It's the kind of crack reporting that Alaska newspapers are becoming known for. The Juneau Empire finally figured out that Gov. Sarah Palin has a new communications director named David Murrow.
In an article published today, the Empire's Pat Forgey says that Murrow's predecessor Bill McAllister was "forced out" and complains that the governor's office hasn't yet issued a press release to announce the change in the position:
"The governor's office has not publicly announced the new appointment, and has been slow to announce the hiring of the last three communications directors."Perhaps the rather annoyed tone of Forgey's piece stems from the fact that he got scooped. Alaska Ear floated the rumor way back on June 6 that Murrow would replace McAllister. Here at TX4P, the Ear's buzzworthy note prompted us to do a little digging, and we found Murrow listed as the Palin communications director on the website of Murrow's book publisher. We reported on June 10 that Murrow had the job in our profile of the new communications director. Forgey appears to have become curious after the Alaska Budget Report newsletter talked with Murrow. So weeks after a gossip column and a little blog down in Texas reported the news, and only after reading that Murrow had the job in a newsletter, the Empire's intrepid Pat Forgey finally figured it all out.
Reporting the news sometimes requires more effort than just rewriting press releases. "Better late than never" doesn't apply to reporting the news, especially when "late" is measured in terms of weeks. Does anyone still wonder why newspapers are dying?
- JP
"Reporting the news sometimes requires more effort than just rewriting press releases."
ReplyDeleteNo, it doesn't. Not in the USA.
I say this based on careful observation.
A large percentage of "news reporting" is cut and paste from press releases.
But you said "sometimes." There you have me.
I might say "always should" but that would be quite a change.
Business news is the most obvious. Corporate press releases that are available online are mirrored by "news reports." Sometime the media claims that they have an exclusive when they quote press releases. The big difference is that the press release is fresh and the news story is stale by the time it is published.
Pat substituted the Alaska Budget Report Newsletter for a press release, and had an opportunity to vent and also rewrite something found in his inbox. How cool is that!
Pat - a suggestion - wander over to the Capital and visit with people in the administration now and then. You might meet some interesting people.
His insinuation that McAllister was "forced out" is more conjecture than fact. Reading the Anchorage Press interview with him on his last day it sounded more like she wanted somebody at the Dept. of Law she could trust.
ReplyDeletePeople who are "forced out" are given new jobs, they hit the unemployment lines.