First, the Freeman writes a story that is not a story. The headline is that Blaber claims that he put his cell phone recorder on the Mayor's desk instead of hiding it on his person. Neither Gallo nor Zweben knew they were being recorded.
Why is this even a story? It has already been reported that Blaber used his cell phone to record the meeting where he was fired. Who cares if the recorder was quietly placed on the Mayor's desk or was in Blaber's ear? It is not a story.
To make matter's worse, this non-story is on the front page while two more important stories are pushed further back in the paper. Those two stories discuss people supporting Mayor Gallo at the Common Council meeting and the State Committee on Open Government ruling that Tom Hoffay's meeting violated the Open Government law.
Basically, two stories that favor Gallo (and that really were stories) were taken off the front page so a non-story that simply repeats all of the anti-Gallo stuff already reported could be placed front and center. In my opinion, the Freeman has shown itself to be extremely biased. It has shown itself to be actively looking to slam Mayor Gallo even at the cost of pushing back more important stories.
I think it is time for the Freeman to move on. People know what happened between Gallo and Blaber. The story has been told. Move on and report real news.
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12 comments:
Mr. Matthews:
You are entitled to your opinion, of course, but our most up-to-date online data quite decidedly does not support that opinion.
The story about the placement of the tape recorder, which shares the mainpage on our website with the Open Meetings Law, has been viewed 3700 times so far (yesterday and today) and is currently the most popular story on the site.
The story about the Open Meeting Law has been viewed less than half as many times -- 1,72, also yesterday and today.
As for the Common council story, it ran for a full cycle on Tuesday, also getting mainpage position for much of the day, and posted 1,388 hits.
Sincerely,
Tony Adamis
Managing Editor
Daily Freeman
Mr. Matthews:
You are entitled to your opinion, of course, but our most up-to-date online data quite decidedly does not support that opinion.
The story about the placement of the tape recorder, which shares the mainpage on our website with the Open Meetings Law, has been viewed 3700 times so far (yesterday and today) and is currently the most popular story on the site.
The story about the Open Meeting Law has been viewed less than half as many times -- 1,72, also yesterday and today.
As for the Common council story, it ran for a full cycle on Tuesday, also getting mainpage position for much of the day, and posted 1,388 hits.
Sincerely,
Tony Adamis
Managing Editor
CORRECTED VERSION, with my apologies to you, Mr. Cahill -- tony
Mr. Cahill:
You are entitled to your opinion, of course, but our most up-to-date online data quite decidedly does not support that opinion.
The story about the placement of the tape recorder, which shares the mainpage on our website with the Open Meetings Law, has been viewed 3700 times so far (yesterday and today) and is currently the most popular story on the site.
The story about the Open Meeting Law has been viewed less than half as many times -- 1,72, also yesterday and today.
As for the Common council story, it ran for a full cycle on Tuesday, also getting mainpage position for much of the day, and posted 1,388 hits.
Sincerely,
Tony Adamis
Managing Editor
why don't the citizens refuse to make comments on the Freeman website? as long as they do, the paper will still be digging up articles to write about Mayor so that they can get a response from the people.I can just see their next news story....lets get the Blaber cellphone's reaction to being used and exposed on the
desk.How did it feel to have to listen and record the swearing? How many more ways can you spin this story?? Geeessssh....
Mr. Adamis,
First, why did you send 3 comments?
Second, who is Mr. Matthews?
Third, regardless of hits, there is still no reason to reprint the same story on the basis that Jeremy Blaber says he put the recorder on the Mayor's desk.
What's next? Headline!! Blaber says he wore a blue shirt when Gallo fired him??
The story about Gallo yelling at Blaber was news. No questions there. But, rewriting the same story again because Blaber said he used his cell phone which was resting on a desk is bogus.
Finally, the hits are always higher for sensationalism as opposed to news.
The World Weekly News was a publication that wrote stories about Bigfoot meeting the President and advising on foreign and domestic policy. It was all bogus. Yet, it sold more copies in a week than the Freeman sells in two months.
