This is the "journalism" that tries reader's souls. The summer stenographer and the sunshine researcher will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of newsworthiness and plain truth; but she that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.
Lazy journalistic narratives, like hell, are not easily conquered, and the Rochester Post Bulletin has out-foxed Fox News Network in pandering to teagbaggers.
The paper published three stories Satursday about the local tea party:
Rainy days or sunshine ahead for Rochester Tea Party Patriots?
Debate continues: Do Rochester Tea Party Patriots help, hinder local GOP?
Rochester Tea Party Patriots: Five questions
What's the problem? Check out the lede for the first story of the three handed in by Tea party toadie and PB political reporter Heather Carlson:
It appears that only a blustery, rainy forecast has been able to keep Rochester Tea Party Patriots from speaking out.
The group canceled what would have been its third annual tax day rally Friday in Rochester. But while they weren't out at Soldiers Field waving signs calling for budget cuts and an end to the "nanny state," Tea Party activists say it won't curtail the efforts that have made them a growing force in local politics this year. . . .
Yeah, you read that right. The Tea Party Patriots of Rochester cancelled their rally because of a weather forecast (probably assisted by that nanny-statish National Weather Service), but still got three stories in the Post Bulletin.
Seriously,
My union friends in Rochester say the paper routinely ignores their action. Guess there's some merit to that complaint if a group can wuss out because of a little forecast--after all, it's not like the blizzard of the century hit Rochester on Friday night--and still get the hero treatment from the PB. It's the very definition of pandering.
But, reading PB's coverage of the Sunshine Patriots cancelled event--after I shot video in St. Paul of the Outfront Minnesota rally in intermittent spitting sleet and snow on Thursday afternoon-- I do think we've found a new definition of sissies in this state. Sheesh.
Note: Bluestem Prairie will be handing out Hickster and Stickster Awards through June 1.
Wow. We already know that the legacy rocking-chair media likes to ignore union and lefty protesters and fill their cameras with righty protesters (a particularly blatant example of this being documented by The Awl's Abe Sauer at Madison last month: http://www.theawl.com/2011/03/from-the-capitol-dome-media-malpractice-in-madison). But to devote three knob-polishing articles to a Teep protest that never happened? That's going above and beyond the call of duty.
Posted by: Phoenix Woman | Apr 17, 2011 at 03:35 PM
Pander City. Can the Post photograph anyone other than Cindy Maves?
Who has seen the new Olmsted County Journal?
Posted by: joel | Apr 18, 2011 at 01:51 PM