The Sun sits on the news
Posted by DickH on 18 Jan 2009 at 11:19 am | Tagged as: City Council, Lowell-2009, Technology
“Blogs just regurgitate what’s already been in the newspaper.”
Prevailing view of blogs at the Lowell Sun.
Anticipating some important debate at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, I tuned in and put a tape in the VCR. Watching the meeting, I was struck by the political implications of much that was said, especially during the 45-minute debate on Councilor Rita Mercier’s motion that “the City Manager improve communications with the City Council.” Since using the councilors’ own words seemed the best way to convey what had occurred, the next night I compiled the most significant statements into a six-minute YouTube video. My resulting post, and a related one on Left in Lowell, generated considerable reader comment. Despite having a reporter present at the meeting, the Lowell Sun never even mentioned the debate on this motion until this morning’s Column, which comes five days later. (Is it a coincidence that the quotes from the meeting used in today’s Column read like a transcript of my YouTube video?).
Why did the Sun hold onto this news for so long? Did they consider it unimportant? Do they have so few reporters left that no one had time to write the story? Or did the powers-that-be want to hold the news for the Sunday Column so a particular spin could be placed upon the rollout of this story? This last theory is the most likely, but it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that a newspaper that sees its future in the coverage of local news sat on tangible evidence of perhaps the most significant political shift in Lowell in the past two years for five full days before mentioning it anywhere.
Here’s a replay of my video from Tuesday night’s meeting:
Dick, the shift happened with the last election. It’s just now they are putting their true intentions out there.
The CM could walk on water and shoot millions of dollars out of his behind (simultaneously, I might add) and it still wouldn’t be good enough.
The only person good enough for them (the 6), is to have another political hack, who will do their bidding, much of it behind closed doors and with their best buds..
Did you see in the Sun that Lenzi does not consider “modern communication” an appropriate way for the CM to communicate? What would be prefer - telegraph, smoke signals?? Is this guy for real? Does he make the students at Lowell Tech use fire pits in culinary class and the carpenter students to use hand tools??
Hey Brian F, I understand that you and one of one of your blog comments (on Left in Lowell, I think) became an on-air topic of conversation on Warren Shaw’s WCAP show yesterday morning while Rita Mercier was a guest. Did you happen to hear it? I didn’t, but someone who did told me about it. Congratulations. They’re paying attention to you.
I did not catch that…I started listening around 9:30am so I missed most of the show. Thanks for the heads up!
Addressing something in The Column is like putting it on Entertainment Tonight instead of on the 10 O’Clock News.
The sooner subscribers and advertisers abandon the Sun, the sooner the newspaper will be forced to improve their product. A good start would be for them to make the extra investment to cover local news as news, and in depth.
Hmm…“Blogs just regurgitate what’s already been in the newspaper.”
I disagree and what complete BS! I seem to recall a Hot story that broke out of City Hall a couple of years back when our former manager was ousted. While the paper had the story and sat on it until The Following week, LiL rolled that story out, scooping all.
This type of ’selective reporting’ has gone on for years at The Lowell Sun. It’s only recently (with the rise of the internet and sites like this) that people are able to offer/view an alternative voice.
http://bostonphoenix.com/archive/features/98/03/26/DON_T_QUOTE_ME.html
I would like to know what councilor this Spring will purpose the extension of the CM contract for another two years ?
My guess? One who doesn’t want to be mayor. Like Bill Martin.
The nature of the “reporting”, with particular regard to this issue, is that Lynch is good for Lowell, and the ideology of this majority CC is way off in left field and has no basis in fact other than they have an agenda to bring the ousting of CM Cox to full circle and bring in some ex-elected pol hack into the city to manage it.
This city has so many things going right for it and these CC only wish to satisfy their own agenda, not the agenda of its residents.
Let’s take an overview:
1.) Given our economic climate, Lynch has likely been working on a plan to end the year balanced for a good 6 months. A good manager always has a great contingency plan.
2.) 3 years ago, docs were issued from DOR warning the City of Lowell that we were in some serious financial doo-doo and that manager didn’t feel it was pertinent to bring that to the attention of the CC. Meanwhile, Lowell was so close to state oversight, we could smell its breath. The financial “team” from the last administration, had no financial plan..whether it was 1 yr, 3yr, 5yr, etc…the current administration with financial staff who are very well respected in their fields of expertise and statewide, are on their game & Lowell is in a much better financial position
3.) Trinity Financial has laready expressed concern, that if Lynch is not on brd. with us and the management changes, this will effect the progress of the Hamilton Canal development.