LO Tabloid Mixing Facts With Opinions

[sharon kinsella]

What I would like to know is, what is your personal beef with Jim.

Did you ever think that building the Lakewood brand might mean opening a window to the thoughts and actions of people in the community?

This is a community newspaper, written by members of the community and fact checked by an editorial staff.

I wrote a very emotional piece about racism in my town. Did it paint Lakewood in a Pollyanna light? No it did not. Did it reflect the perspective a resident of the community? Yes it did.

People look to sources for journalism such as the PD, CNN, MSNBC and Fox news. All of these sources have bias and pick and choose how to present the material and what to emphasize and what to eliminate completely.

The LO offers an opportunity for all of us to express our opinions and the LO prints it.

[David Lay]

People look to sources for journalism such as the PD, CNN, MSNBC and Fox news. All of these sources have bias and pick and choose how to present the material and what to emphasize and what to eliminate completely.

Not to mention, those outlets are run for profit. Their advertisers can quite easily influence their bias.

[chris richards]

The LO is a cutting edge experiment that should be copied nation wide.

It is. Many major news outlets (CNN, Reuters, etc) are running citizen journalism projects. CNN's iReport is a good example.

Personally, I would trust the LO to report Lakewood news better than the Sun Post, a paper that doesn't have a presence in the city.

Which would you rather trust for Lakewood news: a paper run and written by Lakewood residents, or an outside paper run and written by people from North Olmsted and Maple Heights?

As for the 'yellow journalism' remark: many news outlets turned to the LO for their information in the Philip Distasio case. Same goes for the Fry, Coutant and Granger standoffs.

Yellow Journalism? Hardly.

Reporters from the Sun Post do come to the City of Lakewood to get the news that happens in Lakewood. This is a often occurring remark that I have been noticing that implies that nothing outside of Lakewood has worth inside Lakewood.

Your remark that outside news sources turn the the Observer for information has no weight on whether or not the LO is yellow journalism. That does not mean that stories published in the LO are not slanted with poetic prose to enhance the "Lakewood Brand."

[chris richards]

What I would like to know is, what is your personal beef with Jim.

I do not have a "personal beef" with Jim.

I was told that the Observer likes to know how it is viewed from the outside. This is how I view it. This is how it reads in my eye. I have already stated that I am glad it is there for the community to read and contribute to. My issue is painting news stories with the agenda of building a brand for that is not published anywhere that I can find.

Yes, other news sources pick and choose how to present stories, but the better news sources stick to facts and limit speculation.

[David Lay]

Reporters from the Sun Post do come to the City of Lakewood to get the news that happens in Lakewood. This is a often occurring remark that I have been noticing that implies that nothing outside of Lakewood has worth inside Lakewood.

What I'm getting at is that the LO has its finger on the pulse of Lakewood much better than the Sun Post does. One section of the Post is dedicated to Lakewood, the rest is the same stuff that is in other editions of the paper.

But since it's pretty well known that businesses can buy a favorable piece in the Post, wouldn't that be considered yellow journalism?

In my mind, most if not all of the LO's detractors just don't get the citizen journalism model that the LO seems to follow.

[dl meckes]

The Observer Project has 18 people who may be called on to edit stories. There are two co-editors that serve as managing editors.

As far as building the "Lakewood Brand" goes, I think there are a variety of viewpoints as to what this may or may not mean. I am personally unaware of an agreed-upon definition.

One example of why I think the Observer does a great job is that people can tell their own stories. I'd prefer to hear about the Historical Society from Maize Adams, Paula Reed or Rhonda Loje because they are the most knowledgeable people with regards to that group.

I've written a couple of mediocre articles about CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) because I am involved with that. I'd like to get others involved in CERT to write about what the group is doing. The fact is that anyone can write about it.

Because the Observer uses volunteer community resources, there are going to be different flavors to each article. I happen to love that aspect of the paper.

As a citizen, I'm thrilled that Tim Liston would be writing about BikeLakewood or Dan Slife (or Chris Trapp) would write about LEAF, etc. These people moved these ideas forward. They have envisioned something that's good for Lakewood, they made stuff happen and they have written about it. It wasn't just LEAF members that attended that fun Harvest Festival, it was people who could read about it in the Observer that attended, also.

I think that neighbors who tell their own stories about what they or their group are doing is "building the brand." I had no interest in or knowledge of LHS cross-country before Joe Ott started to tell that story to his neighbors from a larger platform than he would have without the Deck or the Observer. I have learned a lot about my community (and I've lived here a long time) due to the fact that we have neighbors who are willing to tell each other about what they know.

