While I am on the topic of the Victoria Advocate, I want to talk about the content of some of their stories—content that I think is questionable or unnecessary, at best.
Just a few days before Christmas, a local businessman ended his life. No doubt about it, it has to be tremendously hard for this family to deal with this man’s death and even harder to comprehend the circumstances around his death. What the Advocate did, essentially, was to give us the ‘police report’ of what happened. For folks who didn’t connect the dots, the break-out box on the side gave suicide information, leaving no doubt as to the cause of death.
Readers were quick to pick up on this and question the ethics of providing that kind of information. Isn’t it the family’s job to share what they want to share about his death? Isn’t it up to the family to decide who needs to know what? What gives the Advocate the moral right to barge in on this family’s grief? Their in-house ethics board? What a laugh! I thought it was in very poor taste.
Moving up to January 1st and the obligatory story on the first baby of the new year, we find just that—a story about the new baby. We also find out that the parents of this precious baby are not married, but will get married on the first anniversary of their first date—February 14, 2012. We learn that this baby is the young mother’s fourth child, but that the other three do not live with her. Was all of this extra information necessary? Some of this information did nothing to enhance the sweet story of a baby’s birth! Not one thing! Again, the Advocate acted in extremely poor taste on this.
Lastly, we have the story about the local OB/GYN, Tanya Seiler, being sued by a patient for malpractice. If you click on the story and read, you can see exactly what the allegations are and that Seiler and her attorney declined to comment. Several folks posted on the story, most in support of Seiler. One person who apparently felt very strongly about how the Advocate presented the story was Dr. John W. Vaughan.
Vaughan, a local ER doctor, wrote an excellent letter to the editor of the Advocate taking them to task for how this story was written. Not only does Vaughan correctly point out that medical malpractice suits are filed every day, thus making them not ‘news’, he talks about what this means for the plaintiff since they name her by name. Again, a serious lack of forethought on the matter.
Gabe Semenza, another rat off the sinking Advocate ship so to speak, said that the staff at the Advocate is forward thinking and talented. Doesn’t seem like it. It seems to be whatever sells a paper and if it is questionable, well, then Editor Chris Cobler will just post his old blog about ethical concerns and then claim that they are using industry standard (or something like that) to make their decisions about publishing information that may be questionable.
Is this good enough? I don’t think it is. We have been hammered forever about the posting rules over on the Advocate. The ‘Living Room Rules’. The St Louis Post-Dispatch rules. The ‘be nice rules’ as it were. Doesn’t this cover ethical questions? Sure, the stories I cite are really not crossing an ethical line, but does ALL of the information included add to the ‘community conversation’ that we hear so much about when WE make a tacky remark? Are we really better off for knowing all of the information we learned in these stories? I don't believe we are. Just because we can, should we? I don't believe so.
Well, what do you think? Has the Advocate made the giant drift over to tabloid, where anything goes, where whatever it takes to sell a paper will find its way into print? Tell me.
So, until next time,
Edith Ann
“Newspapers are unable, seemingly to discriminate between a bicycle accident and the collapse of civilization”--George Bernard Shaw
8 hours ago
42 comments:
EA, there was a time the owners of The Victoria Advocate published a quality newspaper. Well, this ain't my father's paper any longer. And this editor is not Mr Reedy.
This afternoon late I checked the Advocate online to see what the "Latest News" was. Under the first four or five titles offered as "News" the next section was "Most Popular." There the first article was about Debbie Jaynes' hearing. I thought, "Don't tell me that this poor woman and her family have to be smeared once again by what passes for news in this paper!" Sure enough, that leading "Most Popular" offering was from October 2010 and its comments from the public were included. The Advocate has no moral compass. It has no morals plain and simple. And Peaches is not fit to run what's left of this rag!
If the family would get off the teat of the Advocate, this paper would not have to stoop to tabloid reporting to keep it afloat.
Have you ever looked at the list of owners? There are 7 or 8 McHaneys and Robert on the payroll. I am not sure they all actually work down on Constitution street. I think some are just drawing a paycheck because it's the family business.
A couple of years ago the owners were supposedly shopping around for a buyer, but the asking price was too steep for what the buyer would be getting.
They have alreaady eliminated a column's width from the paper and the classifieds are down to 4 pages. If you remove the giant Advocate ads, you're really left with 3 pages of ads.
The Advocate may be its own worst enemy. And it certainly lacks a moral compass at times.
