Friday, June 13, 2008
Al Diamon
Repeat Offender
Simple thing: Here’s the rule: If a news organization has a conflict of interest or the appearance of one, disclose it. Always. No exceptions. To do anything less reduces the credibility of the journalism being produced by that outlet. Clear enough? So, how come the Blethen Maine Newspapers can’t seem to get it right? The Portland Press Herald, Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel have a huge conflict when it comes to covering Plum Creek Timber Co.’s controversial development proposal for the Moosehead Lake region, because Plum Creek’s president, Rick Holley, serves on the boards of two of Blethen’s parent companies. The Press Herald prominently displayed that information in today’s paper and on its Web site.
The Sentinel ran the same story as the Portland paper, but did neither.
This isn’t the first time this inconsistency has muddied Blethen’s coverage.
And it probably won’t be the last.
Weird thing: Diane Russell, a Democratic candidate for state representative in Portland, wrote a strange op-ed for today’s Press
Russell writes in favor of local ownership of daily newspapers and bemoans the possibility the Blethen papers may soon be sold to a national chain. “How long will it be before our news is piped in from outside sources, the opinions are limited in scope and the connection to our community is lost through corporate downsizing?” It’s almost as if she doesn’t know the Press Herald’s current owner is located in Seattle, and it’s doing the downsizing in advance for the new owners it hopes to find.
Layoff thing: Speaking of downsizing, Tom Bell, a Press Herald reporter and an officer of Local 128 of the Newspaper Guild, e-mailed a clarification regarding Blethen’s recent offer of buyouts for longtime employees at the paper as a way to reduce the 35 layoffs scheduled to take effect July 1.
According to Bell, “The Guild doesn’t believe ‘buyout’ is the right word to describe the company’s offer because the employees who take it will get the same severance package as someone who is laid off — two weeks pay for every year of service, with a cap at 40 weeks. This is not a buyout but a voluntary separation. The company is basically looking for volunteers to get the ax. However, we believe that a number of people will nevertheless accept the deal because of their anxiety about the industry’s future and anticipated changes in working conditions. Also, the Guild appreciates that the company is making this offer because it means that fewer people will be laid off at the end of the month.”
Coverage thing: As the press corps shrinks, it’s getting easier for politicians and bureaucrats to keep the public in the dark about what they’re doing at the State House. The latest boon for those seeking to conceal boondoggles is the reassigning of Kennebec Journal reporter Susan Cover. An informed source said Cover will no longer work the government and legislative beat, but has been named city desk editor on a “temporary” basis over the summer. That leaves just six reporters to keep watch on how our tax dollars are being spent: Mal Leary of Capitol News Service, A. Jay Higgins of Maine Public Radio, Glenn Adams and Fran Quinn of the Associated Press, Victoria Wallack of Statehouse News Service and Paul Carrier of the Press Herald. And Carrier’s days may be numbered. The rumor mill has the Herald closing its Augusta bureau soon and transferring Carrier to its Portland newsroom.
Radio thing: Anne Ravana, until recently a reporter at the Bangor Daily News, has joined Maine Public Radio in a similar capacity. Ravana will still be based in Bangor. She’s the second BDN alum to jump to MPR, following the above-mentioned Higgins.
Dual-identity thing: Here’s an update on Nancy Cicco, the Portsmouth Herald editor who attended the recent Maine Democratic state convention as a delegate and wrote a gushy op-ed piece about her experiences.
Originally, I concluded Cicco hadn’t done anything unethical, because she edits house-and-garden stuff, rather than hard news. Unless she was advising her readers to paint their living rooms in Obama’s favorite colors, her participation in the party process didn’t appear to be a conflict. But a reliable source informs me that when Cicco arrived at the convention in Augusta, she requested not only her delegate pass, but also press credentials. According to the source, she even bragged that her status as both advocate and observer was a “first.” And, I hope, a last.
Worrisome thing: I’m hearing disturbing reports about the Bangor Daily News’ coverage of the U.S. Senate race. Last year, the paper’s executive editor, Mark Woodward, and its news editor, Tim Allen, took some heat for their connections to the candidates. Woodward is Republican Susan Collins’ former press secretary and his wife worked in Collins’ Bangor office. Allen is Democrat Tom Allen’s cousin.
To deal with those issues, both editors eventually announced they’d turn all decisions on covering that election over to others. But staffers at the paper say there never was a clear line defining what Woodward and Allen could meddle with and what they couldn’t. Lately, they say, the meddling, particularly by Woodward, has been more intrusive. “It's not exactly hands-on,” said a source, “but it's far from hands-off.”
— Filed June 13, 2008
Al Diamon can be e-mailed at aldiamon@herniahill.net.
Posted on Friday, June 13, 2008 in Permalink
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Reader Comments:
The Press Herald ran Plum Creek stories for well over a year before ever making any disclosure about the conflict of interest. Jeannine Guttman even wrote editorial about journalistic ethics at the same time this was being kept under wraps. Readers finally forced their hand by making the information public.
Susan Cover is a reporter? I thought she was a stenographer. I mean, she just typed what folks told her. Huh.
Nancy Cicco sent the following letter on June 24, 2008:
I am the Maine resident and Portsmouth Herald (Portsmouth, NH) editor who attended the Maine Democratic Convention from May 30 to June 1 as a convention delegate for Sen. Barack Obama. Down East columnist Al Diamon wrote about me in his June 10 and June 13 Media Mutt columns.
Contrary to Mr. Diamon's anonymous "reliable source" cited in his June 13 column, entitled "Repeat Offender," I did not request — nor did I receive — a convention press credential for the event. This information can be verified by calling Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Arden Manning at 207-622-6233, extension 13.
As Mr. Diamon was preparing to write about me for the first time in his June 10 column, entitled "The Best, Brightest — and Likeliest to Leave," he called me and afforded me, and my boss, the opportunity to respond to his criticisms of me and my employer before his comments appeared in print online at downeast.com. The fact that he did not afford me that same opportunity prior to the publication of his June 13 column makes this letter necessary.
The information stated about me in Mr. Diamon's June 13 column flowing from his "reliable source" is wrong. I ask that you please remove this inaccurate information from Mr. Diamon's June 13 column on your Web site. Barring that, please post this letter online at the bottom of Mr. Diamon's column so your readers may have access to my rebuttal. I would post this information myself but do not wish to create an online account with your organization.
Nancy Cicco
York, Maine