What is wrong with the paper?

[Cheriehoop]

The PS has written an article not only naming the street that Bernie Fine lives on but describing the neighborhood and pointing out where JB lives in relationship to Fine's home. What is wrong with supposed professionals doing this type of thing? Why would they publicize their home addresses? Am I nuts in thinking this is out of line?

 

[Bortukal]

Not out of line at all. The fact that there are national news orgs. camped out in front makes it a story. Don't think their addresses were state secrets anyhow, and it's not like you couldn't find it on Google.

 

[Cusefan95]

The PS has written an article not only naming the street that Bernie Fine lives on but describing the neighborhood and pointing out where JB lives in relationship to Fine's home. What is wrong with supposed professionals doing this type of thing? Why would they publicize their home addresses? Am I nuts in thinking this is out of line?

This week has reinforced my belief that a high percentage of the media are either stupid, heartless, or both. I'd sooner trust a politician than a journalist.

 

[bevosu]

Unfortunately privacy in this country is a concept rather than a reality.

We don't got none anymore.

 

[mountaincuse]

i agree that it's public knowledge as to where they live but that article had zero point to it. i agree with you cherie

 

[Cheriehoop]

Not out of line at all. The fact that there are national news orgs. camped out in front makes it a story. Don't think their addresses were state secrets anyhow, and it's not like you couldn't find it on Google.

If true then how could it be considered news? They could have a story about the media camping outside of his home without pinpointing the exact location I'd think. Is the story about where they live or that their homes are being stalked by the media? Oh well.

 

[Halfmooncuse]

So where does DAvis live? what homeless shelter is Lang at?

 

[PoppyHart]

It all went out the door once we had the OJ stakeout on Bundy Drive.

 

[alibrat66]

Unfortunately, where we live, with whom, the name of our employer, what kind of work we do, etc. is largely in the public domain. An internet search can do the same thing for one as reading the Post-Standard or any other publication; a stop at a county tax office or office of vital statistics, or, in some cases, thumbing through a phone book can also provide much of this information. Not saying it's right--I personally think it's not--but that's the way it is. Plus, with people putting their business on the street via Facebook and other social networks, they invite more loss of privacy. Which is why I stay away from those sites.

While growing up, my parents, siblings, neighbors, relatives, and certain others knew what I was up to (but not always!!); today, it seems people, in search for public fame, grow up in public.

 

[cto]

The PS has written an article not only naming the street that Bernie Fine lives on but describing the neighborhood and pointing out where JB lives in relationship to Fine's home. What is wrong with supposed professionals doing this type of thing? Why would they publicize their home addresses? Am I nuts in thinking this is out of line?

Cherie, I could not agree more. I live across the street from an AIG exec who did nothing wrong in the AIG mess. In fact, he was brought in to clean it up and repay the government. Two years ago, the media printed his address. I had PAID demonstrators trespassing on my lawn. The media also printed the names and ages and schools of his children. As a result, they received death threats. Nine year old kids!! Their schools had to hire armed security personnel. I am a former journalist who had some sense of propriety. That seems to have disappeared in today's 24-hour news cycle world.

 

[cuseincincy]

It's information, not news. And its inclusion in most cases does not add to the story.

 

[OttoMets]

This week has reinforced my belief that a high percentage of the media are either stupid, heartless, or both. I'd sooner trust a politician than a journalist.

Not out of line at all. The fact that there are national news orgs. camped out in front makes it a story. Don't think their addresses were state secrets anyhow, and it's not like you couldn't find it on Google.

Of course the addresses are public knowledge, but so was the arrest of one of the Post-Standard's beat writers two seasons ago.

Our resident jouralists are completely comfortable publishing the former, for no good reason. The latter gets ignored, for obvious reasons.

No journalistic integrity to be found at the Post-Standard.

 

[Bortukal]

Of course the addresses are public knowledge, but so was the arrest of one of the Post-Standard's beat writers two seasons ago.

Our resident jouralists are completely comfortable publishing the former, for no good reason. The latter gets ignored, for obvious reasons.

No journalistic integrity to be found at the Post-Standard.

If the P-S lacked journalistic integrity, they would have ran with this story in '03.

To conclude that the P-S is of slovenly journalistic character for publishing open-source information that's relevant to a national story in their backyard is a bit of a stretch, don't you all think?

I'm betting you all still rely on Syracuse.com/The P-S as your main source of info for all things CNY. If you're all so convinced that the P-S is of such low journalistic character, stop reading.

 

[OttoMets]

If the P-S lacked journalistic integrity, they would have ran with this story in '03.

To conclude that the P-S is of slovenly journalistic character for publishing open-source information that's relevant to a national story in their backyard is a bit of a stretch, don't you all think?

I'm betting you all still rely on Syracuse.com/The P-S as your main source of info for all things CNY. If you're all so convinced that the P-S is of such low journalistic character, stop reading.

I don't read it; I stick to real newspapers. Even the Daily Orange is a better Syracuse newspaper. I was responding to the thread.

The Post-Standard has dreadful editorial standards, poor writers, and no copy-editing. Every time I walk by an honor box, I see a large, inflammatory headline surrounded by white space. It's a poor paper, and this is yet another small example of the Post-Standard doing something completely useless and unhelpful because they can. Publishing the coaches' addresses is in no way germane to this story.

