Jackson Free Press

In an editorial last week, The Clarion-Ledger climbed dramatically onto its bird's eye perch of deniability and proclaimed: "Mayor Frank Melton was elected to do something about the No. 1 issue in Jackson—crime. But it is apparent that Jackson's No. 1 problem has become Frank Melton."

I'll give the editorial writer credit for one thing—in two simple sentences, he's captured the essence of the enduring problem that The Clarion-Ledger represents for Jackson. The disingenuous way that The Clarion-Ledger frames the challenges that face Jackson is, in my opinion, the number one reason that we're in the mess that we are.

Let's start with this statement: "Mayor Frank Melton was elected to do something about the No. 1 issue in Jackson—crime."

This statement is so facile that it's dumbfounding. It's extraordinary to me that still, to this day, The Clarion-Ledger pretends to "see all" regarding the troubles facing Jackson—and yet takes no responsibility for its own role in this mess.

Someone in the StoryChat forums attached to that C-L editorial online said it so perfectly that I can't improve on it: "Crime was Jackson's number one issue because you guys decided to make it the number one issue."

There is no doubt that the conventional wisdom at The Clarion-Ledger is that the "No. 1" issue in Jackson in crime. The editors probably hear that often at cocktail parties and regurgitate it in story meetings. They may even believe it themselves. They certainly put it on the front page at every opportunity.

But that doesn't make it responsible journalism.

When The Clarion-Ledger went on its rampage in 2004 over that year's first quarter "spike" in crime, it did so with so little context (multi-year comparisons, for instance) that the results were about as meaningful as weighing yourself at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving to see if you've gained weight in the past two years.

When Jackson consistently ranked high in Morgan-Quitno "most dangerous" ratings, The Clarion-Ledger trumpeted M-Q. When Jackson fell, The Clarion-Ledger parroted questions about record keeping by JPD. (No reporting to determine whether the records were kept correctly or not, just questions.)

When JPD Chief Robert Moore was around—who, despite a brief tenure, presided over the most reasoned, professional approach Jackson has had to fighting crime in decades—The Clarion-Ledger created what I called "Perception Gate." Their key story misquoted the chief and cobbled together quotes from different parts of a press briefing. Later, former columnist Eric Stringfellow assaulted the chief editorially over his "public relations" skills and for "crowing" when the crime numbers went down.

The Clarion-Ledger has marketed, nursed and fed crime hysteria for years. So much so that, as far as the Editorial Board is concerned, the idea that crime is "the No. 1 issue" is pure fact.

You know what? It's not. Crime is not Jackson's "No. 1" issue. Crime is a key indicator and a serious symptom of a complicated problem involving economic development, poverty, taxation, education and government. The problem is also one of leadership, both at the state and municipal levels.

How do you lower crime levels in Jackson? It takes hard work. It takes information for citizens, a firm commitment from the stake-holders, smart government, tax dollars and a serious evaluation of where we are in this city—and where we're headed. Voters have to choose leaders who are qualified, focused and determined to make a difference.

How do we know whom to choose? We need good, accurate, complete information. Only when we're really getting the full story can we make effective democratic decisions. Providing much of that information, at least historically, falls to the community's newspaper of record. Unfortunately, The Clarion-Ledger shirks that responsibility, particularly when it comes to the city of Jackson.

I can guess why. The Clarion-Ledger, under current ownership and with its statewide focus, is compromised in its ability to be a community resource for Jackson.

Last year, during its battle over city legal notices, The Clarion-Ledger reported that its Jackson circulation was 22,000, compared to an overall circulation of around 100,000. By their own numbers, nearly 80 percent of the Ledger's readers are outside the city limits.

The Clarion-Ledger is not Jackson's community newspaper for a simple reason: They've decided they can't afford to be.

They say when you have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. I'm in the newspaper business, and I've been a writer my entire adult life. So, I think that a key problem that faces Jackson is a mediocre local newspaper that doesn't provide the information its citizenry needs in order to make good decisions and hold public officials accountable.

The Clarion-Ledger endorsed Frank Melton, in spite of a great deal of evidence that he didn't have the administrative skills, experience or temperament for government service. They gave the mayor a pass on his MBN record, his past shenanigans and his impossible rhetoric during the campaign. I submit that they did this in large part because it played well to their readership, a majority of which is outside the city of Jackson.

Years later, safely on the side of regional public opinion, their editorial board proclaims that Melton is Jackson's "No. 1" problem.

Frank Melton is not Jackson's "No. 1" problem, although he is our most visible symptom. Our key challenge is bringing Jackson together as a community so we can take the reins of our future. We need to demand good information on which we can begin an honest dialogue about the problems. Then we can seek out and implement the "best practice" solutions that other cities have undertaken.

To get us there, The Clarion-Ledger needs to commit to the city of Jackson, both at the "Metro" desk and in the editorial board meetings. Start with a public mea culpa about your role in the Melton fiasco. Then hire a public editor to respond to reader criticism and foster discussions about your coverage.

Otherwise, you C-L editors might as well start chanting, "We're No. 1, we're No. 1!"

Previous Comments

ID

75604

Comment

Bump. I'm so sick of crime sensationalism that I can't stand it.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-11-21T16:40:09-06:00

ID

75605

Comment

Genius!

Author

kaust

Date

2007-11-21T16:41:59-06:00

ID

75606

Comment

Yes, Todd definitely earned these two brilliant lines: When The Clarion-Ledger went on its rampage in 2004 over that year’s first quarter “spike” in crime, it did so with so little context (multi-year comparisons, for instance) that the results were about as meaningful as weighing yourself at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving to see if you’ve gained weight in the past two years. and Otherwise, you C-L editors might as well start chanting, “We’re No.1, we’re No. 1!” Ha.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-11-21T17:20:31-06:00

ID

75607

Comment

“We’re No.1, we’re No. 1!” That's what the summer camp bullies chanted in the movie "Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown" until they lost the rafting race to Woodstock. They cheated and lost to a goofy-looking bird floating on a raft made of twigs. There's some symbolism in there somewhere...

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-11-26T13:20:58-06:00

ID

75608

Comment

Good note! To go along with ladd's blog on Goliath's decline in revenue, I recommend people pick up Drew Curtis' It's Not News, It's Fark: How Mass Media Tries to Pass Off Crap As News But, go get it a Lemuria - not Amazon!

Author

pikersam

Date

2007-11-26T21:49:01-06:00