADES a story about former governor Neil Goldschmidt's raping of a 14 year old girl, which the Oregonian eventually termed "an affair". When Willamette Week, a Portland weekly finally made known that they would scoop the O, they printed verbatim on their front page as fact Goldscmidt's teary apology well AFTER its editorial and news staffers learned that they were going to have their asses kicked by an alternative weekly in their own home town.

This is also the newspaper that just a few years ago covered up the Bob Packwood sexual groping and molestation story until the week AFTER Packwood was re-elected (and was subsequently driven from office in abject shame humiliation, thanks to the Washington Post.)

This is the same newspaper that paid a firm several thousand dollars in an effort to publicly minimize the enormous size of the anti-war marches in Portland in the runup to the illegal Iraq War after months of refusing to cover the news of thousands of protesters marching RIGHT OUTSIDE THEIR CUSHY OFFICES in Portland.

They can go to hell. :grr:

[Hissyspit]

15. Why the hell do we have to hear this from the ombudsmen????

(Ombudsmans?) Why hasn't it been in the regular coverage.

MSM Idiots.

[fortyfeetunder]

16. Maybe they should be looking at The Daily Show

Granted it is a comedy show, JS has been connecting the dots!

If it's obvious to us, then shouldn't it be obvious to you, mainstream newspaper?????

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

17. The Minneapolis Star Tribune printed a similar story today.

Their ombudsman described how they learned about the DSM from a reader's e-mail, how they decided to follow up on it, and how they were persuaded by the responses from readers. Like The Oregonian, they are now aware that the Internet has changed everything, and that they can no longer rely for all their information on traditional news sources. This is important, encouraging stuff.

http://www.startribune.com/stories/1519/5451062-2.html

[dchill]

19. "Readers won't let story die"

How about "American citizens won't let story die"?

[DoYouEverWonder]

21. They risk becoming irrelevant?

LOL. They already are irrelevant.

[Douglas Carpenter]

24. Let's keep at the media--we're getting somewhere...

bounce:


Just a reminder of some very, very important links:

To sign Congressman Conyers’ letter

http://www.johnconyers.campaignoffice.com


To put and keep pressure on the Mainstream Media:

http://www.downingstreetmemo.com/takeaction.html#awaken


http://www.afterdowningstreet.org


LISTEN TO THE RANDI RHODES SHOW-to keeps up daily with what’s going on with--THE DOWNING STREET MEMO:

http://www.therandirhodesshow.com


Peace
O8)

Here is my standard letter to the Media:


Dear Sir/Madam:

As you know, on May 1 of this year a document now commonly referred to as “|The Downing Street Memo” was released into the British Press. This document raises serious question about how the administration was handling intelligence related to Iraq and appears to suggest that the Bush Administration had already decided on war when publicly it was claiming that no such decision had been made. Now further documents have been released in the British media which cast even further doubts.

These documents and perhaps other documents suggest that the Bush administration was determined to “fix intelligence” around a predetermined policy. Some of these documents make it clear that the administration had no credible plan for dealing with the post-war occupation.

It is most disturbing that there has been a virtual media blackout regarding “The Downing Street Memo” and other disturbing documents.

Even more disturbing is the absence in the America media of any credible discussion or coverage regarding strong, credible and independent evidence that the Bush Administration intentionally mislead the U.S. Congress, the media and the American people.

I do hope you will accept the responsibility to address this issue and provide serious investigative journalism into this matter.

Furthermore, on Thursday June 16, 2005, Rep. John Conyers, Jr., ranking minority member of the House Judiciary Committee, and other House members will hold a hearing to consider testimony concerning the Downing Street minutes and questions of possible fixing of prewar intelligence. I do hope you will be giving full coverage to these events.

Sincerely,

[kodi]

25. the media masters are a wee bit concerned that the natives are restless

.