Thursday, October 18, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
We are often blind to our own environment because of our assumptions, framed by media, insular thinking and our own prejudices. Smart City Consulting's blog – named one of the most intriguing in the U.S. by Pew Partnership for Civic Change – hopes to show how Memphis really is and could be through alternative questions, fresh approaches and new ideas. We hope to open your eyes - and your ears - to a new way of thinking about Memphis. Send ideas and emails to tjones@smartcityconsulting.com.
Posts
Blog Archive
-
▼
2007
(261)
-
▼
October
(32)
- Tax Incentives For Highland Street Development Rai...
- Nothing Civil Or Right In Museum Attack
- Forbes: Memphis Is Most Sedentary City
- County Commissioners Tie Up Ethics Rule With A Rib...
- Flyer Comments On Beale Street Landing Discussion
- This Week On Smart City: Generation Ageless
- Sunshine Law Ruling Highlights Its Value
- Legislators Work To Weaken Sunshine Law And Open G...
- Knox County Court Decision Should Be Wake-Up Call ...
- Footnote to Beale Street Landing Post
- Juxtaposition of The Historic and The Contemporary...
- Update On "All The News That's Fit..."
- This Week On Smart City: Demanding New Choices
- Update On "All The News...."
- Following Up "All The News That's Fit To Rent"
- "All The News That's Fit To Rent" Prompts Controve...
- How To Attract And Retain Talented People
- Answers To Question Of The Week Also Offer Answers...
- Lighting A Creative Spark In Memphis: Indie Memphi...
- Question Of The Week: What Memphis Can Do To Attra...
- This Week On Smart City: Imagining New Futures For...
- Managing To Do Something Dramatic In City Hall
- Ruminations About The Mayor's Election From A Poli...
- Turning Our Attention To Finding A Great Mayor: Co...
- Election Night Continues Personal Tone Of Mayor's ...
- Turning Our Attention To Finding A Great Mayor
- America's Great Streets And Neighborhoods
- This Week On Smart City: Shaping The Urban Environ...
- Germantown Smart Growth: Fridays From 5-7 P.M.
- State Attorneys General Scold Schools For Underrep...
- Spoiled Frozen Food May Be The Tip Of The Iceberg
- Bill Purcell Leaves Nashville's Highest Office Aft...
-
▼
October
(32)
This Year's Labels
- Memphis City Schools
- Memphis City Council
- Mayor AC Wharton
- Shelby County Board of Commissioners
- Mayor Herenton
- economic development
- government consolidation
- tax equity
- Carol Coletta
- talent
- great mayors
- Crime
- I-269
- Shelby County Schools
- Shelby County government
- Tennessee Legislature
- shrinking city
- Paul Stanley
- Skate Park
- Sustainable Shelby
- Transportation Planning
- Deidre Malone
- Kriner Cash
- MPO
- Mud Island
- Smart City
- gun laws
- regionalism
- single source funding
- smart growth
- Greater Memphis Chamber
- Live Where You Live
- Memphis Art Park
- Myron Lowery
- creative city
- creativity
- downtown Memphis
- economic stimulus package
- tax freezes
- Aaron Shafer
- Anthony Siracusa
- Bill Gibbons
- Bill Morrison
- City Dividends
- City Engineering
- City of Memphis
- Coalition for Livable Communities
- David Pickler
- Geoff Calkins
- Health Department
- John Kirkscey
- Margot McNeely
- Mike Oakes
- Overton Park
- Project Green Fork
- Tennessee Department of Education
- Unified Development Code
- Willie W. Herenton
- aerotropolis
- anti-discrimination ordinance
- charter schools
- city mayor's election
- downtown revitalization
- gays and lesbian rights
- neighborhood revitalization
- school reform
- sustainability
- 10 Reasons I Love Memphis
- CEOs for Cities
- Center City Commission
- Charlie Santo
- Church Health Center
- Citizens to Preserve Overton Park
- City Hall
- Clean Memphis
- Congressman Steve Cohen
- Curry Todd
- Dr. Ken Wong
- Fairgrounds
- Joe Cortright
- MATA
- Mark Luttrell
- Mayor John Hickenlooper
- Memphis Bioworks Foundation
- Memphis College of Art
- Memphis Music Magnet
- Memphis government
- Mike Ritz
- Obama Administration
- Poverty
- Shelby Farms Park
- The Commercial Appeal
- U.S. Attorney
