Welcome to the Real News in Marquette County!!!!!!
This blog has been created in response to my perception that Marquette County lacks objective and substantive news.
If you agree with this perception, you are likely disturbed by the lack of journalistic integrity displayed by some local 'news' outlets.
As an example, the daily paper, The Mining Journal, reserves the right to edit both the content and the length of any letter submitted to the editor.
What? Where is that rule written in the publishing manual?
It must be listed next to the rule that says a person is restricted to one letter to the editor every 30 days.
The 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gives us Freedom of Speech. There is nothing that says the right expires 30 days after it is used.
I am hoping that the use of this blog will grow and grow and grow into a credible source of real news for Marquette County, MI. In order for that to happen, you will have to become citizen journalists, county journalists, city journalists, township journalists and neighbor journalists. You will do what the local news industry has difficulty doing: writing and publishing substantiated, objective news.
If you have received this initial blog entry, it is because I have faith in your ethics and integrity and believe you will do your best to adhere to traditional journalistic standards when posting your articles.
I also think you understand the liklihood some community leaders may encourage some local news outlets to restrict the information disseminated to county residents.
If we are correct, these community leaders have a non-public agenda to promote and a news' vacuum further their objectives. If true, it may not be wise to draw a target on anyone participant in this blog by broadcasting their visible identity.
Yes, I fear retribution for us all.
Here's my proposal:
Create a Gmail address for yourself based on your location. For instance, if I lived in Marquette City, I would try to secure MarquetteCity@gmail.com. If someone already had this address, I would add the number 1 after Marquette City. If that was taken, then I'd try number 2 , then 3, then 4... You get the idea.
Only use this gmail address for posts on this blog. Nothing else.
Not only will this maintain post security and well-being, it will also give us an idea of readership geographical and numerical demographics over time.
Finally, I would urge you to forward this blog to others in your circle that you admire and respect. After all, what type of news would be generated if there were only a handful of contributors? Ask your recepients to do the same.
As time goes by, I will try to develop tools and procedures that will further the goal of providing Real News in Marquette County, MI.
For those of you who have access to actual journalistic standards, I encourage you to condense those standards into a list of simple, easy to digest rules, written in lay English and submit them as a comment to this post.
After I have an chance to digest them, I will post them on a blog for all to see. I think they will likely become rules of conduct for the blog and all comments and posts will need to comport with the standards.
Here we go. The Real News in Marquette County, MI is long over due.
Let's roll...and...be safe out there.
1 comment:
Much real & important news goes uncovered in Marquette County, Michigan due to many reasons that include:
1. A young media who don't know the proper questions to ask.
2. The revolving door at many media outlets leading to a lack of experience journalists.
3. Pressure by some advertisers who have the power to kill news stories they do not like or are critical of their business or friends.
4. The good old boys network.
5. A dwindling supply of reporters due to budget cuts (This is a serious problem across the country as many major American papers are chopping staff, reducing the numbers of days they publish and in some cases going out of business.
How do I know this?
I have been a news reporter in Marquette County for more than 20 years - and prior to that in Augusta, GA where politics and the good old boys net are a blood sport.
The future of high quality investigative reporting in America is in serious jeopardy.
A free press was one of the most important issues to the Founding Fathers, and sadly the mighty pen is running out of ink.
Post a Comment