Darker Days Ahead for the Newspaper Industry

Well I'm afraid old news, isn't very good news. The problem with "news" is it is a fragile thing. And reading old news is sort of stupid, because odds are, you already know about it. This goes for the BT and the Bluffton Packet. And if I don't feel compelled to read it, and I just throw it away... Like the Sun, that comes out monthly, then advertizing is pretty much useless. Because that is what makes the whole thing possible right?

So tell me again why I should read your useless news and useless advertizing if there is nothing of value in its contents? Basically, the paper goes right from curb to garbage can, maybe I'll see if there is any coupons, but otherwise... why bother?

Maybe I'm jumping on them to quickly. But somehow they have to find a reason for me to read what they are putting out, and it can't be news, at least not the kind that we have been getting, because its limited self life won't permit that.

I could think of some things they might do... but I'm not the editor and it really is not my job. But think for a minute, what is hyper-local, who can we count on the paper to cover? And I really don't mean press releases. I'm talking about one on one interviews with the police chief, council members, high school football coach, school principals. I know that that inherently means it will contain some fluff. But it doesn't have to be all fluff.

Something has to happen BT and Bluffton Packet, otherwise, I will continue (as will others, if not most) to drop it off at the trash can and thus your advertizing will suffer, and more people will be let go. Think about it. I wonder if I could get them to stop completely... because I'm basically picking up litter deposited on my front yard every Wednesday.

Oh... Happy Labor Day, I hope you have lots of BBQ and Beer or some other variant on this day.

BT... R.I.P.

So The Bluffton Today is going to be free again, but at the cost of daily - to twice a week publication. I can only see things going down hill from here. Almost nobody is there from when it started 7 years ago. I guess we all knew it was going to happen, but now what? I feel torn about the whole thing. I want us, the people of Bluffton to have a paper, but I don't think it was really Bluffton Today's thing anyway.

I liked having someone I could oppose around. That is sort of why I started this whole blog, because I didn't want my words, what I wrote to become fodder for the paper to print whenever/however they wished, plus they went in and edited some things too, because they didn't want "Pool-pooping" a term that they came up with (it still ranks 6th when you google it). Oh well, that is the thing about trying to repress something... in trying to repress, you actually help it to grow. And I got more than a little fed up with their constant non-reporting even though they were a "newspaper". (like the school board/referendum or town/county issues or even issues with their own site)

Then I had my issues, mainly the stroke... my wife moves up in the world, and I really don't care much about what is going on anymore. That isn't to say I don't follow it, because I do, I'm forced to live it. But I know my kids are doing reasonably well, and they keep paying my wife... I'll leave that up to someone else to nitpick with them.

Back to the BT, this is their supposed first day of recreating themselves... which is supposed to be better, more of an online presence, so far I see nothing. Great more of the same. I can't knock on them too hard though, but if you wanted to be a reporter (no way in hell would I take that job) and you are starting off a new thing, wouldn't you make your presence known? I don't see anything different, new, or otherwise. Come on BT, don't leave me hanging... again.

Ok I got the paper, looked though it... it was/is more like a um, newspaper I think the adds are much less obtrusive, but everything is just jumbled in sort of willy nilly. No web presence at all. I think they are supposed to increase web presence. Well... we will see... I got my copy but it was wet... so, some things never change. (I know I have the POA approved newspaper holder beneath the mailbox, but it is easier to just chuck the paper)

Maybe it is just time to change assholes...

I'm a little put off by the "outpouring" of sentiment to anyone and everyone at the local paper. I thought one person in particular would be welcomed to leave, instead we find all kinds of sob stories in place. I just don't get it. But I am a hard ass at heart.

I've been called names, I've been shouted down as "not being organized", or labeled basically as an insensitive hack. Well who's still here? In the beginning, they were supposed to give normal everyday people a voice. That never happened. They promised, but couldn't deliver. And all that was forgiven. Or at least I decided to go on my own here... and let them do whatever on their own.

