Plain Dealer Rains On Lakewood's Parade - Again

[Jim O'Bryan]

With some dismay I went out and picked up my copy of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, to read

"Lakewood library's move to new digs will cost some workers"
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1182069356259600.xml&coll=2

Molly Kavanaugh, Plain Dealer Reporter, who recently mentioned she might consider moving to Lakewood her new beat, reports that "Don't expect a lot of Lakewood Public Library employees kicking up their heels during a $100-a-ticket gala next week at the library's new addition." One could ask why not, tickets were available to the public, all 600 selling out quickly, all funding going to help the new library and employees.

So once again we find Lakewood ready to celebrate, opening one of the nicest library expansions in the county or state, but the Plain Dealer turns it into a story of tragedy and sorrow. Trying desperately to Lakewood and Lakewood Library staff should hang their head in shame, as we prepare to celebrate this magnificent Robert Stern design building that will put Lakewood on the map.

In the article they rehash again the Library allowing workers to take, vacation time, help move or apply for unemployment during the two week shutdown. Some the Lakewood Library Board and Director have been 100% transparent with here on the Observation Deck.

How are they repaid for the transparency, attacks from the Plain Dealer using terms like "many" rumor has it from the staff that the total number was 5 anonymous phone calls to Molly. This was after Molly and the Plain Dealer had encouraged staff to obtain personal information on other employees possibly breaking state laws.

This story is so troubling especially when you realize that the Plain Dealer is leading the charge for regionalism, and the Lakewood Public Library and other Lakewood institutions have been leading the fight against regionalism.

One other things that bothers me is "unnamed sources" "people in fear of retribution" and another handful of reasons why anyone is allowed to attack the country's Number One Library, and rain on Lakewood's day in the sun.

Molly looking forward to you moving to Lakewood. I enjoyed our conversation at the court house where I was more than willing to share information for your article on Naumann being sentenced, and point you in the right direction on taxes, gas bills and other things for your story.

How ever this manufactured story will be hard to forget. With the Lakewood Observer, "the not real paper," you have never seen "unnamed sources."

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[dl meckes]

One other things that bothers me is "unnamed sources" "people in fear of retribution" and another handful of reasons why anyone is allowed to attack the country's Number One Library, and rain on Lakewood's day in the sun.

Using unnamed sources has been a tool and a privilege that journalists have fought for all the way to the Supreme Court. I know you remember Watergate.

Are you suggesting that no-one is allowed to harbor negative feelings about the Number One Library or if they do have those feelings they must not speak about them?

There are two issues that are intertwined; one is that employees were not offered free or discount tickets and the second is that hours were unexpectedly cut back and one of the ways to keep hours included performing tasks that fall outside of the scope of the regular job descriptions.

Obviously this is no Watergate, but you just can't throw away a journalist's right to use unnamed sources.

Director Warren and Board President Endress, to their credit, have been transparent and engaged in the discussion.

I can understand why employees might not be happy about having to perform different duties than normal or use vacation time to keep their hours. I can also understand how difficult it would have been to forecast this (probably) once in a lifetime situation over a year in advance.

The unnamed sources and Kavanaugh also made those concerns ridiculous by the implication that there's a Cinderella aspect to this situation.

Blaming Warren for a decision made that didn't include free or discount tickets to the gala is absurd. That was not his decision to make. As far as I know, Warren would have no input whatsoever in the decision regarding tickets to a fund-raiser. Event planners make all of the decisions about who will be invited gratis or receive a discount. This has been the situation in every fund-raiser in which I have been involved.

Blaming Warren for not being able to forecast which exact weeks the library would be closed over a year in advance is also absurd. Construction schedules are never that concrete. Whether and how employees would be paid for down time is also not really Warren's decision. He has a board to answer to and it appears that they and not he drove the decision.

[Jim O'Bryan]

One other things that bothers me is "unnamed sources" "people in fear of retribution" and another handful of reasons why anyone is allowed to attack the country's Number One Library, and rain on Lakewood's day in the sun.

Using unnamed sources has been a tool and a privilege that journalists have fought for all the way to the Supreme Court. I know you remember Watergate.

Are you suggesting that no-one is allowed to harbor negative feelings about the Number One Library or if they do have those feelings they must not speak about them?

DL


Maybe I am too close to this story.

Of course they can use unnamed sources, especially for serious inquiry. This was nothing more than a hit on Lakewood on a week when we should all be proud.

Then the are serious legal issues, as to how she obtained a confidential and personal information. While the library is transparent and now even more transparent with the board and Ken posting all files about this online. there is much more afoot here than disgruntled employees.

Do you really think Ken Warren or the Board of the library would seek retribution on "many" employees that are upset?

The more serious problem is again nothing more than a hit on the Library. When one person uses a real name and others hide behind "unamed or faux" names it is no longer an even playing field. You can no longer reach a fair and equitable agreement, there can be no solution.