I think I have made my feelings on the direction(down), that The Advocate has taken, quite clear. Had I not read it since 1959, I might not have ever noticed the change. Had I not become best friends, with likely the best word man, and feature writer they ever had, I might not have noticed the change. Had I not submitted a sample blog and third person profile, and been ACCEPTED by the former staff and editor as one of the half dozen or so original Vicad "bloggers", and written 700-800 entries and stories, most to lively and friendly comments and some debate, and considered myself part of what was a good group and an old established paper that looked and read like a NEWSPAPER, instead of the goddamned Sun or the Star........well, I might not have noticed or cared. But I did. And I did to the point that I used my soapbox I stood on there since 2005, to bitch and piss and moan from within, about the mess the paper has become. I whined about it to the point that I was "permanently" banned - oh, about five or six times. There won't be another one, as long as Co-Editors BigJ(night editor), and Chris Cobler and kids are in control of words and thoughts there.
Man, where to even begin?
I will acknowledge that the people who grew up in this area, such as Pilot and some of the anonymi (is that a word?), ok, anonymouses, have a real sentimental attachment to this newspaper. Many grew up with it, and even their parents and grandparents have grown up with it over the breakfast table, etc. I understand the sentiment, and these people stand witness to the deterioration of the VicAd over time. They know its history and families behind it far better than do I. Now for an "outsider's" viewpoint: Just as they feel for the Advocate, I feel the same way about the Houston Chronicle and now defunct Houston Post. The Houston Press was also a serious newspaper that also went belly-up (and not to be confused with the "alternative" weekly of the same name now in circulation). My point here is, a huge metro area such as Houston once had three wonderful news sources in print and the competition spurred each of them to be better, I believe. Victoria, to my knowledge, has had no such competition. Many years ago, when responsible, mature people ran the paper, that probably wasn't so much a factor. These days, it seems to me, there is so much competition online, on cable/satellite, etc. that to stand out, the Victoria Advocate has chosen the route of "most provocative" and "most controversial", developing over the years into a sensationalistic-tabloidy type paper. Sorry, I can't even call it a NEWSpaper anymore.
The truth is, I have seen this happen to some extent (but not near the extent of the VicAd) to the Chronicle. I do believe the Chronicle can still be considered a serious newspaper, though, and - what a concept!- they actually have REAL NEWS on the front page EVERY DAY! So many major areas (New York, Chicago, heck, even San Antonio) have lost newspapers and become one-newspaper cities. This is to the detriment of true news reporting and journalism. I buy a newspaper for ONE reason: THE NEWS. Reported in a straight-forward, non-biased fashion. If I want entertainment, I'll read People magazine (which I don't). If I want controversy and arguments, I'll watch FOX and MSNBC news (which I do). If I want unsubstantiated gossip, I'll whisper over the fence with my neighbor (of which I have none). I do believe the VicAd has lost their bearings and their way. Anybody pining for the "good old days"when their fair paper resembled something of an honest-to-goodness news publication needs to realize they will never get that back. I believe it's partly due to today's atmosphere of "anything goes", competition with too many media choices, and lack of professionalism. The first two factors are probably here to stay, and little can be done about it.
The third problem, however, can and should certainly be addressed. I believe the VicAd is a victim of the worst possible combination of non-experienced, wet-behind-the-ears kids out of high school with little to no real-world reporter training, an editor who is completely out of his league and could use a "Compass Rose", and owners who have become complacent and used to that next revenue check.
Unless these factors are changed, and quickly, I really do believe the VicAd is in a deathly downward spiral. The people who will ultimately pay are the public who deserve at least ONE decent newspaper in this area. Sad, very sad.
And - OH BOY!! Have you seen today's Zoinky Deal?? It's for X-Treme Ink tattoos!
Just a class act all around, right?
Like I said before;
1. The VA's new webpage is nothing but a "hot mess".
2. The VA is their own worst enemy.
3. The VA has become nothing more the the local rag with half ass journalism & sensationalized articles.
4. Thank goodness for bloggers like Ethan Allan! Who ask questions and let the debate begin withOUT a Delete Nazi!
I was told by a former reporter Peaches wants their stories to create controversy.
All he needs to do to accomplish this is accurately report on city council and county commissioners without fear of being nuclear bombed by Slick Willie and given a tongue lashing by the Judge.
If the reporting was accurate and presented all the facts instead of just the facts the Mayor and Judge want presented Peaches' pages would be filled with controversy.
No, this is the new and improved Victoria Advocate!
Yes,the old stories popping up, the same story in several places--I had mentioned this glitch in the last blog. It is annoying. I scroll down to look at the comments and really read very little other. Maybe look at the opinion page every other day. Obits if I remember to.
You used to be able to find the owner information, but this new redesign makes it difficult. I had heard about the potential sale of the Advocate a couple of years ago, and I was told the asking price was well over the value of the paper.
Pilot--you kind of felt an ownership of sorts by participating, didn't you? That's how I used to feel and I have always been just a poster there. You do your best and the others don't seem to care!
The Advocate had competition years and years ago if I recall history correctly. I may be wrong. But, even so, as the only daily paper in a huge area, there should have never been a opportunity for this paper to get worse rather than better!
mz mizer--I think the poster after you has confirmed your comment.
