Today's edition
It is a shame that today's paper isn't among the best read -- I can't imagine why -- because there's good stuff in it, including these two:
* This is our second year soliciting wrapping paper creations from readers. We got more than 100 entries -- you know, this isn't like shooting off an e-mail; this requires actual work. Additional entries here. As a special bonus, all of the submissions are on display through early January at the Greensboro Public Library's Central Branch.
* We publish our All-Area football, volleyball and boys soccer teams. This is a special issue for these athletes; more special for their parents.
Enjoy.
Comments (27)
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John:
Why no coverage on the Mary Blair Carr Drunk Driving?
Posted on December 23, 2007 8:56 AM
A DUI arrest in another city of a former Greensboro employee? We rarely cover DUIs, and there's no obvious compelling reason I can see to write about one in Winston of someone who isn't a public figure now and wasn't when she worked in Greensboro. I can't even tell that the Winston paper wrote about it.
Posted on December 23, 2007 10:11 AM
Thanks John, I'll bet the Rhino gets much traction out of this. Since she drew the infamous City Attorneys report and left in a cloud I would think this would be of interest.
Posted on December 23, 2007 11:00 AM
Okay John, Why no coverage of this?
Posted on December 23, 2007 11:16 AM
Wayne and Billy, You have to understand, it's about priorities right now. The masses are consumed with getting this Christmas mess behind us and wrapping paper tips are more important at the moment than the significant problems our city is facing.
The masses don't care about bad news right now. Fluff, pretty pictures, family holiday anecdotes, recipes and 11th hour shopping tips are all that MOST people care about right now. The N&R is just catering to it's audience.
Posted on December 23, 2007 11:35 AM
Wayne and Billy, You have to understand, it's about priorities right now. The masses are consumed with getting this Christmas mess behind us and wrapping paper tips are more important at the moment than the significant problems our city is facing.
The masses don't care about bad news right now. Fluff, pretty pictures, family holiday anecdotes, recipes and 11th hour shopping tips are all that MOST people care at this point in the holidays.
The N&R is just catering to its audience today.
Posted on December 23, 2007 11:37 AM
I think Roch answers your question in the comments at your site, Billy. We hear all sorts of stories about gang initiations and almost all are discounted.
Hugh, I don't expect to persuade you, but the one doesn't have anything to do with the other. While some people may be fascinated with the DUI arrest of a former asst. city attorney in another city, the relevance to anything involving Greensboro is obscure to me.
Posted on December 23, 2007 12:07 PM
John,
Rock correctly states that the NWO fails to cite GPD but he didn't address the fact that the NWO did cite District 1 Juvenile Detective S.H. Everett of the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office. Are we to believe the Sheriff's department in our own county is starting wild rumors? Are we to believe any area newspaper would even consider citing local law enforcement officers if they were making up their story.
If the NWO is making up stories then the N&R needs to uncover the truth and if local law enforcement is lying to reporters then the N&R again needs to uncover the truth but it appears you would rather simply dismiss the story rather than have your reporters make telephone calls to the NWO and the Guilford County Sheriff's Department.
Also, at Roch's suggestion I checked Snopes.com and found no reference to the Guilford County Sheriff's Department.
Now I ask you again, how is it the N&R can't cover the real story?
Posted on December 23, 2007 12:40 PM
Mr. Robinson, you wouldn't pooh-pooh a story if the character was involved in the Klan-Nazi Shootout, since we are constantly told we need to "resolve" the issue. And then we're told to "Forget it and move on" about the Chief Wray situation.
I guess it is about (racial) priorities, isn't it?
Posted on December 23, 2007 12:50 PM
I'm awaiting someone to tell me why they want to read about a dui of someone who hasn't lived here for months, wasn't a public figure when she did, and the dui didn't occur here. What is the Wray connection? What is the Klan-Nazi connection? What is the public interest? (I'm afraid to ask you, jaycee, what the racial connection is.)
Billy, I know gangs are your issue. I will take the word of the NWO that the officer said that. The fact is that we didn't talk to the officer. I think we'll wait to see what happens. As this thread illustrates, different people have different news judgments. With the wonders of competition, we can read about the arrest of a Winston employee in the Rhino (according to Wayne) and possible gang initiations in the NWO.
Posted on December 23, 2007 7:58 PM
How about DUI's that have never occurred here, people who were never public figures (until your DUI story), and the DUI didn't occur here.
Check your archives. Contrary to what you said, you have reported these stories.
Posted on December 23, 2007 8:13 PM
No clue what you're talking about, and I can't imagine the relevance to the newsworthiness of this story.
