I was recently taken to task by none other than Journal Star columnist Phil Luciano for a recent blog post of mine that was picked up by The Drudge Report. My blog posts are “unvetted,” unedited, and of questionable reliability. Furthermore, bloggers are scurvy individuals you’re better off not knowing. He asks, “can you call it journalism when much of it consists of unedited copy shared without any attempt to seek other sides?”
So imagine my surprise when I came across this article about Main Street Commons. In it, the journalist reports all the positives of the new project and what a boon it is to the area without ever interviewing a single resident of University East or other surrounding neighborhoods, despite their expressions of concern over some aspects of the project, including the pool that is mentioned in the article.
On the other hand, there are numerous quotes from the project developer, as well as a representative from Bradley University. But there is no mention of the fact that Bradley is an investor in the project, which would of course bias its opinion just a little. There is no mention of the slow sales of units that the developer has experienced, which was covered by the Bradley Scout over the past several months, or how that likely contributed to Bradley’s decision to turn part of the development into a freshman dorm — the first time Bradley will be allowing underclassmen to live off campus.
Indeed, the whole piece reads like a reworked press release and advertisement for the new development. I guess that’s what an edited, vetted, reliable news article looks like. It’s apparently okay to be one-sided, as long as you’re on the approved side. Or if you’re so short-staffed you can’t spare a reporter to go out and get the other side.
The picture is out of date too.
Okay, C. J., I see your point, but you are comparing apples and oranges. I’d go into a long, drawn out diatribe at this point, but I do believe you know it and so will your readers.
Bottom line: You screwed up. You know it, we know it. It happens. Don’t do it again.
I don’t believe CJ “screwed up”. There was an incident that night. To what extent threats were made, we’ll never know but I do know that if it hadn’t been for CJ and this blog we never would have heard about any of it. The “mainstream” media in this town is awful and we rarely hear all the true news. We only hear what they want us to hear and in the slant they want to present. The city didn’t want this story getting out. They don’t want to hear about all the crime that goes on and they don’t want outsiders (visitors and shoppers) hearing about it either.
The screw up was not in reporting the incident. The screw up was presenting a story like that, a story that has the potential to incite a real riot, without at least 2 reliable sources. I am not calling Paul unreliable, but something like that needs to be verified before you print it. We have enough problems in this city without throwing gasoline on a smouldering issue.
Luciano, of course, is not one to criticize. For instance, he recently published an article about my doctor after hearing only one person’s “bad” experience–and because the doctor didn’t bend to Luciano’s desires to answer his calls. However, one person’s bad experience (perceived or real) doesn’t deserve Luciano’s attempt to ruin a doctor’s career, etc. I think we all know that C.J. provides us all an opportunity to read and to respond to news that we would never get from the PJS. The only part of the Thrush Street story that is in question is the report of racial comments. Also, we all have to understand that people who live in these neighborhoods have learned to cope silently most of the time–they know that their complaints go relatively unheard.
Mainstream media fools love to act superior about the poor pajama clad bloggers. Their media is dying, and ours is growing. They are irrelevant dinosaurs, we are the future.
It seems bloggers have the same inferiority complex problems, as so called “legitimate” journalists have a superiority complex. So, why don’t both of your types of journalism just do your jobs, stand by what you do, and if there is criticizm, so be it, that’s all a part of responsibility of putting your thoughts and stories out there. That’s just the way it is. Everyone(including commenters), just quit whining…wah…wah…wah… and shadddup!! If you can’t can’t take the hits, get out of the game.
@outsidethebox You are a cowardly anonymous troll, thus your opinion doesn’t matter. Put on a pair of big boy pants, start a blog, and link to it in your name. Otherwise, you’re totally irrelevant. Go paint bisons on your cave wall.
If you can’t reveal who you are, get out of the game.
Sharon I know the person who was supposedly mistreated by your doctor. And let’s just say when he said he wanted to go have a beer instead of wait for his surgery, he’s wasn’t kidding.
The Journal Start has been slandering people, for years. 15 years ago when I sued, them, their defense was…………their reporter was too ignorant (without legal training) to understand when he incorrectly reported facts in the public record, that the way in which he incorrectly reported them, stated incorrectly that the person had committed a crime.