- University of Memphis
- Urban Child Institute
- annexation
- bicycling
- competitiveness
- economic segregation
- equitable taxes
- gay and lesbian rights
- health care reform
- innovation
- living wage
- mayor-led districts
- public transit
- sprawl
- tax policy
- town mayors
- urban design
- 311
- ADA
- ARRA
- Adrian Fenty
- Art Wolff
- Bartlett
- Bellevue Baptist Church
- Ben Self
- Bernice Donald
- Betty Mallott
- Beverly Hall
- Bill Boyd
- Bill Dries
- Biodimensions
- Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford
- Blue State Digital
- Bob Dylan
- Bredesen Administration
- Brookings Institution
- Buehler Homes
- COGIC
- Carol Chumney
- Charles Santo
- Chris Peck
- Cindy Brewer
- City of Memphis website
- Coliseum
- Collierville
- Constitutional Amendment
- Cort Percer
- Destination King
- Division of Planning and Development
- Doug Farr
- Edward Kennedy
- Emily Trenholm
- Eric Mathews
- FedEx
- FedEx Forum
- Fox News
- Gates of Memphis
- Gavin Newsom
- Gay Index
- Green Hope
- Greening Greater Memphis
- Greenline
- Greenprint
- Greensward
- Grow Memphis
- Harold Collins
- Hattiloo Theater
- Henri Brooks
- Internet 2
- Irving Hamer
- Jack Tucker
- Jacksonville
- James Andrews
- Jeff Nesin
- Jeffrey Higgs
- Jim Dickinson
- Jim Huntzicker
- Joe Brown
- John Calipari
- John Hickenlooper
- John Threadgill
- John Willingham
- Josh Pastner
- Kenneth Whalum
- Kerry Hayes
- Ketchum
- Kevin Brewer
- Kip Bergstrom
- Kiva.org
- LambdaRail
- Land Use Control Board
- Live From Memphis
- MPACT
- Mae Beavers
- Main Street Journal
- Martin O'Malley
- Matt Kuhn
- Maureen McAvey
- Mayor Anthony Williams
- Mayor Enrique Peñalosa
- Mayor Gavin Newsom
- Mayor Jay Williams
- Mayor Joseph Riley
- Mayor Karl Dean
- Mayor Michael Bloomberg
- Mayor Pro Tempore Myron Lowery
- Mayor Shirley Franklin
- Memphis
- Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Memphis Creative Coalition
- Memphis Daily News
- Memphis International Airport
- Memphis Manifesto Summit
- Memphis Music
- Memphis Police Department
- Memphis Press-Scimitar
- Memphis Sourcebook
- Memphis Urban League
- Memphis city government
- Memphis design
- MemphisED
- Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools
- Mike Carpenter
- Mike Hollihan
- NAEP
- National Resources Defense Council
- New Path
- Next American City
- Nonconnah Greenway
- Operation Safe Community
- PILOT
- Paul Tough
- Pete Nelson
- Presidents Day
- Pyramid
- RDC
- Republican Party
- Richard Daley
- Robert Barber
- Ron Lollar
- Shane Battier
- Shea Flinn
- Shelby County Sheriff
- Sidney Chism
- Smart City Consulting
- Smart City Memphis
- Soulsville
- Steve Bares
- Steve Gaines
- Steve Mulroy
- Steve Ross
- Teach For America
- Tenn
- Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
- Tennessee Department of Human Services
- Tennessee Education Association
- Tiffany Bingham
- Tomeka Hart
- UrbanArt Commission
- Vasco Smith
- Wharton Administration
- William Eggleston
- Wyatt Bunker
- Youngstown
- Zach Hoyt
- biking
- change agent
- city assets
- city budget
- college basketball
- complete streets
- connectors
- consumer-supported agriculture
- convention center
- customer service
- desegregation
- dual taxation
- e-government
- gays and lesbians
- government efficiency
- governor's campaign
- grand jury investigation
- green jobs
- gritty cities
- high-performing government
- high-speed rail
- hotel-motel tax
- justice
- leap frog strategies
- mandatory sentencing
- mayor's special election
- megapolitans
- metro government charter commission
- microcredit
- new year's resolution
- newspaper industry
- nondiscrimination ordinance
- parks
- payday lending
- planning
- prosecutors
- protest demonstrations
- reappraisal
- resilient cities
- school police
- self-organizing
- swine flu
- taxing authority
- tea party
- tutors
- urban planning
- walkable neighborhoods
41 comments:
This explanation makes me even more furious. What did the people who paid for the Elvis Week coverage get in return for their investments. There must have been a quid pro quo.