 

[Bayside44]

It's still the same paper that tried to ruin reputations and the program over the occasional free bowl of spaghetti.

 

[Bortukal]

So by association, Newhouse must be a very poor J-school. After all, many PS staffers hold degrees from and/or teach up there.

 

[Bayside44]

So by association, Newhouse must be a very poor J-school. After all, many PS staffers hold degrees from and/or teach up there.

What does one have to do with another?

For many the PS is a stepping stone job, or at least was.

 

[Bortukal]

What does one have to do with another?

For many the PS is a stepping stone job, or at least was.

You don't see a connection between the quality of a newspaper's staff and where they got their training? You don't see the contradiction in berating a newspaper's staff for being low-quality, only to laud the product they help create at the nation's leading J-school?

 

[SmilinBob]

Unfortunately privacy in this country is a concept rather than a reality.

We don't got none anymore.

I agree, I closed my blinds and then I was accused of being strange, peculiar and gave people a bad feeling.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

Unfortunately, where we live, with whom, the name of our employer, what kind of work we do, etc. is largely in the public domain. An internet search can do the same thing for one as reading the Post-Standard or any other publication; a stop at a county tax office or office of vital statistics, or, in some cases, thumbing through a phone book can also provide much of this information. Not saying it's right--I personally think it's not--but that's the way it is. Plus, with people putting their business on the street via Facebook and other social networks, they invite more loss of privacy. Which is why I stay away from those sites.

While growing up, my parents, siblings, neighbors, relatives, and certain others knew what I was up to (but not always!!); today, it seems people, in search for public fame, grow up in public.

Agree Tom. Not only can you find anything via the normal internet searches, but all sorts of stuff is revealed on internet forums such as this one.

Anyone who really wanted to could find out pretty much anything about me. I'm not happy about it, but I also realize there is nothing I can do about it.

Anyone who has access to the SU Alumni Association internet database knows that before they got smart and limited what was on there, you could find out in seconds where someone lived, their home phone number, in some cases the names of their children. It was all there. Fortunately, the University wised up and scrubbed the public data (probably to the relief of the more famous alumni, because all of that info was on there for them as well).

And that's just one website. Our privacy went out the window some time ago.

 

[Bayside44]

You don't see a connection between the quality of a newspaper's staff and where they got their training? You don't see the contradiction in berating a newspaper's staff for being low-quality, only to laud the product they help create at the nation's leading J-school?

Nope. Not a big believer in those sorts of if a then b type of stuff. Newspapers try to sell newspapers and ad space, and many people who work in smaller markets are trying to get to a bigger one.

 

[OttoMets]

You don't see a connection between the quality of a newspaper's staff and where they got their training? You don't see the contradiction in berating a newspaper's staff for being low-quality, only to laud the product they help create at the nation's leading J-school?

The bulk of the Post-Standard staff (including editorial staff) is made up of SUNY alums and newspaper lifers.

Most Newhouse print graduates (like Pete Thamel, who was a weak SU beat writer until got to enjoy the support of the Times' copy-editors) put in their entry-level time and then move on to good newspapers.

 

[jekelish]

Well, my uncle was a Newhouse grad and was basically a "lifer" at the PS (though admittedly he also wrote for magazines and did some other freelance stuff too).

 

[Noexcuse]

You don't see a connection between the quality of a newspaper's staff and where they got their training? You don't see the contradiction in berating a newspaper's staff for being low-quality, only to laud the product they help create at the nation's leading J-school?

Not all Harvard Law grads work for the most prestigious law firms. I'm guessing that's true of Newhouse grads as well.

 

[Cusefan95]

I'm betting you all still rely on Syracuse.com/The P-S as your main source of info for all things CNY. If you're all so convinced that the P-S is of such low journalistic character, stop reading.

One of my friends in high school had immigrated/defected from Russia in the 1980's. We used to have discussions all the time about Russia. It was great to have someone that actually lived there to explain what Russia was like, rather than having to rely on media portrayals that, at the time generally showed Russians as cold, passionless, and compassionless (think Rocky IV). I asked him about Pravda and Izvestia, and why anyone in Russia would rely on such obvious propaganda machines for their news, and the answer was that there was no where else to turn. So you figured out how to read between the lines and past the official communist party line to figure out the truth.

That experience developed one skill for him that was very apparent in our currents events classes, where we would read articles from newspapers and discuss them. His critical thinking skills were absolutely unmatched, and he took absolutely nothing at face value. Ever.

I think the fact that we don't have an official government paper publishing the party line blinds us to the fact that bias still exists in all our news sources, and journalists & news organizations are all acting as ministers of propaganda looking to advance their own agenda. Liberals complain about FoxNews, conservatives complain about liberal bias in the rest of the media - the truth is they are both right.

In reflecting on the events of the last few days, I realize I've become too complacent in trusting media reports, and had forgotten the lessons my Russian friend taught me years ago. So I'll continue to read the Post-Standard, and NYT, and watch FoxNews and CNN - but I'm rededicating myself to reading critically to get past the journalists biases and find the truth for myself. Journalists have never earned my trust, and it was a mistake for me to give it to them anyway. I won't take reports at face value again. Ever.