Photos
Recent Comments
Authors
- abby
- Andre Nantel
- Anne Johnson
- atl_alex
- atl_andisheh
- atl_angie
- atl_aradia
- atl_ben
- atl_billy
- atl_briam
- atl_chuck
- atl_daniel
- atl_david
- atl_gregor
- atl_grey
- atl_ian
- atl_jessica
- atl_jonathan
- atl_kendall
- atl_kent
- atl_kevin
- atl_leeann
- atl_lisa
- atl_lori
- atl_natasha
- atl_nathan
- atl_nick
- atl_sabrina
- atl_steve
- atl_tony
- B King
- Michael Moebes
- Brad
- Charlie Moseley
- james hervey
- James Staubes
- Jim Stagg
- Karsh
- kendall
- Lucinda Michele
- maigh
- Metblogs HQ
- MBHQ
- Paulie [eatl/ga]
- Sarah Bolton
- Scott Partee
- Seth Miller
- Stephanie Brice
- Stevie
- Tamra
- Thomas Strickland
- Will Hindmarch
Categories
Log in / Register
Terms of use | Privacy Policy | Content: Creative Commons | Site and Design © 2009 | Metroblogging ® and Metblogs ® are registered trademarks of Bode Media, Inc.
ok ok.. we get it. it’s kind of sad that this is what flips your lid.. show me a writer for any local paper who is not getting kickbacks in some way. could it be the whole system is screwed?
and the idea of writing about “entertainment” itself is self indulgent.
>>show me a writer for any local paper who is not getting kickbacks in some way.
Okay. How about every writer who works at the AJC, Creative Loafing, The Story, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Fulton Daily Report, Marietta Daily Journal, Gwinnett Daily Post, etc. For that matter, when people on this blog write about their friends, they often respect readers enough to reveal the fact. If anyone at those publications attempted to do what Ms. West is doing, they’d be likely fired.
Certainly, there are a few people at here and there who break the rules, but to suggest that everyone is doing it and that therefore it’s no big deal is just ludicrous. If it’s really “no big deal” it’s only because so few people read her column, not because her practices are in any way the norm.
>How about every writer who works at the AJC, >Creative Loafing, The Story, Atlanta Business >Chronicle…
Simply stating it as “ludicrous” doesn’t make it so. And as far as calling it “the rules”, well its nice that Journalism 101 instills the lofty ideals, but it seems to me any short period of time in business shows the opposite. This stuff runs of advertising, right? Well when the entities that advertise in these papers get bad coverage/good coverage, they are less/more likely to continue advertising. Things like “free passes” (for readers and employees of papers) end up where they are not simply for “demo” reasons.. but relationship reasons. Papers develop “good relationships” with advertisers. Hell, advertisers today can even “pay” their bill by giving employees of companies (than OWN these papers) discounts. Does anyone mention that? of course not! Thats business! Why is it “journalistic standard” to say at the end of an article “Paper X is a subsidiary of Company Y”, but not “the author of this article got 1/2 off a show at the Roxy because they advertise in this paper!”
I don’t disagree that it sucks. I just don’t see what change is effected by focusing on this one. Its like lambasting Jules Asner for promoting things on E!
>>Simply stating it as “ludicrous” doesn’t make it so.
Simply stating that everyone is on the take doesn’t make it so either.
Can you give me another example of a local newspaper writer who receives payment (cash or otherwise) to publicize the people he/she writes about?
>> Its like lambasting Jules Asner for promoting things on E!
(just need to pause and say that’s a great line).
This blog is about what’s going on locally. Sunday Paper is small-time, but you know what, so’s Atlanta Metblogs. If it’s boring to you, you can comment or ignore my posts at your discretion.
Just out of curiousity, have you written to The Sunday Paper? Or are you more agitated at me for pointing out that someone’s lying than you are at the actual liar?
>Can you give me another example of a local >newspaper writer who receives payment (cash or >otherwise) to publicize the people he/she writes >about?
No, I can’t. I don’t know any of them personally.
The Sunday Paper should be disclosing it, sure.. but so should all writers.. I’m talking more about the environment this stuff is bred in. Everytime anything is ‘championed’ in primo spots like CL or primo-donna spots like SP, theres a fiscal reason. Maybe I’m the only one more interested in taking a look at the whole thing as opposed to harping on certain individuals. Maybe linking the issues the West column has to the state of “journalism” (if entertainment writing can be called that) in the city/all over? Perhaps thats the approach I should have taken. I think I was surprised at how personal, reading the emails and sniping,it seemed when I felt like- hell, why just her?
And, yeah, as a reader of metblogs (periodically for like, 4-6 months maybe..) I feel justified, as silly as it is, voicing a mild protest that I didn’t want to find it becoming whatcarenwestisdoing.com
For the record, I haven’t written the Sunday Paper. I’ve read (err.. opened/skimmed) the Sunday Paper once, thinking it was a Christian right front.. I’m still not really convinced otherwise. Its like 4-1 (with the one being Jesse Jackson who, more power to him, isn’t exactly challenging). So both it and at times CL (with its independant-er than thou musings, brought to you by 99x) hardly have my attention span. Ok, too many parentheses.
To me, theyre all liars or push detrimental agendas and its just nice when a story of actual importance with real facts breaks through.
Maybe all of this is my frustration that this is being monitored while the city ordinance banning people from talking to me is almost forgotten.
Hey Mice – quick question: do you or have you ever worked at one of these pubs? just curious about how you know so much about the widespread corruption of Atlanta’s journalists.
Unlike your wildly unproveable accusations, Andy has catalogued the clear conflicts of interest of a columnist at a publication right here in Atlanta. Journalism may not matter to you – and I totally respect that it doesn’t – but please don’t use the tired excuse of “everybody does it” to dismiss ethical lapses of supposedly independent journalists.
That type of thinking has Fox News at the top of the heap. We should require more of our journalists, even if they’re just writing about concerts and nightclubs.
>>Maybe I’m the only one more interested in taking a look at the whole thing as opposed to harping on certain individuals.
You’re absolutely not the only person interested in looking at the big picture. But there’s no big picture without little ones, and that’s what my blog entries about Ms. West are. Little snapshots.
>>Maybe all of this is my frustration that this is being monitored while the city ordinance banning people from talking to me is almost forgotten.
There have been quite a few blog entries on this page about the panhandling ordinance — many more entries, in fact, than there have been about media criticism.
Yeah. Usually, that fiscal reason is readership, which leads to more and better advertising. Generally, when that fiscal reason is just advertising, readership declines.
The self-interest for news organizations to adopt and adhere to ethical standards of conduct is readership — otherwise, the wild accusations you make would be more plausable.
andy. can i call you andy. hate typing out your full name. as a reader of metroblog i just have to tell you how childish you seem. move on and write something meaninful instead of wasting my visits to metroblogs w/ caren watch 2005. rag on the paper perhaps but you seem like a frickin 2nd grader. and besides your wrong. i actually read her column sometimes… she stated a couple weeks back that she was ‘working’ atlantis music conference… and you told us she handles PR for 99x – so there’s no need to disclose. and thanks to you – we know more about her and the sunday paper… it much more fun to read than the loaf – especially if you want to know what’s going on around town or what happened over the week. and i thank you for leading me to them. cheers.
James is an employee of Wicked West, or at the very least, uses their computers to display his awful grammar, spelling and taste in periodicals.
“it much more fun to read than the loaf.”
Sorry to hear about your brain, James.
You may find it interesting to check some information on phatmacy – Tons of interesdting stuff!!!