Last Anonymous--I agree--the REAL, TRUTHFUL news, unvarnished and unembellished is controversial enough! This City Council and Commissioners Court do not need any help looking foolish or mean or inept. They just come by it naturally!
As I said over on another blog, there are four of us bloggers blogging on this topic right now. Can we all we off-base in our assessment? I don't think so.
This person on the Chronicle site sums up Houston and Victoria s papers accurately...of course he had to throw in a lil politics;)
DannyDeCarlo
8:54 AM on January 7, 2012
Part and parcel of the overwhelming decline of what was once one of the bulwarks of a great civilization: A free press and an informed society.
Now, what passes for reporting is merely a seventh grade social studies report from just a few generations ago?
Journalism as we knew it is almost extinct. Online tabloids disguised as the old news outlets have replaced newspapers. America continues it's steady slide into a mob of poorly educated, misinformed lemmings shuffling their way to an assigned place in the Kool Aid line of the federal welfare state. Damn shame...just a damn shame.
That is all.
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Legion, can't say I disagree with that poster generally speaking, however, I think the comment needs editing:
"America continues it's steady slide into a mob of poorly educated, misinformed lemmings shuffling their way to an assigned place in the Kool Aid line of FOX NEWS. Damn shame...just a damn shame."
I thought the person should have left the last few words off altogether.
Agreed Legion, the increased welfare state this country is becoming is a completely different and unrelated topic to the degradation of the press.
“Nature abhors a vacuum.”
Especially on the Advocate forum.
Yeeesh.....tough crowd.
Just got myself deleted (but I wasn't the only one) by commenting on a story about the cooperative living. Surpised they didn't shut down the whole thread.
And, SONOFABITCH! Gary is now blogging. :O
Vacuum, you say? Try big, sucking, black hole!
I missed Gary's blog--I can't find it. But it was just a matter of time with the encouragement he's been getting! Should be interesting!
Found it. It's blank. Like Gary.
This morning at HEB, individuals were posted at both entrances attempting to give the Sunday newspaper away. I heard a lot of "no thank you's". First it was delivering the Wednesday paper free (the one with all of grocery store ads) and now giving away the Sunday edition. It makes me wonder how much longer we will have a local newspaper.
Gary wrote a blog? Darn,I missed it...:-)
I love it even more when the Sunday headline story is about another poor leech on society who just wants "you" to give her a "second hand trailer". And of course, a place to put it, free sewer, water, trash pu, and power.
Has the Victoria Advocate really fallen so far? Or have we as a society drug it so low?
Bighorn
Juanita--they are now giving away the Sunday paper? There was no one handing them out this afternoon at HEB on Rio Grande, but I did notice FIVE racks of them for sale!
Apparently Gary missed it, too, Mike. All that is there is a title.
Bighorn--In answer to your question, I suspect it is a neck and neck race...
Gary DID post two blogs, they were both cut-and-paste jobs, of course. One of them actually wasn't bad, something about Obama having a gambling problem, uh....? Dunno what that was all about, really. The other one was a hateful little diatribe about gay folk, you know the usual holy-roller rhetoric. They were both removed in short order. I was kind of surprised the VicAd had the balls to do that. Unless they feel it was plagiarized. I would suppose the VA would know something about that. Ooooops. There I go again. Dammit, I'm trying to be good.
OK, I found one good thing to say about the VicAd. COUPONS!
No? Well, I tried....gonna be a long year, isn't it.
Read the story about the woman asking for a home, where the hell are her children in her time of need?
I need to remember that some folks just give me a headache, no matter what...
And THAT'S the TRUTH!!!!!!PPPPPPTTTTTHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Jared is correct! Sugar Land IS a suburb of Victoria! Who knew?
A Top Chef contestant from Sugar Land has a grandmother here in Victoria, so now that makes her a local!
It's a neat story, though, about the SUGAR LAND NATIVE, so go read it.
Well, damn, now, I guess that makes me a durn near native too! And this whole time I thought I was a native Houstonian, when in fact, I am a Victoria native!
You know, because Jared thinks Victoria is hub city to all the other cities, and everything is a suburb of Victoria.
My geography was always rotten. Why don't they explain this stuff to you in school?
School? Oh. I guess that's what we have the VicAd for.
I knew I shouldn't have wasted all that money on higher edumacation.
I knew my "Victoria is the hub" would catch on, bwahahahaha.
But I must say, I do wish I had taken a good geography course back in college, there is just something about maps.
Mr. Cobler has disgraced the Advocate. He touts journalistic exellence, and the off topic comeback is a way he is able to walk off and close his door to his office and have chris time, or whatever he does..
Well, this IS Texas where everything is bigger, including what is considered 'local', I guess!
