Jackson Free Press

OK, this is downright weird coming from a top media official at the Gannett Corp. In his pithy little end-of-the-year wrap-up, Clarion-Ledger Executive Editor Ronnie Agnew practically coos over why covering his buddy "Frank" (first names???) is so great for the newspaper business. Well, now maybe we know why they didn't report on so much during the campaign and so easily endorsed Mr. Melton. Perhaps they hoped the "loose cannon" would help get their circulation going back up again. "Ronnie" writes today about "Frank":

What will he do next? We media types have a "no duh" confession to make. Newly crowned Jackson Mayor Frank Melton will keep reporter notebooks full and TV cameras humming during the next four years. And we like it. Gives us plenty to do, reporting and un-reporting the stuff Frank gives us.

Tear down dilapidated apartments? Scratch that. Fire entire departments of city government? Scratch that, too. Pull police crime stats from media? Give 'em to you, but only if you beg.

Covering Frank is a full-time gig. Understanding Frank, well....

OK, let me get this straight? Do we really "like" chasing down crime statistics, resumes and other public information day in and day out, being told we all have less access than before? Do we like being used as pawns in disinformation campaigns (like about imploding the King Edward)? Do we like being defamed and ridiculed because we're trying to do our jobs as real journalists?

Yeah, it's a hilarious barrell of monkeys, Ronnie. Glad y'all are enjoying yourselves so much, considering how much you're not even bothering to report about "Frank."

Geez. This may be the most telling thing I've ever seen the man write (or not write).

Also, be sure to compare and contrast this little love song to Mr. Agnew's vicious words about the former mayor and police chief. What is going on here?

Previous Comments

ID

120663

Comment

Yeah, I saw this and thought, "how horrible!" To gloat to the people how much fun it is to cover Melton. Especially in light of their own lawsuit and the recent discovery that Melton lied on his and their behalf. Typically mainstream media elitism! I'm sure city employees without jobs are laughing... BTW: At Nygoya they have put their "Kids Mag" in your JFP rack. What a joke of a magazine. They hide the fact they are the Clarion Ledger by using "Gannett" headings and email addresses....

Author

pikersam

Date

2006-01-01T12:15:11-06:00

ID

120664

Comment

Yes, it is disgusting. What fun! It just shows that the mindset at Gannett is more about feeding the corporate needs than that of the city of Jackson. Of course, we all knew that already, but to have it rubbed in our faces in such a blatant fashion is truly breathtaking. We'll check on Nagoya. BTW, feel free to move other papers you see in our racks. Our competitors also like to play little games and move our boxes around. If other media in the city spent half as much time trying to do real writing and reporting as they do trying to cheat us then they might not be losing circulation as our popularity gains. But, hey. BTW, Gannett started that kids' rag to try to run "Parents & Kids" out of business. My advice is to avoid it like the plague. P&K is locally owned and work very hard, and also have great audit numbers. Gannett is trying to Goliath them, too.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2006-01-01T12:22:58-06:00

ID

120665

Comment

Will do! Luckly, my kids aren't old enough to read yet. ;-) I was surpised at how Melton was only mentioned in this "year-end" piece. They must of drawn straws in the editorial dept. to see who would write something about him. You know it is so much fun to see him say one thing then do another they fight over the assignment.

Author

pikersam

Date

2006-01-01T12:33:43-06:00

ID

120666

Comment

Mayby Ronnie is afraid that if he says too much about Frank, that the mayor will retaliate and give up some goods on him. I believe that the C L is sinking as fast as the mayor. They are trying to hold on to each other for support. The mayor cannot get enough of making statements that he cannot back up. Ronnie is afraid to make a statement at all. Strange bedfellows aren't they?

Author

lance

Date

2006-01-01T14:57:49-06:00

ID

120667

Comment

Ronnie Agnew said: Gives us plenty to do, reporting and un-reporting the stuff Frank gives us. Ronnie, you seem to be new to this whole journalism thing, so let me explain something to you. The role of a newspaper is to report news on its own. Folks who only "report ... the stuff [a public official] gives us" are called press secretaries. Isn't there a nice rich suburban newspaper in Texas or Georgia that needs this guy? Or maybe he can get a nice cushy job in the Melton administration? Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2006-01-01T18:16:55-06:00

ID

120668

Comment

The software clipped my bracketed statement, apparently confusing it with UBB code. It was supposed to read: "Folks who only 'report ... the stuff {a public official} gives us' are called press secretaries." Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2006-01-01T18:18:29-06:00

