January 25, 2009
NVN STOOPS TO NEW LOW - EVEN FOR THEM !
These sensationalistic headlines on January 24th 'above the fold' on the front page, plus a header on the online edition within hours of the January 17th accident shows the NVN must be desperate by using the misfortune of others to sell newspapers.
"Driver hits RSE wall after falling asleep at wheel"
"A Yelm man got quite the wake-up call after he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a wall fronting the home of channeler JZ Knight and her Ramtha School of Enlightenment."
"Joshua A. Lambert, 28, was driving home from work around 8:30 last Friday morning when the accident occurred.
He fell asleep, stayed straight in the curve and left the road, said Washington State Patrol spokeswoman Brandy Kessler."
While the NVN quoted the Ramtha School of Enlightenment public relations firm's statement,
"Despite this extremely unfortunate event, we are pleased to report that the driver, although shaken, suffered no injuries and we extend our thoughts and well wishes to him and his family,” nothing was said of the true story they COULD HAVE reported from a compassionate, human-interest standpoint.
Mr. Lambert is a Yelm resident working a graveyard shift to support his family in Olympia/Lacey and recently-returned Iraq War Veteran in service to our country.
As the NVN's local contact for the Ramtha School, reporter Megan Hansen called me for comments. I asked Megan to have compassion on this man as he was shaken enough, as anyone would be, especially with an NVN photographer at the scene just minutes after the accident. I suggested the newspaper not use the engagement of the RSE wall from the misfortune of a serviceman & night-shift worker to sell newspapers with Ramtha's and/or JZ Knight's name.
Ms. Hansen said, "We have to report a story."
Interesting, the NVN chose NOT to mention anything nor send a reporter to cover new County Commissioner Sandra Romero's first public open house in Yelm last Monday, as a vital story to report on the front page!
That Monday was a national holiday and they could not send a reporter does not hold water!
Nisqually Valley News newspaper Editor-Publisher Kevin Graves printed an editorial in the January 10th edition touting his studies that instilled in him proper journalism practices...
"Having studied journalism - things such as journalism ethics, reporting and news style - I take great care to keep this newspaper's coverage fair and objective.
I believe it's up to readers to interpret the facts of a story, not to have some egomaniac bloviate and twist information to serve his or her own ends."
HOW CAN THE READER INTERPRET THE FACTS OF THE STORY, WHEN KEY FACTS ARE OMITTED?
WHERE IS THE ETHICS IN PUTTING A SERVICEMAN'S ACCIDENT ON THE FRONT-PAGE?
I agree. Another resignation I have not seen much information about is County Commissioner. I just called their office and was told they expect a decision this week from the Governor as to who she will appoint for the third Commissioner.
Steve-
You are continually criticizing and flagrantly making accusations of how inferior the NVN news is performing.
1) who died and made you god almight and chief judge?
2) why not make a business out of printing a newspaper yourself, since your view is
the best one in the Yelm area?
Why not give it a rest?
People in town get tired of hearing the same thing
week after week.
Hello Karri of Hobbit House,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your views. So nice of you to add to the visitors of the Yelm Community Blog all the way from Reno, Nevada. I appreciate your having done so.
You ask why I don't start a newspaper? I have been asked by many and finally
started this Blog in Spring, 2006, because people said we needed another source of information around here & I had gathered alot of knowledge about the community.
Not everyone will agree with my views, hence the blog is able to have an immediate discourse.
That is what is so grand about this medium of information.
NVN editor/publisher Graves is certainly not shy about speaking out about me personally or my blog in general, and I see no letter to his newspaper from the public printed about that.
I happen to find the NVN a valuable community asset that has missed the mark on sharing key points with the community on many issues & I am not afraid to speak about that. This Blog takes no advertising dollars, is beholding to no one, you do not see its headlines on newsstands throughout town or in Reno, has no print deadlines and does not use sensational headlines or front-page stories on the misfortunes of others to sell newspapers. You have to want to come to this site. Don't click on this link if you are so inclined; access is totally up you, the reader.
I find Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr's quote sums up the reason I write on the subject you address:
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
I am grateful for your interest and for writing me & do hope you are enjoying life after your move from Yelm.
All my best,
Steve Klein
Very well said, Steve. I should mention people in town get tired of the NVN front page stories that show narrow and small-minded views, week after week, month after month. NVN has wasted their full potential as far as reaching the many who want to be informed of the important issues which affect all of the Yelm community.
Come back and visit us any time, Karri.
Steve and Liz-
Thank you for your kind regards.
I just don't see how one reader can interpret someone as having a traffic accident
as having missed "a human interest story."
I have plenty of stories that could make the front page of the NVN, but I am not into promoting my own interests.
As you have quoted, MLK, Steve, I too, will not be silent in what it takes to bring injustices down.
But I don't need the NVN nor a blog representing all of Yelm to do it.
It was a minor traffic accident. wth?
Good luck in promoting what you see as inadequecies in Yelm and how it is run.
The NVN consistently writes negative articles about Roy and Rainier and yes, their city government has suffered greatly because of budget issues and constraints. Frankly, I‘m tired of seeing it on the front page news every few weeks, pointing fingers at anything which may reflect them in a more negative manner. Where are the positive stories about them on what they have and or trying to accomplish on their budget restrictions?
Where are the real stories and reports on Yelm city government, over-staffed police department, and the inefficiencies in Yelm city government? If NVN “has to write a story” they need to start in their own back yard, addressing and investigating the Yelm community issues and concerns on the front page too.
I for one, would like to see other Yelm young women on the front page. Miss Washington is addressed every few weeks in the NVN, give it a break. Surely we have other news-worthy, dedicated and talented young women in the Yelm community who are worthy of front page news and deserve to be addressed and congratulated by this community.
"It was a minor traffic accident. wth?" quoting Karri above.
Yes, exactly the point. It WAS a minor traffic accident,
so why the front page above the fold? Usually traffic accidents (and in particular, minor ones) are relegated to the NVN's inside pages.