Jackson Free Press

OK, this practice has long bugged me, but now it's really driving me crazy. Now that The Clarion-Ledger is turning its newspaper into "information centers," they are posting press releases throughout the day under the header "breaking news headlines," with a few actual news updates mixed in. OK, that's tricky enough, but when you click to the press releases, they do nothing to actually tell readers that they are press releases. They don't say "verbatim," they don't mark them "press release." They just post them with a byline that reads: "The Clarion-Ledger." No, it's not written by "The Clarion-Ledger"; it's written by a PR flack and then pasted in. I don't have a problem with them posting releases (if they actually have substance or relevance), but why the deception on the fact that they are just press releases!?! This is about as far from good, or civic, journalism as you can get. Do they think we're idiots out here?

Previous Comments

ID

109790

Comment

Did they change a few words to call it their own?

Author

emilyb

Date

2007-01-10T13:34:23-06:00

ID

109791

Comment

The CL has been doing that for main news stories for years now. :) Guys at MC loved the fact they could just send over whatever they liked and the CL would print it blindly as news.

Author

Ironghost

Date

2007-01-10T19:21:11-06:00

ID

109792

Comment

they posted a release i sent in a posted it as a "special to the clarion ledger" . they didn't change anything

Author

jd

Date

2007-01-10T19:54:40-06:00

ID

109793

Comment

Remember, all, that it is *worse* for them to take a press release, change a few words or sentences and call it a "story" (which someone wrote yesterday telling me they had called the Ledger out on, and gotten a response from an editor saying they were running a clarification). Any time a reporter uses quotes or sentences from a prepared statement, it needs to say that in the story. I've pulled stories before because I found out that the writer took their quotes from a press statement without doing original interviews. Sometimes, it's handy to grab one of those quotes (say, from the governor), but you must say that it's from a statement. If you're going to run a press release (which we would never do in the paper, only on the Web site), you must make it perfectly clear that it's a press release. This "special to The Clarion-ledger" crap makes it sound like they brought in a "special" writer to do it. I think that's the same phrase they use for freelancers. Nice respect for freelance writers, equating them with press releases! The problem is transparency, and they wonder why they're losing public confidence.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-01-11T10:47:15-06:00

ID

109794

Comment

ladd, why don't you invite the CL folks to participate in some of your journalistic siminars? This could be a real teachable moment. Some of this stuff hindges on ignorance; not arrogance, only. Remember that old saying: If a man knows not and knows that he knows not, teach him. (smile).

Author

justjess

Date

2007-01-11T10:57:24-06:00

ID

109795

Comment

I don't get the feeling that they're looking for teachable moments—although there may be some individual people who want to improve their skills (I've met some of them). The culture there is, shall we say, not exactly one of excellence—and that's coming from people on the inside. Come on: Trying to pass off press release headlines as "breaking news" so you can pretend that you have an online "information center"? They should just leave the Web alone and concentrate on getting their core product back into decent condition. THEN, and only then, should they spread their resources so damn thin. No wonder morale is so bad.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-01-11T11:00:32-06:00

ID

109796

Comment

Here's one from today: 'Women, Weight and Wellness' luncheon topic The Clarion-Ledger The Women's Fund Lunch and Learn will meet 11:45 a.m. Jan. 18 at Fondren Presbyterian Church, 3220 Old Canton Road. Speaker Elynn Fish, director of wellness and healthy living for BankPlus, will examine the topic Women, Weight and Wellness. The meeting is free, but lunch is $5 per person. Those wanting lunch should RSVP by Jan. 16 by calling Nelda Moore at (601) 974-6044, Ext. 221 or by e-mailing [email][email protected][/email] — MORE DETAILS AS THEY DEVELOP AND TOMORROW IN PRINT AND ONLINE EDITIONS There's nothing wrong with getting the word out about an event like this, but treating it like it's news is just weird. Look at the bit at the end about "more details as they develop."

Author

Brian C Johnson

Date

2007-01-11T11:01:39-06:00

ID

109797

Comment

Oh, and justjess, have I ever mentioned that the Mississippi High School Press Association would not *allow* the Jackson Free Press to participate in a day they held in Jackson for high school journalists. Why? Because it was organized by The Clarion-Ledger. And you know that the Mississippi Press Association won't let us in. It's all a real giggle, really. I'm not sure what they think they're going to accomplish but trying to lock us out. Maybe no one will notice that the JFP is beating the MSM to stories left and right? They just don't understand that everytime they try to run us out (like with the shortsighted TDN scheme), they broaden our reach. People want to know what they're so damned afraid of—and we get more curious readers. It's up to us to create the product that keeps those readers, and we do what we can. ;-)

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-01-11T11:04:28-06:00

ID

109798

Comment

Right, Brian. Why don't they start an events blog (like our LoungeBlog) and throw that stuff in there so they don't look like idiots by trying to pretend it's breaking news. If you have an important press statement from the governor, fine, put it in breaking news, but mark it "press statement" or "verbatim."

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-01-11T11:05:35-06:00

ID

109799

Comment

Here's some more breaking "news" from The Clarion-Ledger. Who are they kidding with this stuff? Radio station to broadcast 22-minute inspirational message The Clarion-Ledger WMPR 90.1 will broadcast the 22-minute inspirational message “What Price Glory?” at 11:30 a.m. today. The message hopes to initiate change through a spiritual awakening. It was conceived to help educate and empower everyone, most especially black Americans. The spiritual insight for “What Price Glory?” came from Brenda McArthur of Detroit. For more information, visit www.harmonycd.com

Author

Brian C Johnson

Date

2007-02-08T10:38:24-06:00