Not that I was a leader of anything, or had stock in that company or anything like that.... because I didn't, but they offered the opportunity to speak my mind, and for the first few years I took them up on it, and offered a fairly balanced commentary. Well, until a year or so ago.

Now they've run into some trouble. And it really doesn't have a whole lot to do with the economy. Sure it has been exacerbated by it, but it is not the root cause of it. And suddenly we're supposed to feel sorry for them? I would hate for anyone to lose their job, be it from the newspaper or hospital or fast food, but seriously?

I feel bad, I guess, but not all that bad. Bad like I hate that this situation has to happen, but does it? Everything happens for a reason. Maybe it's because somebody is an asshole and you need to get away from said asshole, or maybe the asshole is the one who gets canned or maybe there just needs to be a new kind of asshole-iness. Looking at things from that perspective, it's really not so bad is it?

Got Media?

I read something the other day about the media, and how we are better off (or not) by having this kind of 24/7 news cycle. I think it's probably closer to not simply because I don't think my life is better with it. Sure I can watch or read whatever I want, and I do but just the other day I was getting a hair cut, and the TV was tuned in to MSNBC and they had some lady spouting off how Barack Obama was good and how John McCain was evil. And this is news? I don't think either candidate is very good, but I wouldn't put somebody who basically is a supporter on TV. Or at least put two opposing views instead of just one. And I'm sure it happened on the right side too.

I know we have a right to know any and everything in our world, but what do you do when you get so many different views you just say "fuck it" and don't listen to any of them? I've taken nightly news out of my programing, really for the most part any and all news. And I'm no worse off for it. The newspapers around here... well I've already taken them to task and really they haven't talked back. Now I understand that this is a small town, but there could be so much better reporting. So what to do?

I think this is wear I get in my sail boat or get away to the mountains and never look back. Of course I still have 20-30 years until retirement so that's how much longer I'm going to be stuck listening to all of that partisan, space-brained, bullshit. I wish somebody would really take a deep breath, try to do what is right and all that jazz. But I can't see it.

Beaufort County School District's Summer Institute

Sorry to interrupt the comic, but I have to say something that's getting to me.

My wife has been going to school this week, part of the Beaufort County School District's Summer Institute. It's a good thing, not that you'd know it if you look in the local paper (Bluffton Today) because what is Front Page to the Island Packet is just a minor by-line in the "daily wipe". Why is it like that? I think, and I can only guess because I'm not in the newspaper business, it's because one person didn't know or care or forgot that this was happening. In fact the one picture that says "Sizzlin' Summer Institute" isn't even correct. Shameful if you ask me, mislead, misdirect and misinform. God I hope nobody thinks they're reading actual news in that rag.

You can read about what they're doing here. It is pretty big, like 700 teachers, so you'd think that it might be important. It is in The State, which granted is a sister paper of the Island Packet, but still. The institute is going on all week at Bluffton High. Everyday they have a keynote speaker and after that person finishes speaking, they then break up into some 45 different groups, depending on what you want to learn about. It's kind of like a conference without all the travel, hotels, and drinking afterward.

Back to the comic... and here is another one for your trouble, aimed squarely at the people who bring you "news".

Okay, I admit it...

Lately I've not really made any commentary on the news (i.e. Schools, politics, government etc.) and I really don't know why... other than the fact that I've had a stroke and trying to convince people that they might want to pull their heads out of their asses for 2 seconds, is just so not me anymore. I can only change what I can change, that doesn't include some idiot or otherwise across the internet or down the street. Besides what does it matter if I change his/her mind? I mean I want to do good, I have a couple of things on the back burner, but publicizing it right now isn't what I want to do.

I know some newspaper people will probably breathe a sigh of relief when/if they read this, but you just never know when the wild hair is going to invert and start to go up my ass. I know I've not really been around to keep them honest, but you just never know and sock-puppetry is alive and well. But that doesn't mean I've been doing it, because I haven't.

