The Media R Them
By Al Diamon
Created Sep 18 2007 - 8:33pm
September 17, 2007
The Portland Press Herald has owned the story about financial problems in the Portland school system ever since the mini-scandal broke in July. In part, that's because the newspaper has devoted a lot of space (some would say too much of it) to the controversy over an unexpected budget deficit, running at least 20 articles and opinion pieces in August alone.
But that doesn't mean the Press Herald got all the scoops.
In a Sept. 15 story revealing further incompetence on the part of School Superintendent Mary Jo O'Connor, who has announced her resignation, and school finance director Richard Paulson, who has already quit, Press Herald reporter Kelley Bouchard overstates the paper's reach by claiming, "O'Connor and Paulson have declined to talk to the media since they resigned."
Unless television reporters don't count as part of the media. O'Connor talked to WCSH-TV on Sept 6.
And for those journalists who wouldn't be caught dead in front of the tube, there are the weekly papers. The Forecaster carried a story on Sept. 13 containing fresh quotes from the super.
Footnote (September 19, 2007): After this piece appeared on line, Bouchard wrote another story about the budget mess in the Portland schools, which ran on Sept. 19. It more accurately described the situation. "O'Connor," it reads, "has declined to talk to the newspaper for weeks."
Al Diamon can be e-mailed at aldiamon@herniahill.net.