I happen to love Justine Cooper's secret shopper stories because she goes places I might not make an effort to visit.

There is something in every issue that I take exception to. I get a phone call from my dad with every issue where he tells me there's something in the paper that he doesn't like.

I also hear on a regular basis that people are unhappy that the Observer didn't "cover" something. The reason the Observer didn't cover something is because there was no-one to write the story or take the photo.

Yellow Journalism usually has to do with sensationalizing the news to drive up circulation. I don't really see that.

I also don't see that there's any writer named "chris richards" for the newspaper. Why not?

[Stephen Eisel]

Jim is a passionate pioneer. This experiment called The LO is working out quite well for the citizens of Lakewood as well as for the city of Lakewood. The open forum at the LO creates a great check and balance system for all of Lakewood including the politicians, citizens, students, cat dogs and etc. Jim is allowed to have his opinions and agendas. He is not an evil person. I rarely agree with Jim but view him as a man of great character. The LO is a cutting edge experiment that should be copied nation wide.

Ok, so this is an experiment, not a newspaper? So then it should cease to be called a newspaper...

I never said that Jim was evil, and I never said that he is not allowed his opinions and agendas. I am saying that his or anyone's agendas and opinions should not be presented in "news stories" published in something that is called a "newspaper." Now, if they presented them as op/ed pieces, that is different.

I was not responding to anything that you posted

[chris richards]

I was not responding to anything that you posted

My apologies, I thought that you were.

DL, I applaud the coverage from people who write about the organizations and events happening in the community. I do not have issue with those, but rather the "hard news stories" that are presented.

I had sent you an email stating that I was still trying to figure out how I wanted to contribute to the LO, and that while doing so I would start to participate on the Deck.

My hope was that voicing my perception of the paper may help guide it to better itself. Criticism does not need to include positive feedback. If I wrote everything I felt that the LO has gotten right, I would be typing forever.

But by harping on issues I and others have found, the repetition might sink in and take affect. Am I correct in all of my criticism, probably not. Is everyone correct in all their defenses, unlikely as well.

To be able to see problems and point them out to be examined is the only way for a project to excel and expand.

[Dee Martinez]

\
But since it's pretty well known that businesses can buy a favorable piece in the Post, wouldn't that be considered yellow journalism?
\

Proof?

[David Lay]

For Ryan to act like the Sun Papers is independent is laughable. Owned by the Plain Dealer, they are working as a regional paper along with the PD to force regionalism down our throats. At the same time I know Sweet Designs got one of the SunPapers unbiased stories. Only cost her $800. I am not saying Ryan paid, I am just laughing at "independent voice." Let's not forget it is the SunPapers that ran the editorial about Citizen Journalism is not to be trusted! Residents who live in a city have no right to talk or express ideas. Better we tust those from Brooklyn, Bay, Cleveland, anywhere but Lakewood.

[Jill Jusko]

David,

I'm neither endorsing the Sun newspapers nor knocking Jim when I say that Jim's say-so hardly constitutes proof, as I'm pretty sure the LO's fact-checkers would agree. And even as the Jim's post indicates, the Sun newspapers' editorial on civic journalism (which I didn't see but have no reason to disbelieve that it ran) was identified as an editorial, which means that it is an opinion piece.

[Justine Cooper]

What I would like to know is, what is your personal beef with Jim.

I do not have a "personal beef" with Jim.

I was told that the Observer likes to know how it is viewed from the outside. This is how I view it. This is how it reads in my eye. I have already stated that I am glad it is there for the community to read and contribute to. My issue is painting news stories with the agenda of building a brand for that is not published anywhere that I can find.

Yes, other news sources pick and choose how to present stories, but the better news sources stick to facts and limit speculation.

Which stories are you referring to? Not the deck, as the deck is opinions and not hard stories. But in the paper, what stories? I see both right and left stories in every issue, both laced with fact and opinion, stories of sports, community events, a shooting on last issue's front page (not very brand building), very nice stories on every single candidate running for mayor, council, and school board, every single one of them. Very good recipes, stories on art walks and light up Lakewood. Which stories are slanted?

As far as the other papers, I get the PD every day, and had no problem with the Sunnews until they told us they will NOT print any events in Lakewood in the LAKEWOOD sun news that are being printed in the LO. This is a LAKEWOOD PAPER that won't print events in that same city if they are also in the LO. I have also heard from parents who are thrilled that the LO highlights their child's sports team, that would have never been highlighted before. Coming in to Lakewood to write a story is very different than living in Lakewood and writing a story. But which ones are slanted?

