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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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I made a point of getting up to hear Pat Clawson on the Mike Kilbreath Show this morning. Veteran CNN and NBC reporter and newspaper leader, Clawson told his viewpoints on the Journal and how they kept deleting his posts on the Marjory Raymer story below.
I too thought this story was absurd. Clawson tickled me when he said the official motto of the Journal was "If it's news, it's news to us."
Marjory Raymer: It's about time Flint got offended
Marjory Raymer | mraymer@mlive.com By Marjory Raymer | mraymer@mlive.com
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on January 03, 2014 at 10:50 AM, updated January 03, 2014 at 10:52 AM
We got offended.
It’s about time.
Let’s face it: We’ve been called every name in the book.
Miserable. Violent. Dangerous. Heck, even least valuable because of low property values. Murdertown. Too many names to recount really.
And, we were always most -- or almost the most -- of whatever bad title was being dispensed by some magazine, website or far-flung data cruncher.
What did we do? Generally, we shrugged. Or maybe said they don’t really know us. But, mostly, we just took it, accepted that we were the worst.
It is what it is, we figured.
I’ll never forget seeing how Grand Rapids reacted when Newsweek listed it No. 10 on its list of “America’s Dying Cities.”
The whole city was outraged and shocked. With the help of Rob Bliss they created the epic, nearly 10-minute lipdub of “American Pie” featuring the people and places of the city they loved.
I mean, how cute is that? We are so stinking offended that we are going to sing and dance. So take that!
The video was cool. Super cool. Even winning praise from film critic Roger Ebert, who called it “the greatest music video ever made” before his death. And, the world heard their love of their city loud and clear with 5.3 million – MILLION – views of the YouTube video.
And, get this: Newsweek apologized for putting Grand Rapids on the list the day the video went online.
Yeah, but guess what: That very same year Flint was ranked No. 9 on the list of “America’s Dying Cities.”
What did we do? Eh, we complained a little, like usual, and otherwise sort of went about our business.
It is what it is, we figured.
We all know all too well what our problems are. We know our city is struggling. Heck, we know there are real problems -- big ones.
It is what it is, we figured again. And, again. At that insult and the next, knowing there would be another coming soon.
The difference is the people of Grand Rapids knew – no matter what anyone said – that they were not a dying city. They loved their city and knew they were better than that.
Then came Laura Dimon calling Flint “apocalyptic” in the Policymic.com article, basically saying, yeah, Detroit’s in bankruptcy and a world of hurt but 60 miles north is, well, “apocalyptic.”
Now, we all know that Flint is not Detroit, but to also say “and you’ve probably never heard of it” – well, now, that just hit a nerve.
And, people got mad.
What’s different this time? Well, Dimon’s creative writing skills hit a nerve for sure – but I also think maybe we’re different. We’re changing.
We’re seeing ourselves differently. We know we are more than the titles. We know there are people downtown, real work happening to right our city, investment that will make us stronger.
Yes, it is what it is – and that includes some real struggles – but we’re more than that. We’re more than what we’ve always been. We’re more than what we were.
We’re Flint. Full of pride. With a bright future.
And, no one, but no one can take that away from us.
This time, we got mad because for the first time in a really long time -- we didn’t believe we should be damned.
We’re better than that. No matter what anyone says. |
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Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:33 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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It seems Clawson was critical of Raymer and the Journal's failure to report the news. "Good writing is not a commodity at the Flint Journal, Clawson noted. I agree with Clawson and I too am sick of all of this feel good Blueberry reporting. I also agree that all too often the Journal fails the community when it doesn't report the news. Most don't care if Flint is apocalyptic, said Clawson, and the Journal can't make it pretty.
Clawson observed what many of us did. The Journal repeatedly reported breathlessly on the implosion of the Towers and it was difficult for those suffering from power outages to find any information on their situation. People without power were reduced to using their cell phones for any information on the outage to no avail. Then two weeks later the Journal does a story on why the energy companies took so long to restore power. Hasn't the Journal heard that this was a 100 year storm and that no one can really prepare for that catastrophe. Much of the radio coverage was pre-recorded syndicated stuff and residents couldn't glean any information there.
Clawson did credit the Journal for "sporadic moments of journalism" and he mentioned veteran reporters Gary Ridley and Ron Fonger as examples of good journalism. He noted how the younger reporters are not being given direction and most Journal reporters are white and live in the suburbs. He challenged the Journal to do their duty as the citizens know the reality of living in Flint and they have watched their neighborhoods turn into hoods. |
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Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:52 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Clawson observed that "Freedom of the press belongs to those who own the press".
They have been a mouthpiece for the Uptown 6 for years, he said, and everything that pops out from Tim Herman is celebrated. Clawson advocated for advertisers to stop their ads in protest of the poor reporting.
Marjory Raymer took the brunt of Clawson's criticism and he believes she should be dumped. He holds her responsible for the incompetence of the staff she manages and he refers to them as "glorified bloggers". "Quality comes from the top ad that is not happening here". Clawson indicated he believes Raymer is unable to motivate and manage her staff. Flint needs a strong newspaper to hold the city together, said Clawson and he obviously believes that is not happening. |
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Mon Jan 06, 2014 10:03 am |
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patclawson
F L I N T O I D
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Thank you, webs, for the kind comments.