It also looks like the CA is publishing Memphis in the World ad-free. So let us have an explanatory story with it telling readers what is included that would have been excluded had ads been sold or a sponsor found.
Someone on this blog today described the CA's monetizing content concept as bribing reporters. But this smells like an attempt to blackmail advertisers into becoming sponsors to me. Whatever you call it, it's certainly not the sort of impartial news they teach in Journalism 101.
Hmm. So Peck goes to E&P to offer his explanation?
Wouldn't he have been better off offering an explanation to the CA's readers and advertisers?
That tells me he thinks his readers aren't smart enough to understand the issue.
How wrong he is.
Sounds like he's more concerned about what potential future employers think than what Memphians think.
Weak, weak, weak. Looks like he got caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar.
He's shuckin' and jivin'
This reader wants to know how much it costs to be a sponsor of a CA story? Are stories sold by the inch or only in column lengths? Are sponsors assured anonymity if they don't want their identities disclosed? Can politicians buy a story on their opponent in an election year without violating the Federal Elections Commission regulations? How much would it cost to buy the entire CA's Christmas edition?
Hell, this only makes it worse. He's willing to sell the low end journalism, whatever that is. I guess that's like the difference between a whore and a call girl.
don't you find it odd that Peck sends out his No.2 man to do his public bidding for him? any decent editor would have had an explanation posted on his newspaper's website already. no such thing here. and an explanation in tomorrow's CA.
don't hold your breath.
Peck's embarrassed -- and he should be. I bet the folks in Spokane are laughing themselves silly about all this.
I want to know why they are being so secretive about this new sponsorship program. Where is the rate schedule for advertisers who want to take advantage of it? I had an impression newspapers had an obligation to make these arrangements public.
I'm stunned by this sentence in the last paragraph of Peck's missive to Editor and Publisher:
Peck said future sponsorships are probable, but said they would not likely be attached to what he termed "high-end pieces of journalism."
I assume this means he will continue to sell the content of news stories he deems low-end journalism. Such as Amos Maki's Done Deals column? I wonder how that makes Maki feel, knowing the paper's editor thinks his work is low-end? I never knew what low-end journalism was before today, but now I am confident I can find it in The CA.
No wonder they wanted to argue about some facts with you guys. They were guilty as charged.
Things at the CA will never be the same no matter what Peck may think. Irreversible bad judgment and damage to what credibility was left at 495.
Here's the thing: no company pays money and doesn't expect a return on their investment in a positive story. Next Peck will say that PACs don't influence decision of politicians. Same thing.
Is this guy clueless or what:
"Think about the times you see a movie review on one page and turn the page and there is an advertisement for the movie," he said.
Somehow that's the same as selling a series of stories to the most powerful corporation in Memphis? Good God, is he out to lunch? What he did is more like selling the movie its own review.
I still don't think he gets it.
Joe Pepe was brought to Memphis to recreate his suburban strategy from St. Louis, but he has failed here in Memphis. Now he will try anything to grow the market share he promised corporate when he was hired. Desperate people do desperate things. And Chris Peck is just a pawn.
OK, what are the chances, especially since they just did the split with the TV properties, that Scripps would SELL the CA?
Would that be good, bad or indifferent for the CA, or is it just too late for them?
I haven't seen this many smiles in the newsroom in 2yrs.
Death to the 'burbs! Memphis lives!
Come on Peck do the right thing. Those additions are insulting to those of us who really care.
Does it always have to come down to dollars?
We predict the CA will do something to get back at you. Hang in there and thanks for breaking a story the CA should have done.
Scripps will sell the CA, it's just a matter of when. Of course, they'd like the FCC to change its rules about media ownership. Then Scripps could sell the CA to Gannett in exchange for WBIR-TV in Knoxville. That would give Scripps both a broadcast and print presence in the Knoxville market which is performing much better than Memphis.
Would Gannett be any better for the CA? I'm not sure.
