Fulfilling a promise, even if ‘we might be slow about it’
Nearly two years ago, when Other Side was a mere act of defiance, a trial balloon of sorts, and this correspondent was a ‘cub reporter,’ we reflected on the editorial ‘vigor’ of The Times Record, well before we created a nom de plume for it.
We suggested they were a bit blasé when it came to investigating and reporting on matters of vital importance to the local area. An area in which they were wont to characterize themselves as “award- winning” protectors of the public interest and “watchdogs” of government.
If you’d like to take a trip down memory lane, here are the directions:
On Sept 16, 2009, we posted ‘Color me clueless,’ which you can read here:
http://othersideofbrunswick.blogspot.com/2009/09/color-me-clueless.html
On the following day, Sept 17, 2009, we followed up with ‘Reflections on yesterday,’ which you can find here:
http://othersideofbrunswick.blogspot.com/2009/09/reflectionson-yesterday.html
OK, class; now that you’ve read the background material, we wish to point out that in the second item, we referenced an article in Brill’s Content, a now defunct periodical, in which the culture of our beloved local daily paper was examined in some detail. It was written by someone who did a brief stint as managing editor of the ‘media entity.’
The article was published in April of 2000, but we were unable to find a digital version that we could provide for your edification. We did, however, promise to do what we could to find one. And then we promptly forgot about it.
Recent events associated with what we now refer to as The Ostrich reminded us of our commitment, and so we humbly sought to fulfill it. While we have not been able to recover a high quality digital version of the referenced article, thanks to a loyal reader, we do have something to provide.
You can find it here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/61610462/Article-Small-Town-Minded
While it is not of the highest image quality, if you make use of the zoom option at the bottom of the window, you should be able to read it. And if you do, you will be in for quite a surprise. You may well come to understand how and why the NOTWIUN finds itself on the horns of the dilemma it is now riding.
Reading the article should cause you to marvel over the influence of well known local grand high poobahs. And you should then wonder about the ‘integrity’ of local governance, in all of its varied forms.
We know, naiveté, thy name is Side. We just need to grow up; but what if we don’t accept that world view?
We also wonder whether “Scoop” Sample III, who now owns the paper, was aware of this article before he bought the fine feathered bird.
Oh, and a point of order, as to this pronouncement by the current leadership:
While we might be slow about it, The Times Record pays tens of thousands of dollars in property and business taxes annually to support local government. No other newspaper or media entity does so.
Self-indulgent as we are, we think of Other Side as a ‘media entity.’ In which case, the above statement is false. We pay thousands of dollars in property taxes annually to support local government, the same government currently providing services, without payment, to the bird.
Now that we think of it, ‘flipping the bird’ takes on a whole new gravitas, well beyond your local paperboy tossing the rag at your porch.
That would be the bird whose head is not visible. As a friend once said, “we can be petty.” Especially when the circumstances cry out for it.
(Editor’s Note: we can’t wait to see if this post shatters the record held by ‘Vetting the vetter.’ it’s up to you!)
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