David Brauer says: To the criticism that the Strib is making a mountain out of a molehill... this list has spent countless bytes debating unisex bathrooms. 'Nuff said.
Peter responds: Inane threads on this list (and I, myself, had nothing to say about the unisex bathrooms) do not justify inane, mean-spirited and racist stories that appear in the Strib. David says: To criticism that the Strib's Rochelle Olson is carrying R.T. Rybak's water: Anyone who writes that doesn't know Rochelle - she is a person of integrity and professional cynicism who rarely gives a politician a break and usually has a good reason not to. Day in, day out, we're lucky to have her covering city issues. She is aggressive and gets in the paper more than her predecessor, which is sorely needed. I think those who claim reporters have an agenda based upon what the editorial page thinks don't understand there really is a separation between the two. Peter responds: It's not necessary for me to know Rochelle personally to judge her work. That's like saying I have to get to know George W. as a person before I can opine on how he's running this country. Going by the content and quality of Ms. Olson's articles for the past two years, I must say I have reservations regarding her ethics as well as the agenda of her employers. The stories they choose to cover and how they present them reflect their integrity more than any testament that David Brauer may give. Again, there's been a world of difference between how Rochelle Olson and her bosses covered R.T. Rybak, the upstart candidate two years ago who had more in common with granola heads than the incumbent mayor, and Mayor Rybak, the reformed guardian of our local corporate and political status quo. The proof is in the pudding David, and the Strib's pudding is rather sour. I agree with David that Rochelle Olson is an aggressive reporter. But aggressive on whose behalf? Rather than pushing to get at the truth, Rochelle strikes me as a reporter eager to please her employers, which wouldn't be a bad thing if her employers had a community-friendly agenda, rather than their current corporate-based agenda. As for her rarely giving a politician a break, last time I checked Barrett Lane, Scott Benson, Barbara Johnson and Lisa Goodman are politicians just like Johnson Lee, but unless I'm mistaken, they've never experienced such intense scrutiny from Olson and the Strib. To claim, as David does, that some of us "don't understand" the separation between Olson's articles and the editorial page, is not only condescending but downright naive at best, misleading at worst. David says: Re: the reference to the Biernat case. I agree with Jordan K. and others on this one: it was bizarre. Rochelle and/or her editor felt short on news judgment here. But that doesn't make them biased or evil, just wrong... like all of us, sometimes. Peter responds: The reference to the Biernat case, rather than being bizarre, was typical of the Strib's on-going bias. All this is not to excuse Natalie Johnson Lee's lack of car etiquette. Cars in general breed anti-social behaviors, even among the best of us. That's why I choose to ride a bike even though I have a driver's license which I need from time to time for my work. However, I doubt that any of our white politicians, let alone most of our white citizens, would've been cited as Natalie was. Natalie's crime, from the perspective of our police, was driving while black. In the eyes of the Star Tribune, Natalie's crime is being a passionate advocate for the poor and disenfranchised. And this is where I disagree most strongly with Wizard Marks. If Councilmember Johnson Lee were to play the part of the obedient House Negro , then this story would not have appeared at all. Though I do agree with Wizard that it was utterly absurd to place this story on the front page of the Metro section, while burying a more serious story regarding alleged evidence tampering on the part of our city attorney's office (to cover up alleged police brutality, no less). So David, say what you will, but if Rochelle Olson has as much integrity and grit as you claim, then maybe she'll do an article about Barrett Lane or Lisa Goodman should either of them get stopped by the police for a traffic violation. Finally, we must confront the lies that most of us have been told since grade school regarding journalistic objectivity. There's no such thing as an objective newspaper or journalist. We all have biases. Some may conceal or disguise their biases and agendas better than others, but they're present nevertheless. Anyone who tells you differently is not being truthful.----Peter Schmitz CARAG TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