ID

120669

Comment

Ronnie, you seem to be new to this whole journalism thing, so let me explain something to you. The role of a newspaper is to report news on its own. Folks who only "report ... the stuff gives us" are called press secretaries. Amen, Tom. Well said. Kinda captures what's wrong with their coverage of late, eh? Isn't there a nice rich suburban newspaper in Texas or Georgia that needs this guy? Or maybe he can get a nice cushy job in the Melton administration? You're right; based on the evidence Mr. Agnew presents in the paper, he should not be at the helm of an urban newspaper in a capitol city with as many challenges as Jackson. He's just not getting the 101 part, it seems, about what journalists are supposed to do. And the buck must stop with him about why The Clarion-Ledger never told readers that (a) they were involved in a lawsuit involving Mr. Melton during the campaign, (b) the editor of the metro/campaign coverage was named in that lawsuit as a recipient of the false memo and (c) why they so enthusiastically endorsed Mr. Melton without ever mentioning a vital fact that they knew because they were involved—that their chioce for mayor had lied to a Meridian judge under oath in court documents. Why didn't they tell us that? Or, why didn't they recuse themselves from an endorsement? Why, Ronnie? Why don't you write us that editor's note and explain why The Clarion-Ledger has so abrogated its responsibility when it comes to coverage of Mr. Melton??? Double-dog dare you to play it straight with your readers.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2006-01-01T18:59:51-06:00

ID

120670

Comment

Remember that the CL also confessed a couple of editors or VP or Presidents ago that they weren't in the news business to provide the truth, just to "Stir up Controversy". They're a tabloid.

Author

Ironghost

Date

2006-01-02T13:12:06-06:00

ID

120671

Comment

BTW, what is a "no duh" confession, anyway? I'm not sure I've ever heard such a phrase. A day later, I'm still dizzy with disbelief that the executive editor of The Clarion-Ledger made such an admission in print. And we like it. No talk of the city's needs, the community, what journalists are supposed to be doing, civic journalism, nada. Just "we like it" because Melton gives them something to do. Pitiful with a capital P.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2006-01-02T15:58:20-06:00

ID

120672

Comment

Are you quite sure you can't make the JFP daily? :p Just kidding, of course... but it would be great if the state's largest city had a daily newspaper. As of today, it doesn't.

Author

millhouse

Date

2006-01-02T17:18:56-06:00

ID

120673

Comment

Hey, we're pretty daily online. We break stuff here all the time. And we have all you lovely bloggers to help us. It's the wave of the future, as the corporate Goliaths ruin daily journalism.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2006-01-02T17:33:34-06:00

ID

120674

Comment

I really appreciate his tone of "hey, thanks for giving us something to do, man. Because without all your crazy, we'd wouldn't be reporting any kind of news." Wait. Can we discuss how much I like the use of the word "rad" in this title? I've been saying it all day.

Author

Lori G

Date

2006-01-02T20:03:24-06:00

ID

120675

Comment

Yes, I am so *proud* of that headline. It came to me in my New Year's Day propped-up-in-bed-in-my-jammies-while-Todd-made-grits-and-Tex-Mex-eggs-as-I-read-The-Ledge-online-because-I-canceled-my-subscription mode, and cracked myself up. I have to give credit to Jakob Clark, however; he singlehandledly brought the word "rad" back to the JFP vernacular. Dig it, baby.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2006-01-02T20:11:17-06:00

ID

120676

Comment

I'm with Ali, grrl. "Rad" is grooooooovy. They really do sound like a couple of cliqueish junior high girls in that headline. I love it. Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2006-01-02T20:57:48-06:00

ID

120677

Comment

Hey, just parroting Lil Ron's tone.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2006-01-02T21:10:10-06:00

ID

120678

Comment

This is really a display of what the city did to themselves. Everybody was "Frank" this and "Frank" that. Even the owner of certerfolds admitted that he had voted for "Frank". At the end of the day, we jumped from the skillet into the fire. Its like a little kid running away from home when he/she has done something wrong to keep from getting a whipping and winds up getting kidnapped. All and all if the city would stick to gether on issues instead of what benefits one or the other it probably would work. For to long do we sit and wait until the doors are closed to try and open them instead of going in when the door is open. You have all types of people that we die hard "Frank" supporters when they thought it would be in there favor. Go back to even old issues of the JFP, you had people all in the JFP trying to get brownie points by being seen with the soon to be Mayor - your savoir. What has he done for you lately. I know, I know - give him time. But if the house was on fire would you tell the Fire Department to take your time i'll be here or to you scream FIRE!

Author

UrbanMogul

Date

2006-02-10T07:11:15-06:00