Does that make the that tabloid a real newspaper? Absolutely not!!
I believe you completely when you provide the numbers on computer hits. The numbers are what the numbers are. That being said, no matter how many people access the story online, that does not validate a story or make it news.
I guess the question is what is the intention of the Freeman? If it is to sell papers and get online hits no matter what, then you have succeeded.
However, if it is to be a newspaper of journalistic integrity, then the story we are talking about misses the mark. I am not saying all stories miss, because that is untrue and unfair. The Freeman has had many excellent pieces of journalism over the years. But, this story we are talking about, in my opinion, misses the mark.
Mr. Cahill:
The comment was posted three times because the first time I attempted to post I was prompted to log in, from which I apparently incorrectly concluded that the first post had not been accepted. Then, after trying again, I realized I had misaddressed you, which is why I posted a third time with an apology to you.
The story about the placement of the cellphone is important detail because it answers how this recording, which has attracted so much public interest, came to be. To some extent, it also clarifies what might have been the misimpression that the phone was in his pocket.
The supermarket tabloid comparison is what you lawyers would call off point. The tabs have their audience, we have ours. This story isn't Bigfoot, but data does tell us to what extent readers are interested in stories. You broached the issue of significance, which, I concede, can be measured in a number of ways. I am not saying that reader response is the only measure or even the most important measure. But you asserted that two stories were much more important than the one you criticize, while readers are voting a different way with their time by reading that story much more than the others. You would substitute your judgment for theirs -- and mine -- and that's fine. But there are reasons the story needed to be done and it clearly is being chosen by the readers of our community over those you deem more important.
Thank you for your time. I appreciate it.
Tony Adamis
Mr. Adamis,
We will have to agree to disagree.
I hope you keep in mind (and I am certain you are well aware)that many of the hits are politicos and political junkies repeatedly logging in to post comments, see if their comments have been approved, and subsequently respond to other posters. As such, the more controversial or sensational the topic, the more hits.
That being said, I do give you credit for posting on my blog and defending your position. It shows an openness to public discussion which is important.
I could not agree more that the Freeman is sensationalizing a story that should not be placed anywhere anymore. In fact, this story is growing mold and should have been taken out with the trash. Do we really care how many hits an article gets? Do we really care where Blaber placed his phone
during his firing? In fact, in a few weeks people will be saying "Blaber who?" Do we really care that the Democrats held an illegal meeting? You bet we do so why don't we hear more about that episode? It would appear that the paper is partial to the under-tow that is trying to discredit the Mayor for everything good he has been trying to do to better this corrupt City which a lot of people may not like because justice prevails. Signed: Joe DiFalco, City of Kingston Independence Party Chairman and State Committeeman
Mr. Adamis is a little thin skinned. he can dish it out but can't take the least bit of criticism. What the heck is the difference if the phone was on the desk or blabber pocket, he still hid the fact the comments were being recorded. The Freeman has become a gossip column, printing every detail Blaber gives them as if its the adsolute truth.
Yes, and I don't happen to care about the blubber on Blaber.
However, I do care about the Mayor stopping someone on the street, yelling at him for supposedly running a stop sign, and then the person finding this so notable as to make a police report on it. I think it bespeaks of a policy out of control--which is to use any and all possible items of supposed traffic infractions--which are invented, it seems these days for the purpose of revenue for the city. That is also a genuine story. As for the personality of the Mayor or whatever, that is less of a story but obviously inevitably part of the core story. Good work, Freeman. I don't often agree with you but here I do.
6:04,
You are assuming that the police report is inaccurate.
When we respond honestly, we are thin-skinned. When we don't answer, we are arrogantly unresponsive.
I don't think my response was thin-skinned at all. It was an attempt to engage Mr. Cahill and I think we had a reasonable and civil exchange, even if, as Mr. Cahill put it, we ended up having to agree to disagree. I think that's constructive.
Tony Adamis
Managing Editor
Daily Freeman
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