News-Record.com

How much did the Las Vegas Furniture Market pay you to advertise for them John. Your article is very articulate John.

John,
I have to agree (somewhat) with the writter, although I suspect that he really wanted to see the paper generate some light and fluffy article which (in effect) would have been more publicity than news (as you point out). As I see it, the problem is at least two fold:
1) The paper has set the expecation (by its reporting)that it's business coverage is indeed light and fluffy and mainly serves to parrot the cheerleader hype that an organization hands you. Don't get me wrong, that's not a dirogatory remark, just an observation based on a lot of history. Even your quoting of the "supposed" ecconomic impact of a conventions underlines this tend to accept, and not investigate. Sure, if you add all all the potential money a convention goer might spend it sounds like a big number, but what real, long lasting economic benefit is that to the community, or any benifit outside the hotel and resturant industry? Unless the larger question is does Greensboro see itself as the Las Vagas of the east, I think not! and,
2) The paper appears to be inconsistent in its application of the journalistic principles that you outlined. It seems, that at times articles about news-worthy items or companies are overlooked (given little or no coverage) where others are favored. Marginal news items are highlighted where the company of group involved is more "in favor", "politically connected", or possibly a current or potential advertizer with the paper. Take for instance the coverage of Starmount's new addition to Friendly Center which received a generally "friendly" reception. Did anyone REALLY investigate the real NEED for additional shopping in Greensboro, or the alternative use that the BI building could have been used as an incentive to lure a large corporation into this area? Not in any meaningful way !

So the real question is, how well does the paper take constructive feedback? Your article indicats a bunker mantality to defend your actions and present a facade of objectivity. Where is the openness and introspection that comes from admitting past mistakes and inconsistencies? Do with this what you will, but at least consider that you live in a environment and culture that tends to reflect back into itself and reinforce it's own self-preception of it's ethics, history, culture, and self-worth.

Good questions, all, Bob. And in one way it all comes down to news judgment and resources. Given limited resources, we try to determine where to spend them. Yes, we could investigate whether the Market America convention really generates that much money, but to what end? It just doesn't seem worth the trouble -- in terms of significance -- to investigate that piece of information from the Visitors and Convention Bureau.

Given our resources, we try to pick our stories based, among other things, on readership interest and impact. That's why we take deeper looks at incentive packages, at the Las Vegas furniture market, the textile industries collapse, the Krispy Kreme investigation and the like. And you're absolutely right, we let some pitches go by, either because we don't have the resources to swing at them, we don't think readers will be that interested or we just plain miss them.

I think that if you poll the major company's in town, you'll find that they would not consider themselves in favor as far as the newspaper is concerned. I've probably had conversations with reps of all of them, in which they've expressed dismay with our coverage of this story or that.

I acknowledge that we didn't spend a lot of energy investigating the need for more shopping around Friendly Center or on whether the Burlington building should be saved. But that didn't have anything to do with Starmount being a favored company or an advertiser. I don't know that we actually talked about questioning the need for more shopping; that seems a legitimate business decision the company made. As for Burlington, we probably could have raised more questions about the demolition.

I assure you that we welcome constructive criticism. I've acknowledged mistakes and inconsistencies on this blog and in my newspaper column. When I've written posts as I do above, I've tried to put them in a broader context -- attempting to differentiate between news coverage and publicity, for instance -- or I've expressed some ambiguity as with the watermelon photo and the AP reporting on the war. If that didn't come through, that's a failure of my writing.

You really dropped the ball here, Robinson. Think of the headline: "Company Holds Convention." Dynamite stuff.

The double standard, albeit an understandable one, of the newspaper industry is revealed in this situation. The News & Record is happy to report on Market America's announcement that it is shopping around for a new venue for the annual convention. When, after the decision was made to stay in Greensboro, the convention actually happens, the News & Record looks away and doesn't bother reporting on an event that a) was open to the public, b) brought money to the area and c) occurs at a time when other major events in the Triad (read: furniture market) are faltering.

As aspiring copy editor Brian Clarey points out, news that's the same year after year is hardly exciting. Yet it's still news and should be covered by a newspaper that says "local, local, local" is its game.

Aspiring copy editor? Brian'll get you for that.

What stumps me on this is that I don't know what the news story is. It was news when they said they might leave. It was news when the CVB responded. Is it news that they met for the 13th annual convention and spend X millions here over four days? OK. But what do you say after that? And do you think we should report that story every year? To me, that moves it from the news category to the publicity category.

I figured Brian was a copy editor, so I thought I'd get a little dig in after he showed little creativity with his suggested hed.

I'm sympathetic with the newspaper's situation. That's why I called it an "understandable" double standard. I don't think, though, that "news" has to have some sort of angle or scoop. The local TV networks covered the event as news, even though there wasn't any particular angle.

As dopey as "Company holds convention" would sound, that would qualify as news.

I have a couple suggestions for angles, though:
Struggle against the elements: "Convention persists despite rising gas prices"
Triumph of the human spirit: "Dedicated convention go-ers arrive early, race for good seats despite repeated cries of 'Walk!'"
Return of patriotic apparel: "Convention attendee mistaken for mobile American flag"

Well, you could be right, but who would read it?

Ah, the slings and arrows. This is a tough room.

John, thanks for your explination, I do understand limited resources and agree that you have to make everyday resource allocation decisions. And, I appreciate you willingness to take a look back at your successes, and near misses.

But my point (in #1) was that the paper could be looking for a "more informative" view of its subjects. In the case of Market America: the story is NOT that that there was a convention, the story should be WHO ARE these people, and what do they do or stand for? For instance: Are they another AMWAY? Is it an over-hyped pyrmid scheme? Does the company create any "real" econimic impact right here on G-boro? Do they have factories that make things here locally (jobs), or import from China, what is their annual sales, (really - not just what they say in an ad). Ask yourself: Are they the type of company that Greensboro should want to offer incentives to, if they did not already exist here - and WHY (remember Dell). I really don't know (and I suspect I am not alone), but I did wonder those things as I saw their numerous cars and convention goers, I am local, so I guess that answers WHO would read about it!

In the case of #2, Perhaps (superficially) it is Starmount's decision to make (that is: that they WANT to build a shopping center). But, was it a good desision for G-boro in the long run? And, ultimately, it is for the rezoning board (hince the informed community) to make this decision. Which they can only do if they have really good, insightful questions being asked, by the press! For instance: has anybody looked at the total retail floor space available in G-boro, then on a per-capita basis, and where it is concentrated geographically? How does that compare to other cities? Is there an over capacity situation? What happens to the big open spaces, like is now occuring on Bridford? Does such a large increase fit with existing city development plans, can the roads handle it? Is the neighborohood OK with the plan, oh yea, they got a nice new (very expensive) privacy fence, hummmm, seems that that should be a red flag? And, is the current major upgrade to Friendly Ave (at taxpayer expense) just a coincidence? Again, I don't know !! But I don't have to think too hard to come up with these questions, and I'm not an aspiring copy editor!

Again, don't take me wrong. I am not talking about just the Market America story and I have no association with them. I am asking a larger question. I am asking: Shouldn't the paper ALWAYS be the ONE that IS paying attention to "the man behind the curtain" ! If not, who?