Posted on December 23, 2007 8:18 PM
The Klan-Nazi shootout is still big box office in Greensboro, and the N&R can't seem to let it go. I'd wager that if a figure from that event was busted for anything it'd be all over the N&R and calls for "reconciliation" would be renewed on the heels of the story.
Carr was a player in the Chief Wray saga. But, since we've been told by no less than the Mayor that we need to "get over it" the N&R doesn't have a single line about it.
Just my observations.
Posted on December 23, 2007 10:05 PM
I was very impressed with the picture of great violinists from our area. :)
thanks
Posted on December 23, 2007 10:51 PM
The actual reason for no coverage:
The N&R is a third-rate newspaper -
Posted on December 24, 2007 6:05 AM
JR: tell your circulation people to do a better job of inserting ALL of the Sunday ads. They're slacking lately.
Posted on December 24, 2007 12:11 PM
What do you mean, Eric? Actually, no one gets ALL of the Sunday inserts. Various advertisers buy certain areas.
Posted on December 24, 2007 12:37 PM
John,
Why is a sex story about a catholic priest down in Charlotte more important than the dui Blair Carr got on Friday nite. You asked why anyone is interested in her dui since she hasn't lived here in several months and was not a public figure. Well neither was the priest.
She left her impact on us and God only knows how much her actions are going to cost us. I'd say many of us are interested in her dui.
Posted on December 24, 2007 1:18 PM
Howabout a CVS or a Target ad or the grocery coupons every once in a while; I buy my Sunday paper either at Harris Teeter or CVS or my nearest gas station, or sometimes out of the paper box and there always seem to be missing inserts. It's many locations here in the Adams Farm area. Not a criticism, just bringing it to your attention.
Posted on December 24, 2007 1:47 PM
Three differences, Wayne: First, there is certainly general interest in a priest and sex charges. I would say a priest is certainly a public figure. Second, the priest was exonerated, bringing earlier reporting full circle. Third, the report was produced by wire services, not us.
I see no connection with her dui and a report she helped produce many, many months ago. I'd be interested in hearing why you do.
Posted on December 24, 2007 1:56 PM
You asked in another thread if I still think not writing about the Carr case was wise. Yes. I still see no reason to connect a single DUI arrest with anything she may have done more than a year earlier in the course of her job.
Posted on December 27, 2007 3:10 PM
John
I'm sorry I clicked the wrong thread. You had asked me why I saw a connection with the DUI and her previous work for the city.
Her work on the Wray Report undoubtably will end up in a court room. I would think her credibility will be challenged and a point 0.27 is very high . Not a typical drank too much ,after party thing. Readings that high usually indicate serious alcohol problems.
Again, sorry for the wrong thread.
Posted on December 27, 2007 3:30 PM
No problem. I understand your point, but I think you're making a huge leap that:
a) the Wray Report will end up in a trial,
b) she will be called
c) she will be asked about a DUI
d) she will be convicted of said DUI
e) a judge will permit such questioning
and there probably are many others contingencies that could come into play.
I just don't see that her arrest now is relevant to the ongoing discussion about the police department. Sorry.
Posted on December 27, 2007 3:37 PM
"I just don't see that her arrest now is relevant to the ongoing discussion about the police department."
Look again, and read some of the comments posted on the blogosphere.
There are two reasons you should be interested.
One, the relevance is to the credibility of the actions of the city government in a still disputed case that needs to be resolved. Such actions by the city have direct bearing on lawsuits now in process against the city.
Two, a growing number of Greensboro citizens want to know, and want the N&R to step up to its responsibilities in this case.
Posted on December 27, 2007 8:04 PM
Sorry, guys, but a DUI arrest more than a year after a report comes out doesn't have a direct bearing on any lawsuits in process. At least so far as I can tell. If you can make a direct link between the two be my guest.
Posted on December 28, 2007 8:54 AM
I believe that it is worth a phone call to try to establish if there was any connection to her moving from Greensboro to Winston. Was she an on the job drunk here?
Posted on January 4, 2008 8:44 AM
This is my question. Does anybody know Blair Carr personally? Well I do, and this slaughtering makes me sick. Ok she was caught drunk, but instead of killing the character, why not showing a bit of mercy giving to the human being a hand in a terrible moment? This is called being Christians; not the kind of Christians going to Church every Sunday then starting to slaughter people Mon-Fri, but the Christian who acts like a Christian. Is the blog that started all this mess 100% innocent? What anybody knows about her relocation to W-S? I am glad I found comments showing some mercy for her.
Posted on January 12, 2008 7:28 AM