I wish I could care more, I really do, I simply can't. I'm still dealing with this whole stroke thing and in doing so that's one of the first things to go (the caring about stupid shit). I'm too busy trying to keep my family happy, my work satisfied, and mostly myself competent, aware, and in the loop. I won't say that the old me is completely dead, but unfortunately a big part of me is gone. I don't like some food I used to love, can't play games the way I used to, I don't even sleep the way I used to.

Part of the recovery is acknowledging the fact that you simply won't be the same person, you can be as close to the same as you want to be, but never the same. That's pretty hard to deal with, because whatever you used to mean to others won't quite be the same either. I was a partner to my wife, and still am but in a different way, now I've come to depend on her, a lot more. I used to do probably 95% of the cooking, now I'm lucky if I get 15%. So not only do you have to come to grips with saying goodbye to the old you, all your friends and family do too.

This recovery could take years...

Beaufort County Newspaper Report Cards

Have you ever read the newspaper and felt cheated? How does one verifiably identify the quality of their local news sources? Does a litmus test exist, with measurable standards, that can help us make sense of it all?

The answer? YES.

GradetheNews.org is a website authored by journalists concerned about the lack of ethics in journalism. This website was instrumental in helping me put numbers to perceived bad reporting. Here's how it works.

Each news story is graded on the following 3 standards.

1. Core Stories vs. Peripheral Stories

Core stories include – government, natural disasters, education, crime, health, environment, science/technology, major fires/accidents/emergencies, weather, social issues, consumer reporting, and the military

Peripheral stories include – Sports, celebrities, minor fires/accidents, human interest pieces, and others not fitting any of the above categories

Core stories are worth more than peripheral stories. 2 points are awarded for a core story, 1 for peripheral.

2. Knowledge Impact

High Impact vs. Low Impact

High impact translates to how many people does the subject effect? A lost dog story might emotionally impact many readers, but it doesn’t affect their daily lives, while a tax increase or a natural disaster will likely affect many people for an extended period of time.

High knowledge impact stories receive 3 points, low impact stories get nothing. Sometimes the impact is hard to determine, these articles will receive 1.5 points

3. Named Sources

The standard requirement for newsprint is 5 named sources. Named sources help the reader distinguish the importance of information given and also help identify possible biases. More sources help present diverse viewpoints, thus giving a better overall view of the subject at hand.

5 named sources receive 2 points; failure to meet this requirement earns no points.


The highest possible score an article can earn is a 7 (lowest would be a 1). Article scores are added up and then divided by the number articles written to give a average score. Grades are as follows.

A = 5.5 - 7
B = 4.5 - 5.4
C = 3.5 - 4.4
D = 2.5 - 3.4
F = less than 2.5


So far all standards are in accordance with GradetheNews.org guidelines. I changed a few aspects to better relate to this community. Because I don’t have time or resources to grade every article (and if I did all papers would get F’s) I only graded the first 4 stories (or less if enough stories were not available) and I only graded local stories. All national/world type stories written by AP writers were ignored. If a national subject is involved in local life (i.e. Rudy Guliani’s visit to Bluffton) then it is included.

I wanted to get an accurate feel of local newspaper performance and to do this I took a sample of random days over the period of 3 months. I did this in an effort to account for slow or “off” news days. The process wasn’t perfect, but I’d make the argument that it was fair. The grades are as follows:

Island Packet: Average Score 3.72, Lowest Score: 3.1, Highest Score: 4.75
Grade – C

Bluffton Today: Average Score 2.79, Lowest Score 1.0, Highest Score 4.33
Grade – D

As a side note, both papers produced 1 story each that scored a 7. This proves that staff/resources/gumption exists at both organizations to meet a higher standard.

This entry probably won't make me any friends in the bullpens of the IP or BT, but my hope is that if we demand better, more responsible news reporting, or at least know how to recognize when we don't see it, news agencies will make the extra effort to do the right thing. Feel free to contact either the Island Packet and/or the Bluffton Today and ask them how they feel about responsible journalism, I'm sure they look forward to hearing from you.