[Jim O'Bryan]

Cris

Let's be honest, we at least did have a beef, you hated my parking style, you thought I was arrogant, and took advantage of my "power." I would hope that you have moved from that anger and the anger against my friend and board member Kenneth Warren. I enjoy what you had added to this forum.

I would hope all of you would have caught on to some small facts. In the his forum you are allowed to submit, suggest, nearly anything. We are now witnessing the 5th coup by nearly the same cast of characters to throw me out of the project. For what? Censorship? Slander? Damage? Conflict of Interest? Non-Success? Damage to the City or anyone associated with the paper? Nope, they did not agree with what I said, posted, or how I was percieved to have voted. I have taken complete ownership of every word I have posted, and have never indicated to anyone how I voted.

This is insane.

If you have suggestions, submit, if you have stories submit, if you think we or you can do better, join us, if you have an idea for an event, charity, fund raiser or yes Cris "Brand Builder" email or call. This is as open and inclusive as you can get.

Why don't people understand that?

This is not my paper or forum, it is OUR FORUM, I am just the lucky guy who gets the bill. Now with profits going to charity, some upset "Lakewoodites" want to shut the LO down. Whatever, this project is secure and will weather this storm as well.

I do hope that we add to the members again this time around. To argue about this project, is really akin to looking in the mirror and arguing with yourself.


FWIW


Stephen

You raise a funny point remember that "Friday" when we felt special.

Thanks to all that have taken the time to throw it out and kick it around. If you put your name, own it, defend it. Topics are open from thee to me.


.

[Kenneth Warren]

Chris:

The LO project is a high strung DIY affair, with pre-professional and post-professional inputs. The LO project is thoroughly invitational, radically inclusive and solely reflective of the community’s capacity to produce what it does. Like any experiment, the LO poses gains and hazards.

Robert Buckeye has deemed the project similar to a garage band.

Or maybe it’s like a pick-up game, a drummer circle that keeps playing.

The brand thing is a contentious issue, perhaps a cliché, one that Jim O’Bryan likes to blow hard on his way to differentiation, place-making and community organization.

The brand thing and the LO seems to drive professional marketing types nuts.

Speaking personally, which is all anyone involved in a civic project with various agents can do, I don’t care for business and marketing clichés. That said I regard as the LO meta-brand the people of Lakewood having the word chops to produce a paper of their stories in an age that has declared the newspaper dead. That’s the differentiator. As James B. Twitchell suggests in Branded Nation, “When that differentiation works, the brand generates frisson, it provides sensation, a shift (albeit miniscule) of consciousnessâ€Â￾ (40).

Since you seem perplexed and troubled by project, I thought I would share an early organizational note from Stephen Calhoun that might help you appreciate that how a volunteer project is utterly dependent on human resources:

"Whereas, overall, the meta-concept is very solid. It's just that the critical mass of personnel is simply the amassing of creative resources to the level where they attract more creative resources. It's structural and energetic as you know.

The kool-aid is intoxicating but one can't be so drunk as to not be able to share it widely. So, the smallish group of producers would surely become exhausted if the party were not to get a lot bigger sooner rather than later.

My other hunch follows from reflection upon the expressive genres in play within a temporal, 'reproduced' frame of reference. The Observer is part newspaper and part urban journal. The Observer as newspaper is advantaged by reportage flowing in to in bursts. Bi-weekly sets up the challenge. Yet, it's just ephemeral news hitting the streets every two weeks.

Whereas, the urban journal benefits from ongoing research and iconoclastic performances disadvantaged by the two week cycle. To me, its a monthly proposition at a minimum, mostly to slow down the ephemerization of deep content, but it isn't. Hopefully, the Observer archive will elongate the content impact.

Snaring new personnel in the web is, as I see it, the main strategic objective over the summer. Everything becomes much harder by November. At least my hunch is that it will be so.

Leadership of the XY pod falls to whom? In the energetic sense it falls to that first under 30 who gets the inspirational requirement. Motivational map; intrinsic loci of focus; memetic strategies, etc. are tangible in practice.

Who's practicing?â€Â￾

Source: Stephen Calhoun 6/18/05

If those "practicing" are doing so in a register that falls short the journalistic mark you believe you can achieve, while satisfying yourself in such participation, please come aboard.

The LO project so open to innovation, disruption and transformational currents that if you wish, you can construct an ensemble of writers committed to the journalism standards you deem an improvement and can enact your vision through publication.

Kenneth Warren

[chris richards]