News-Record.com

While you're at it, what would be your comments to this?:

http://theconalt.wordpress.com/2007/09/10/at-it-again-on-trc/

Documenting subcultures that don't cleave to the majority opinion has always been in the purview of newspaper journalism.

These graffiti-ists would have done their "artwork" with or without the presence of the reporter, no?

The history of journalism is filled with examples of reporters who were present and recorded controversial goings-on, even crimes. How else are we to understand those who hold unpopular opinions, to expand our worldviews? Consider coverage of various radical movements, including the struggle for civil rights, drug use/abuse, polygamy, doctor-assisted suicide...

The only thing I find objectionable here is your apology.

My father sat on the kitchen floor, a rollie in one hand and a glass of red wine in the other, dying slowly of cancer.

"They're fascists," he said, referring to news that transit authorities in his home town of Melbourne, Australia, were spending millions more on razor wire, video surveillance and security guards to keep a small but endlessly enthusiastic band of grafitti artists from decorating local trains.

As an artist, Mike Brown had walked out on art studies as a youth, and says he spent the rest of his life unlearning lessons.

In a world where mainstream media lose audience share in their millions each year, where journalists rank only just above used car salesman in the public trust, and profit obsessive Murdochs do their unlevel best to spell doubt about anything other than their personality-driven politics, grafitti is one of the few forums left to address issues in the community youth come from.

It may like drug-crazed scrawl to you and me, but imagine what might be done if grafitti artists were given time and resources to spray paint what they really want to.

Instead, they get dragged before crusty protectors of the status quo, while supposed social betters moan about visiting cities that "all look the same."

This is not even just about art.

Grafitti is becoming ever more about freedoms of speech.

As journalists, we should be defending those rights, not, as your previous commentator rightly states, apologising for them.

My father died in 1997, the only artist in Australia to be tried for obscenity, and he was beyond passionate about the rights of the community to comment, where they saw fit, about events and issues around them.

We talk endlessly about diversity and multiculturalism but spend countless billions as a species wiping it out where it counts most - on the street.

You know, the place where democracy lives or dies.

Interesting perspectives. This newspaper isn't in the habit of glorifying vandalism, even as it is cloaked in free speech rhetoric. It's impressive that you can compare damaging someone else's property with the civil rights movement, but seriously off point.

The issue isn't the art, but it is where they are painting it.

It's not off point at all.
You state "This one slipped between the cracks".
The link states, "someone from the N&R claiming the omission about the CWP’s involvement in the violence was a simple oversight" which means to me that the additional omission "slipped between the cracks" again.
Just commenting on how you earn that reputation for slanting stories. (sorry if that's the first time you've heard of the reputation)
No need to repsond, thank you for your time.
Also, thank you for the increased coverage on the local elections.

tony, my off point reference wasn't to you but was to lookout_cartridge. As for your request for comment on TRC, Samuel and I have discussed this topic on my blog several times. I see no need to do it again.