I loved Geography in school and I, too, love maps. I had the great good fortune to have a D-I-L who worked for Mapsco while attending college. I have the most wonderful collection of maps and atlases and other fun things from the map store! I wouldn't know how to use GPS--I CAN read a map, though.
Ms. Queen of Mapster,
I am similar. National Geographics used to and may still have maps in their issues. I still remember a Shakespearen era map of England. When I discovered Google Maps, my reaction was like primordial man seeing fire for the first time.
I understand, Jared. My mother has nearly every NG map (along with nearly every NG magazine...). They are excellent!
One of the last maps I received was a map of our galaxy that was accompanied by a telescope. Cool, huh?
EA,
This is most certainly off topic (don't go all Peaches on me) but it answers a question you have asked a million times.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-uVhhIlPk0
Hey, Matt! I have seen this. Saw it on some news program, but I don't remember which one.
We need to stipulate to a couple of things in order to discuss this, wouldn't you agree?
1. This was created to prove a point. I have no problem with that.
2. Because it is a staged event, it is hard to translate their numbers into reality.
3. I have never said that voter fraud didn't happen. I think it surely does. I just don't believe it is in the proportions that itisi, rollinstone, getsmart and the like are claiming, and I don't believe vast numbers of illegals from Mexico are clamoring over here to vote.
But, on the other hand, Rick Perry wants to provide the children of illegal immigrants with a free college education, so maybe it is worse than I think.
Your turn.
I closed my account after the terrible thing the Advocate does to it's readers. They are terrible.
I have lived in Victoria for two years and they are really cutting down their readers. That poor doctor, shame on the advocate
Another deleted comment by Cobler.
All these points are very valid, Threading lightly you say -- I don't feel the Advocate did that in the recent incident when you reported the manner in which the deceased died. And honestly I'm a little reluctant to even comment on this because in fairness to the family, had the Advocate just reported in a very simple fashion, this blog would not even be here.
It pains me a great deal to think the deceased's children and family members might be reading these comments, and that the man should be honored for his accomplishments, rather than being the reason the Advocate had to take a stance and review how reporting is done on such delicate issues.
I feel anyone with a Master's degree in journalism would already know the delicacy of dealing with a person's feeling in such matters.
And that a public forum is not necessary to give the powers that be in the Advocate a reason to question longstanding journalistic principles.
It reminds me of the Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) paradigm and to do what's already been done and not ask questions to answers many of us already know.
If it were my choice, I would recommend you scotch all comments relating to this incident from your website, so the kids or family members don't inadvertently stumble across this now, or in the future.
Not a single iota of difference relates to readers what happens behind closed doors at the Advocate's ethic meeting, because you will do what you will do. And that's proven.
I just pray the ethic's committee does what is right and to respect all members in the community through all facets of life and how it is reported, and how words effect the day to day lives of those in this community as they go about their business without having to read one's laundry.
I hope this comment is shared with all the board members, and people take heart how fortunate we are, and quit asking us what you should do.
And do what is right.
January 12, 2012 at 8:22 p.m.
I would like to thank Pilot for giving me a new title as the "Night Editor".
I would like to propose another award... Most Annoying Website to Use, MAWU, (the sound a unhappy cat makes), to the VicAd site.
To start with today alone, I gave up FOUR times to get to it. I got tired of the "waiting to connect to" thing, so I went to the H Chron site.
When I finally managed to get to the VicAd site one of two things happened.
1. I would click on a comment in latest comments, yeah it worked! BUT after anywhere from two to five different thread comments viewed... "Please try back later".
2. I would click on a comment in latest comments..."Please try back later". And I would go to a different site.
IDK if the VicAd does this on purpose to inflate "hits", or, chances are,they really scrimped and purchased the cheapest web hosting service they could. Either way it is Damn annoying.
Tweetie bird == (cobler),
Tweetie, in the interest of self promoting his agenda, selected and pasted positive comments from his Facebook page, to his blog about suicide. The filtering is alive and well at the Shitvocate
POS.
Love the new name Shitvocate,
I have been calling it the Assvocate in conversations with friends, so great minds think alike!
i'm a former journalist and think that a lot of it is just mediocre writing. not all, certainly, but a decent amount. the VA often editorializes stories when it's not needed. and it's the nature of the newspaper business that Nowhereville towns like Victoria end up with a lot of raw writers who are just getting their feet wet before they head to bigger cities and bigger papers.
i used to enjoy commenting online, but i'm off of that now. it got a little exasperating to have everything i say be deleted. if you post anything that isn't 'rah-rah' then you'll get deleted; or if someone comments on the value of the article in general then the whole thread gets deleted. i guess it's heavily moderated not to protect against "you're an idiot" comments (since everyone calls Gary an idiot and their posts don't vanish), but to defend the writers from anything negative. so be it--they're down to about only four regular posters now, right?
-game05
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