FWIW


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[David Lay]

That link didn't work; try this:

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1182069387259600.xml&coll=2

[dl meckes]

Jim - I have a problem with your viewpoint that unnamed sources should not be used by journalists.

I agree that this is a gratuitous slam against a fine institution that has provided nothing but excellent service and support for Lakewood.

That wasn't the point of my post to you.

There are good reasons why whistle-blowers must be protected against reprisals and why sources must be protected.

I agree that this is nothing more than a cheap shot against the library, the director of the library and the board that runs the library - which I thought I addressed and made clear in my response to your post.

I evidently had trouble communicating clearly.

[Suzanne Metelko]

Jim and DL -

I think we need to differentiate between unamed sources and unknown sources. Molly received an anonymous letter and several anonymous calls. Without knowing the source and confirming the source then she has only one source not sources. And we don't know if that source is an employee, a former employee, or one of the handful of patrons who have complained about Mr. Warren.

In the two years since I started writing for the LO, I have read numerous books on the responsibility journalists have to their readers. Unknown sources don't cut it. Even Woodward met with Mark Felt.

Molly Kavanaugh failed this time; so did the Plain Dealer. It is very disappointing when our biggest daily has lower standards than the Lakewood Observer and citizen journalists.

Suzanne Metelko

[Suzanne Metelko]

Jim and DL -

I think we need to differentiate between unnamed sources and unknown sources. Molly received an anonymous letter and several anonymous calls. Without knowing the source and confirming the source then she has only one source not sources. And she doesn't know if that source is an employee, a former employee, or one of the handful of patrons who have complained about Mr. Warren.

In the two years since I started writing for the LO, I have read numerous books on the responsibility journalists have to their readers. Unknown sources don't cut it. Even Woodward met with Mark Felt.

Molly Kavanaugh failed this time; so did the Plain Dealer. It is very disappointing when our biggest daily has lower standards than the Lakewood Observer and citizen journalists.

Suzanne Metelko

[David Lay]

Molly Kavanaugh failed this time; so did the Plain Dealer. It is very disappointing when our biggest daily has lower standards than the Lakewood Observer and citizen journalists.

Bingo.

[Jim O'Bryan]

DL

Please go back and read my response.

I am well aware of the need for whistle blowers. Of course they are protected under the law, but only if they go public with their names. something most unnamed sources forget.

I am not arguing the use. I am arguing how it was used in this completely manufactured story. Again, I am too close to this. I know many library employees, Ken and Jeff are friends. I have sat at Board meeting with reporters while this was discussed. Molly did not bother to come to that meeting to see how serious every member of the board thought of this and options available. I know of no afraid to talk to Ken, Kim or Jeff. But there could be some.

I have been involved in this tempest in a teapot, since Jeff and Ken BROKE the story on the Observation Deck.

My problem, is I like reading Molly. I got a real kick out of talking with her the other day. I just do not understand 1/3 page for this?

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[Jim O'Bryan]

Molly Kavanaugh failed this time; so did the Plain Dealer. It is very disappointing when our biggest daily has lower standards than the Lakewood Observer and citizen journalists.

Suzanne Metelko

Suzanne


I take great offense at the thought that the Lakewood Observer has lower standards than ANY OTHER publication in this country.

We have a ten page ethics statement that we stick to.

We have lawyers going over anything that could be libel, slanderous, or wrong.

We print corrections on the same page as the mistake in a RED BOX. Front page, or whatever page the mistake is made on.

While the Plain Dealer uses Molly to come in from out of town and get up to speed on the library. The Observer finds some one passionate and in to the story. This is not a slam on Molly, it is where the papers differ. Of course, after The Observer wrote the book on "civic journalism" the big guys are now desperate to catch up.

They do it for cost control, we do it because it is the right thing to do.


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[David Lay]

I guess I read that one wrong. I thought she was saying that the PD holds themselves to the highest standards. It looks like the LO is held to a much higher one.

[Suzanne Metelko]

WOW - my really big bad. I did mean what David read. It was early, I was ticked. What I was trying to say in a very poorly written sentence was that my local paper and the citizen journalistis who write for it have higher standards than this big time daily.

So sorry!!

[David Lay]

Same here... early, ticked, and coffee hasn't kicked in yet!

[Colleen Wing]

It's not the coffee.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

I read Suzanne's comment as a slam on the PD not on the LO.

Jim- Relax, Relate, Release- Exhale

However, I do agree with your intial sentiment about the article.

[dl meckes]

Jim, you and I are talking about two different things, as Suzanne points out.

By Suzanne's definition (unknown vs. unnamed) you and I are in agreement.

The article was a cheap shot, did not include any rational thought, and was poorly written - not to mention the other troubling aspects that you pointed out.