Following is the full text of the commentary I posted on the Flint Journal/MDead website that was removed by Kristin Longley.
Don't you dare criticize the press poobahs downtown!
Pat Clawson
Swartz Creek, MI
patrickclawson@comcast.net
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HEADLINE: "Marjory Raymer: It's about time Flint got offended”
Marjory, many of us in Flint are offended about your constant harping about "blueberries" and your constant failures as an editor to properly cover the news.
Failing to report the criminal records of city council candidates prior to their election, failing to report the scandalous details of a paternity trial involving a prominent judge, breathlessly reporting the implosion of the Genesee Towers while simultaneously failing to provide timely news updates on the web about the damage created by a 100-year ice storm when our citizens were seeking information about when the power would go back on....well, I could go on and on.
The Flint Journal under your editorial leadership appears to be sporadic moments of brilliance moderated by long periods of gutless mush. We need less cheerleading from you and more real journalism.
Apart from a few image-conscious politicians and sanctimonious newspaper editors, most folks around here don't care if an elitist, out-of-state writer who has never visited Flint calls the place "apocalyptic."
Our citizens know the score about the realities of living in the Flint area. We know that is apocalyptic because of the blight, crime, political corruption and unemployment that ravages this community, and there is no amount of perfume that you can spray to make this mess smell pretty. Are there islands of goodness around here? Sure, but they are surrounded by an ocean of rot.
We also know that the vast majority of Flint Journal editors and reporters (just like you) are white, live in the suburbs and are totally out of touch with life in the 'hood. And in case you haven't noticed, the City of Flint is majority black and over the past decade or more most of the city's neighborhoods have turned into the 'hood."
If we want Flint to be a better place, we need a newspaper that is in touch with its community and that will kick tail, take names and hold public officials accountable for their failures. That's not what we're getting from the Flint Journal under your alleged leadership.
The citizens know the reality of life here, but they remain short of the factual information needed to help them to get the mess cleaned up. It's the duty of the Flint Journal/MDead to be an aggressive watchdog, not a cheerleader.
Start doing your duty to the community. More journalism, less boosterism, please. No amount of flag-waving by a newspaper editor who sinks her head in the sand is going to make this area better when crime and corruption has corroded the community.
Pat Clawson
Swartz Creek, MI
patrickclawson@comcast.net |
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Wed Jan 08, 2014 5:03 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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PolicyMic Article Jumps on the ‘Flint Sucks’ Bandwagon — Could This Be a Good Thing Though?
By Tree Riddle December 27, 2013 12:23 PM
Flint residents are used to reading about how terrible their city is in the national media. This time Flint is the focus of an article found at PolicyMic.com titled “This is America’s Most Apocalyptic, Violent City — And You’ve Probably Never Heard Of It.” Of course it’s not great for tourism in Flint, but could all this negative press be a blessing in disguise?
The article, which you can read by clicking here, spends a long time fleshing out Flint’s worst statistics, like:
•Flint has gone from 80,000 General Motors jobs to 4,000
•An average of 5 people move out of Flint daily
•1/3 of the city is abandoned
•The poverty rate is 40%
It also mentions the alarmingly high violent crime rate from 2010-2012, uses various quotes from articles by Forbes Magazine (who we’ve taken to task over their Flint-hatred before), 24/7 Wall St, Business Insider, The New York Times and leans heavily on photos and quotes from Gordon Young’s book, ‘Teardown: Memoir of a Vanishing City.’
You might be thinking, “Great. This is just what we need. Another outsider, who knows nothing about our city, is painting us as America’s hellhole once again!” While this is, sort of, the case here — Laura Dimon’s article does something that most doesn’t… It ends on a positive note. Granted, it is short-sided to spend 940 words bashing Flint and then use the last 154 to show the “bright side,” but it’s a start.
After reading, roughly, 5 of the who-knows-how-many negative national stories about Flint this year, I have to wonder if the bad press may be a good thing. Maybe people are reading these, maybe important people, and thinking, “That place could really use some help.” It’s never an ideal scenario when you’re the focal point of someone’s sympathy, but what if a Mark Zuckerberg or Timothy Cook (Apple CEO) read this article and decides to bring their next business venture or factory here to add jobs and give us a second chance. What if a group of politicians read it and decided to start lobbying to secure funds for heavier police presence or blight removal (yes, I know that’s a sore subject right now)… There are countless what ifs.
The unfortunate reality is that most people read these and think, “I’m never going there!” I’m okay with that, but I’m increasingly not okay with all these journalists who have never even been in Genesee County shaping the way outsiders see us. There’s a reason that you get that astonished, slightly terrified look when you tell people you’re from Flint, Michigan… and these journalists are that reason. Well, that and all the crime. |
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Thu Jan 09, 2014 9:11 am |
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