The Observation Deck

Bryan

File under For What It Is Worth...

Most of the board members I have spoken with agree with your comments.

We will be looking at ways to make it happen.

Thank you.


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Jim O'Bryan wrote:Bryan

File under For What It Is Worth...

Most of the board members I have spoken with agree with your comments.

We will be looking at ways to make it happen.

Thank you.


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Bryan Schwegler wrote:

Jim O'Bryan wrote:K
Yeah this is a different sort of project. One that needs citizens to step up, and take ownership
of their words and ideas.

I really think the biggest thing that can be done to clear up any confusion and perception is to simply print the author's affiliation to the subject they're writing about. Have them disclose it as part of the submission process and then use that to attach it to their article.

CItizen's should own their words, but we can't expect everyone knows who all the citizens are and what their affiliations are. There are a lot of people in this town, and I know I definitely get them all confused and certainly don't know all of them.

It's usually the integrity of the articles that people seem confused about and I think not being upfront and disclosing affiliations just gives them the ammo to fuel their perceptions. Take away the ammo so they can put away the gun and we can all just enjoy the LO for what it is.

Agree wholeheartedly with this. A simple "LO's suggestion to McDonald's for how a new restaurant could look" or some sort of similar caption under the pic would have cleared much up. I just felt the pic accompanied with the mayor's letter with no explanation was misleading and somewhat dishonest in light of the fact that you admitted that you did it at 1am as a sort of joke.

I did not realize I should not be applying what I consider 'journalism' to be of a paper that is more community project. This thread had cleared up some questions in my mind. Jim, you are at so many community functions, covering it as a reporter might, so you can understand the confusion as to what your role is on the LO. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, right?

I think that now that I've gone back and read the LO mission statement, I might be a little clearer on things as well. To be fair, I used the term 'slightly horrified' and that was referring to my surprise that you could not understand (note that I did not say agree) why someone would think the inclusion of this photo to be potentially problematic. Apologies for the overwrought phrasing on that one, though, I appreciate the discussion my concern/criticism sparked.

Val

I wrote pages of answers to this post. Alas, I have deleted most of them.

So many hot button topics I have been involved in over the decades of being involved with
various forms of publishing, marketing, community outreach etc.

I suppose the one that jumps out is "I did not realize I should not be applying what I consider 'journalism' to be of a paper that is more community project."

jour·nal·ism
   [jur-nl-iz-uhm] Show IPA
–noun
1. the occupation of reporting, writing, editing, photographing, or broadcasting news or of conducting any news organization as a business.
2. press1 ( def. 31 ) .
3. a course of study preparing students for careers in reporting, writing, and editing for newspapers and magazines.

LO does the above, actually all of it.

But I believe you are referring to journalistic integrity, a fraudulent term, damn near an oxymoron.

When you see me at an event, and "reporting" on that event it is always through the
eyes, ears, and brain of Jim O'Bryan. I am always reporting what I think is important, and
what I think you need to know or would care about.

The very first thing we discovered after talking with hundreds of media people is, they are
all biased, though the hallowed Fourth Estate would say "We have been trained to..." Bulshit, Show me a person reporting news, and I will show you the bias. Each and everyone.

So we figured early on in this new venture, to allow and even encourage participants to
own their bias, amplify their bias, claim their bias. So that at the discussion table we could
better understand what is going on.

Which brings us to the very real moment of Christine Gordillo, which I could go very deeply
into as no one appreciates her, and her various stances on Lakewood and the media more
than myself. Yes, she is the media coordinator for Lakewood Schools, but she is also a resident, a mother, a graduate of the schools, and a huge supporter of everything they do.
So whatever we were to label her, it would sell her short.

Val, I would love to talk with you more, and we are trying right now to recapture what and
who is the Observer, and why we were formed. You will see the articles trickle out, and Ken
Warren and I have kept every note and email in the lead up to issue one, and will be
reporting on this to the city, with some fascinating notes from civic leaders about how
excited they are to be able to take part.

It will be an interesting look back, and hopefully forward.

AND, I hope it too fuels discussions and makes this project and city better for ALL.

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