Jackson Free Press

OK, I'm on the side of Mayor Melton on this one. This news story today just proves HOW FRIGGIN' AWFUL OUR MEDIA ARE. The reporters in this story (it took two to do this!?!) actually admit in the piece that they asked the mayor if Jacksonians should feel less "safe" after the murders this week:

Melton, the former director of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, campaigned for mayor earlier this year on a platform of making Jackson a safer, less crime-ridden city. He would not answer questions about whether Jacksonians should feel less safe because of the number of homicides.

"This is about three people being dead," he said.

What kind of stupid, dumb-ass question is this? Unless Mr. Melton ordered these murders, HE IS NO MORE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM than was Harvey Johnson for murders on his watch. The mayor and the police cannot sit in front of everyone's house and prevent every crime. Yes, they can do what they can to reduce the causes and instigators of crime, they can apprehend the criminals, they can lobby for more gun control and other legislation, but they cannot scream and yell and make all crime disappear. Are people in this town, and the worst mainstream media in the country, really dumb enough to believe this is possible??? Lord.

A reporter should be fired for asking a question as stupid as, "Do these murders means that Jacksonians should feel less safe?" This is idiocy.

Previous Comments

ID

120472

Comment

Oh, lord. I had blamed the treatment of Johnson on media bias. So now that journalists have a new administration, they're going to do this to MELTON for the next four years? Apparently these folks learned everything they know about city government from watching Walker, Texas Ranger reruns. No, Virginia, the mayor CAN'T STOP CRIME. Melton is absolutely right. This is about the VICTIMS. Not about whether Muffy Sue should feel comfortable sipping tea on her front porch in Eastover. Why are so many of these articles written for self-absorbed affluent whites? Oh, I forgot--because that's the prime advertising demographic. One more article that turns a real family's tragedy into a message that says nothing more than "ATTENTION ALL WHITE PEOPLE: Don't cross Gallatin." Four people are dead, and what's the message we're supposed to learn? To value each other while we're here? To work for peace and justice in the world? To end poverty? To help people get off drugs? No. To be scared we might be one of those 35 people. Disgusting.

Author

Tom Head

Date

2005-11-13T02:32:48-06:00

ID

120473

Comment

Do these two reporters attend funerals of cancer victims and go around saying "Gee, I hope I don't get cancer?" Because if they don't, you can't tell it from this article.

Author

Tom Head

Date

2005-11-13T02:35:30-06:00

ID

120474

Comment

I had blamed the treatment of Johnson on media bias. Apparently the problem is not an anti-Johnson bias, it's an anti-Jackson bias. But we knew that, didn't we? *rolls eyes* And BTW, Tom, I love your "funerals of cancer victims" analogy. Perfect. Best, Tim

Author

Tim Kynerd

Date

2005-11-13T09:14:33-06:00

ID

120475

Comment

Apparently the problem is not an anti-Johnson bias, it's an anti-Jackson bias. But we knew that, didn't we? Yes, we did. And just like the Ledge's big "Changing Faces" series in 2003, their new package of stories this week reeks with (a) superficiality, (b) naivete about what's really going in the city (many Ledge folks go home to the burbs at night) and (c) a sense of the paper trying to pretend to be relevant in a city that's moving forward with or without them ... and, mostly, without them after their pitiful, sensensationalistic coverage of crime and promotion of Perception-gate (note their shift in language on that point). Also, note how few young Jacksonians are interviewed in this series. Typical superficial Ledge drivel.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-11-13T14:04:15-06:00

ID

120476

Comment

Ladies and gentlemen.... I introduce the worlds smallest violin.... As played by Mayor Melton

Author

pikersam

Date

2005-11-14T09:12:50-06:00

ID

120477

Comment

Yep, that's some letter from Mr. Melton on many levels. The closing few lines jump out at me: I could care less about what Stringfellow writes about me as mayor, but to be disrespectful to the chief crosses the line. First, how is Eric being "disrespectful" of the chief? By questioning her? How is this different from all the haranguing Melton himself did of the former mayor and and chiefs over the years? Like Mr. Melton, Chief Anderson is a public servantóthey work for us, not the other way around. Yes, the media do have a line that should not be crossed. What line is he referring to here? The line of criticizing Mr. Melton's administration? It seems now he is going to do to Eric what he has been doing to the JFP -- publicly acccusing us of being "unfactual" -- while not bothering to prove how. This is what the media who dare to question him get in response. Also, this is an interesting statement coming from a man who only a few weeks ago told a judge that because he was a journalist, he believed it was OK to lie in legal proceedings. He should take his best shot at formulating his opinions and I will take my best shot at running the city. Uh, no. Mr. Melton is a public servant. The people and the media get to -- in fact, must -- scrutinize every decision and action he takes, or doesn't take. There is no "best shot" here; he is mayor now and is responsible for everything he does on our watch. Mr. Melton needs to learn that the media are not here just to repeat the sound bites he wants repeated (even if local media have spoiled him by doing just that for so long). If he didn't want to be in the public hot seat, he shouldn't have run for mayor. He's the mayor now; not a journalist. His job is now an open book. He needs to get used to that fact.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-11-14T10:37:23-06:00

ID

120478

Comment

Why does the Mayor need to write letters to the editor? Doesn't he have other forums in which to present his opinions?

Author

kate

Date

2005-11-14T11:19:33-06:00

ID

120479

Comment

I find myself wondering that. Why wasn't this published in state/metro, rather than as a normal letter to the editor? I mean, it's the friggin' mayor. Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2005-11-14T12:45:33-06:00

ID

120480

Comment

I think it's safe to say that the Melton has very thin skin for someone who has gotten where he is by complaining publicly about other people. The most interesting part is that he didn't actually answer any of Eric's criticisms in this letter -- just attacked the messenger. That seems to be his modus operandi.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-11-14T15:42:19-06:00

ID

120481

Comment

Tell Melton to release transcripts of all of his "Bottom Lines" from his tenure at Channel 3 so we can see that he indeed is the pot calling the kettle black. Let's see how many teachers and public officials and police officers he criticized over the years. I challenge him to let the public see them.

Author

thabian

Date

2005-11-14T15:51:45-06:00

ID

120482

Comment

That's a good point. "Public officials should not be criticized by people in the media" is not an argument that squares very well with Melton's history. Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2005-11-15T18:10:21-06:00