We appreciate the encouraging comments, and it's really not our intent to "break" stories on thsi blog. When we began it 587 posts and 30 months ago, we made the decision that we wanted to have a conversation about issues and trends and policies, rather than try to make news. On occasion, we have revealed some information for the first time, but it was within the context of a larger issue such as school reform. As for this particular post about the CA, we've known about the problems being caused within the paper and the negative impact on morale by this sponsorship policy for some time, and we intentionally waited over two Sundays to write anything about it in hopes that Mr. Peck would address it himself in his column. When that didn't happen, we thought it was of enough interest to mention it here. We had no idea that it would become a national story, which owes itself more to John Branston's coverage in The Flyer, we're sure, but we still believe it was worth discussing. We appreciate all of the insightful comments and the worthwhile conversation. It's been an interesting couple of days.
to think there was so much optimism when peck was hired ...
"community news" (i.e., low end) and the division of the newsroom between "spokies"/everyone else drove away many talented journalists.
bad blood aside, it comes down to this: if your plan as a leader is successful, you don't have to lay off oodles of people.
amber's army isn't riding to the rescue -- it's time to show the editor the same door that's been shown to so many others.
All you Peck-haters need be careful what you wish for. No, he did not inspire confidence by failing to support Louis Graham and Trevor Aaronson for several weeks before the last-second about-face (in the face of a staff revolt and the rebuke of Poynter Institute). And, sure, he insulates himself with cronies and always hears what he wants to hear.
But at least he LIVES in Memphis and genuiely attempts to understand what the market wants and needs. And at least he's not a bullying megalomaniac, like his predecessor. Pepe will continue to try and force his round suburban-coverage-is-King philosophy into the the square peg that is the Memphis region. And if Peck leaves, Pepe will make sure he hires someone he knows and trusts will finalize the transformation of The Commercial Appeal into a collection of Shelby Sun Times/Bartlett Express/Covington Leaders.
And to all you people trashing The CA, the staff doesn't need your scorn and condescension. It needs your support and encouragement. It needs you to take the newspaper, read it, engage with it ... and then call and email and write letters advocating the kind of journalism you want to see. There are some dedicated journalists doing all they can under trying conditions. The fact that so many had the cojones to sign a petition, despite knowing the difficult job market, should earn your loyalty. Stop whining and kvetching and help the staff do positive things.
You disappoint me so. There's all those great essays in Smart City about the policy on monetizing the product, coupled with the Texas two-step at 495 on whether Louie Graham was sent home or whether someone went to Peck's office to "fix the copy."
WHOSE CHILD IS THIS? WHICH GENIUS THOUGHT IT UP? When Peck addressed the issue in Editor & Publisher it was the "editors" who pulled us back from the brink.
WHICH UNS?
WHICH UNS GOT US TO THE CLIFF'S EDGE TO BEGIN WITH? Peck insists that advertisers contacted about sponsorship were never promised any say-so about content or the editorial product. It's possible that his Western upbringing spared him exposure to the Golden Rule. That's never been lost on the Scripps Howard employees in Memphis.
I appreciate the columns in Smart City as well as those in the Flyer.
Did you ever stop to think WHY they need all that extra money? Could it possibly be the $350 million + lost by Ken Lowe at E. W. Scripps Corporate office on the home shopping network the company bought that it eventually had to plow under. That's also part of the reason the company isn't awarding any raises to its employees and has a mad scramble for additional cash, from any source.
I fully expect they'd dress us in Santa suits and put us on the malls with hanging baskets and bells if the Salvation Army hadn't thought of it first.
anonymous 8:07 - We hope that we've made it clear that if we have a bias - and we admit that we have it - it is a pro-reporter bias. We've done the work and we consider it noble and honorable, which was the reason for our concern in the first place. Anything that we can do to support the news staff, we're definitely for.
Understood, Smart City. That certainly was not directed at you and yours, but a reminder to others not to group everyone at The CA in the same category. Certainly the staff deserves criticism when it is merited, but I wonder if the general public truly appreciates the crisis newspapers and thus robust local journalism is now facing (despite the continuing large profit margins).
We don't think the average person has any idea what a reporter's average day looks like. Maybe there's the CA series worth writing.
How about the public joining in a picket line to get reporters a new contract? The company's been stalling for four years.
Don't you think it's funny that Memphis Publishing Company is one of the most secretive, unforthcoming corporations in the city, but it manages to recognize these evils in everyone else.
