News Blackout?

[Joseph Milan]

I happened to be browsing thru the Cleveland Plain Dealer this morning at the same timelistening to the radio. On the radio I heard about a Lakewood elementry school student being suspended yesterday for bringing a gun to school. This was not mentioned on last night's evening news, this morning's early television news, and is not in the Plain Dealer.
All to often, when incidents occur within our city that are things that would be reported elsewhere, we never hear about it.
I listen to a police scanner and know about things happening that would be reported had they occurred elsewhere, be it it the regional newspaper or the local Sun or even the Observer (although, I don't believe it's the observers objective to report crime.)
Either the PD doesn't care about Lakewood or doesn't want bad news to be reported. The Sun newspaper, while being able to do a better job, still doesn't carry everything heard over police scanners that would be reported elsewhere.
Why are thing that people should know (every mother or father of a school child should know about the gun yesterday) being covered up by most if not all media sources?
Joe

[Suzanne Metelko]

Joe, no news blackout. It was on channel five this morning and I expect that more information will be available today.

Suzanne

[Jim O'Bryan]

I happened to be browsing thru the Cleveland Plain Dealer this morning at the same timelistening to the radio. On the radio I heard about a Lakewood elementry school student being suspended yesterday for bringing a gun to school. This was not mentioned on last night's evening news, this morning's early television news, and is not in the Plain Dealer.
All to often, when incidents occur within our city that are things that would be reported elsewhere, we never hear about it.
I listen to a police scanner and know about things happening that would be reported had they occurred elsewhere, be it it the regional newspaper or the local Sun or even the Observer (although, I don't believe it's the observers objective to report crime.)
Either the PD doesn't care about Lakewood or doesn't want bad news to be reported. The Sun newspaper, while being able to do a better job, still doesn't carry everything heard over police scanners that would be reported elsewhere.
Why are thing that people should know (every mother or father of a school child should know about the gun yesterday) being covered up by most if not all media sources?
Joe

Joe


There is no news blackout here. I will get Rita Rylan on this unless you would like to cover it. That way you could see first hand, what we are up against covering a story like this.

I would love more "stringers" reporters that can go out and report news as it happens. but we are limited by volunteers not by the type of story.



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[kate parker]

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/6792070/detail.html

[Jim O'Bryan]

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/6792070/detail.html

For the record just got off the phone with people in the know.

The "child" never brandished the gun. He showed it to a friend after bringing it from home. It was not loaded and there were no threats, or violence planned.

Boys being boys, this comes from the voice of experience.



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[Joseph Milan]

[quote= Jim O'Bryan]


Joe


There is no news blackout here. I will get Rita Rylan on this unless you would like to cover it. That way you could see first hand, what we are up against covering a story like this.
[/quote]

Jim,
I wasn't trying to imply that you were; your newpaper is a monthly that, when printed, the story may be out dated. I was concerned when it wasn't in the PD and wasn't on Channel 5's 5:00 am news. If they hadn't found out about it by them, shame on them. There's also no excuse for this not to be in this morning's Plain Dealer.

Joe

[Joseph Milan]

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/6792070/detail.html

Kate, thanks for the website. this was not in their 5:00 am news and was not mentioned last nite or even tonight on their 6:00 pm news. It must no longer be newsworthy.
Joe

[Jim O'Bryan]

Joe

Outdated or not, that is not how we choose stories. Good or bad is not how we choose stories. But to be honest, there is no "news" here. Oh we cold sensationalize it, and make a huge story out of it, but there is not story. Not to say there might not be a story in the long run.

The story is not is a child using bad judgment. We could fill a paper week after week about that. But when you here the entire story, you would realize that we are better off not having the "media" brat the drum.

Again, "trench coat mafia" ready to attack. Big story. But this was one person's very bad judgment. So we get the PD here that loves showing up for a bad story about Lakewood and trumps it up. The Sun show up or 5 or 8 or 19, and get the story as wrong as they did with Petty. What is the upside? The schools did everything right. The police did everything right. there is no story yet. But again that could change.

I also take exception to the remark that "we cannot or wouldn't cover it." It is simply not true. I have two reporters working on this story and was on the phone with "officials." But how much space do I give bad judgment of one juvenile, as opposed to great judgment by the winner of the photo competition at the high school tomorrow?

But really appreciate you bringing the story to light on the board.


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[Joseph Milan]

JO>Outdated or not that is not how we choose stories

JM> If I'm not mistaken you told me when I submitted a story that it wasn't published due to the timing of it.

The story about the student is in tomorrow's Sun, they put it on the front page, below the fold. It was a little curious that they didn't mention it was a second grader, I simply believe this story would have been more important to all the news outlets had it not been here.

I didn't mean to offend you by saying what I said about your paper, I just meant to imply that by the time the next edition comes out, this story will be history, as probably it should be. The same cannot be said about monday or tuesday's TV and daily papers.

Joe

[Jim O'Bryan]

JO>Outdated or not that is not how we choose stories

JM> If I'm not mistaken you told me when I submitted a story that it wasn't published due to the timing of it.

The story about the student is in tomorrow's Sun, they put it on the front page, below the fold. It was a little curious that they didn't mention it was a second grader, I simply believe this story would have been more important to all the news outlets had it not been here.

I didn't mean to offend you by saying what I said about your paper, I just meant to imply that by the time the next edition comes out, this story will be history, as probably it should be. The same cannot be said about monday or tuesday's TV and daily papers.

Joe

Joe


You have never offended me, maybe that one time. I have very little to do with the running of the paper, really. I did this for a couple reasons. The most important is empowerment. In the future we are going to need many citizens to work on projects. I can't think of one person on this board I would not want on my side, or me on theirs.

We are not a "real" paper. Our staff is volunteer, and only a handful are trained. But they are damn good. The paper could go pro tomorrow, but I turned down the escort and strip club ads. Could have sold out a hundred times, but the paper has to reflect Lakewood, it is used in schools, it has become the city's business card and brochure around the country and the world.

What news has hit the street that we have missed? Recently first with Ed Favre, First with no taxes, first and only wit Nogalo and interview, first with slashed tire report and first with arrest. when the guy got killed on Brockley, we broke the news that it was drug related by a friend. In other words we do not have to worry.

With this story, it is a non story, I have not seen the Sun Papers, but if they have more, so be it, if they have less it's better. We do not compete, we are better, better for the city, better for the residents.

As I have always said. The PD shows up for the murder, the Sun shows up and gives us 2 pages every week, The Lakewood Times is nothing more than carpetbaggers from Westlake trying to get money out of Lakewood. The Lakewood Observer was developed to help Lakewood know more about itself than any other town. To build the brand, and amplify civic intelligence. I think we are doing OK.

Jim