The reporter soon retired and their attorney was shortly thereafter elected as an appellate judge.
I could allege that neither had the character to stand up for what was right, but it is probably more accurate, that neither were gifted with enough competence to correctly discern the difference. In retrospect there was a bit of the Blagojevich in both of them – specifically that both had been promoted to positions that were beyond their abilities.
Luciano and Adams are prime example of this where we could take any number of bloggers or even blog commentators, (CJ, M. Widmere, Karie Alms, Leslie Smith) and obtain more accurate information and reasoned analysis than from “professional journalists”.
That’s why I read the Peoria blogs first, their blog commentators second and then the comment writers on pjstar.com third. Maybe then I have the time to read the pjstar.com article.
$30.00 per month is the cost of a virtual server. I think that it would have been better for the site to stay up.
Vaspers this isn’t the first time you’ve tried to moderate someone elses blog. Quite frankly, I find outside the boxes comments far more interesting than yourarrogant blather. I’m starting to think your a troll. And freddy, its your opinion that cj screwed up and you know what they say about opinions
While I agree with Frederick’s first comment here, I also will say to the author that he should not worry about Phil Luciano of all people putting him down. I think it’s funny Phil even wrote that because he gets so much criticism for what he writes on a regular basis. You’d think he’d be a bit nicer. Keep blogging CJ. You will get compliments that are deserved and you will get criticism that is probably also deserved. Have a thick skin. It’s the only way to get by when you write about the news, whether it is as a mainstream journalist or as a blogger. In other words don’t worry about what people say about you and try not to get defensive. Just do what you feel is right. Any praise or criticism you get is the right of those who leave it but despite that, it doesn’t define what you do or who you are.
I’m really scared, Vaspers. There are things to do to relieve anger issues, might I suggest you seek some out? BTW, Steven, I know you well and you don’t know me. Advantage, me , hey?
outsidethebox: ” BTW, Steven, I know you well and you don’t know me. Advantage, me , hey?”
Talk about a troll
For those of you attempting to have an intelligent argument with vaspers, quit wasting your time. If you oppose his views with intelligent argument, he won’t debate you. Unless you agree with him, he is unlikely to post any response on his blog that opposes his. He’ll just accuse you of being a troll, but I suppose it takes one to know one. I’ve read some good blogs before, but vaspers isn’t one of them. Please visit the link to my blog so you can see what he’s all about. I don’t keep my blog updated because I have a real job and can’t spend 14 hours a day in the basement of a house paid for by someone else. I only started the blog to get the truth out about vaspers and poke fun at his name. Shortly after creating my blog, he changed his blog name (formerly vaspersthegrate). I know vaspers personally and know that he is a phony opportunist who tries to pass himself off as some legitimate internet guru. Far from it.
Emtronics…I never said I wasn’t a troll. So that leaves me open to being one, right? So, basically, you are overstating the obvious, now you are acting like a “journalist”. Tsk..tsk…and here I was, holding out hope for you bloggers…oh, well…
@outsidethebox Trolls freak out when their cowardly ways are exposed. It’s so easy to slime someone’s blog when you’re Anonymous. You can say anything you want. Nobody can retaliate. Are you proud of yourself, hiding in the shadows, afraid to reveal who you are? You are pathetic, like all the worthless Anonymous trolls who spam good blogs like this one. I shall hound you, shame you, and laugh at your fearful gutlessness. Anonymous trolls contribute nothing to a blog conversation.
You tell ’em Vaspers.
All these crybaby trolls who claim they “know Vaspers personally” in an attempt to legitimize something. Are they playing hide and seek? Their weird remarks are just silly, not provocative. How many more lies are they going to tell, safe in the Anonymous shadows where they cower in fear and self-loathing? If they have strong opinions, why not start a blog of their own? They are “too busy”? No. They have plenty of time to spam other people’s blogs with false statements and flames. Pity these poor helpless little creatures. Most are 13 year old Harry Potter fanatics with no future.
LOL That is so funny.