When an editor works to remove Memphians from positions of influence (think: Otis) and puts in what he calls his "Band of Brothers" from Spokane to straighten out his backwater town, this is what you get. A reporting staff that doesn't give a damn and with no loyalty to him. We just hope he takes his "band" with him when he leaves.
LEt's don't lose perspective. Peck is just the drone for Pepe. All of these brilliant ideas come from his office.
Think how different things would have been if Otis had been named editor instead of Chris Peck. Otis sees journalism as a calling, not just a job. He loves Memphis and is respected by the community. What a loss.
Anon 12:53
I agree totally. Otis Sanford has always struck me as someone of integrity and class. I wish he were the CA editor.
Does anybody else see the irony of all this at the same time that "Truth Be Told" is filming at the CA?
You better watch your backs. Management is really, really mad. And they are a vindictive group of people.
In time, it's getting clear that management has a disinformation campaign underway. They're trying to make this one go away big time, and they are twisting the facts to do it.
So, I'm back to a question from the first day of this: how does Chris Peck still have a job?
I think it is clear that Peck still has a job because he was not the sole instigator of this nonsense. Rather, he was a co-conspirator. Hence he is protected by those above rahter than held resposible for the mess.
Right about now, I'm hoping for a quick sale of the chain to someone who cares about a real journalistic mission.
DOn't hold your breath for a quick sale of the chain. The terms of the Scripps trust require they keep the newspapers. I believe this split is really bad new for the newspaper division. The TV properties are all weak sisters and aren't big revenue contributors, and newspapers as we all know are troubled.
Yeah, but now at least they can't suck away what little profits the newspapers make to fund their cable dreams...
Memphians, CA readers and CA reporters must remember that they have more major metro daily newspaper experience than Chris Peck, bless his poor lil' heart, will ever have.
Peck is just a rube from Spokane (If I had a dime for everyone who asked me, "What's up with that 1970s mustache and rumpled wide-wale corduroy?"). He had every job handed to him by his pappy or his pappy's friends. He has limited intellect, skills and talent – otherwise he could have run the newsroom by managing the existing journalists and editors.
But, no management skills had Peck.
That's why he had to import so many of his buddies to act as a firewall between himself and decisionmaking. The Spokane bunch turned out to be unsophisticated hicks, too. So, the problems escalate.
When it comes to ethics, the Spokies are clueless. Most of them broke the ethics code in Spokane at that paper. I haven't heard all the facts, but it seems that Peck brought ex-coworkers to Memphis who were either as tainted as he was by the scandal, were too dumb to understand Peck had done anything wrong, or so unbelievably ignorant they didn't even read their own newspaper.
A few of those so-called journalists from Spokane have been unable to adapt to big city life or our Memphian culture, and have left the building.
The rest of the Spokies have gotten big raises and promotions way beyond their abilities. It is ironic that MLGW gets hot scrutiny for unqualified executives from the CA - but Scripps corporate folk are incapable of good judgement or due diligence on these people.
To be fair to Peck, Publisher Joe Pepe is cut from the same cloth. Pepe is in over his head. And he has brought his own team of silly, inexperienced helpers, too.
And what sane businessman would buy this newspaper? Only someone crazy who would no doubt do more of the same destructive egocentric damage. They'll fire all the CA's current directors and bring in their own buddies from out-of-town. And so it goes.
One can only pray that a few good decisions might be made inadvertently.
I reiterate, Memphians, we the urbane citizens of the 17th largest city in America, deserve better than this lot of ragged, dopey, country boys.
Peck thinks diversity means Caucasian men from Spokane, Caucasian men from Spokane's suburban developments and Caucasian men from unincorporated areas near Spokane.
Pepe thinks diversity means Caucasians from St. Louis.
Scripps corporate believes diversity means Caucasian men from Cincinnati or a Caucasian man that they can hire cheaply.
That could be a hint as to the root of the problem. They don't think that any Mid-Southerners have talent, skills, ambition or deserve a fraction of the pay they get. Do they believe in monetizing? Sure. They'll rake in all the local dough they can. Do they believe in paying a decent wage to their employees with families who spend all earnings with those same businesses?
Heck, no. Peck, Pepe and company are counting the days until they can take the money and run.
Can you say "carpetbagger?"
Post a Comment