Effective March 1, the Saturday editions of the Intelligencer Journal and New Era will be combined.
WATCHDOG: Let's hope this isn't the first step towards terminating the evening paper. In recent weeks, the New Era has run some good stories instead of relying on smut and vitriol. Perhaps editor Ernie Schreiber has been on vacation.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
QUESTION
How come the monopoly Lancaster Newspapers fail to mention claims by LCCCA Authority Board members and citizens that Penn Square Partners is claiming millions of dollars for itself that normally would go to the publicly owned Convention Center Authority?
WATCHDOG: It will be a sign that integrity has been restored to the monopoly newspapers when these major stories involving Penn Square Partners, of which an affiliate of Lancaster Newspapers, Inc. is an equal partner, are scrupulously reported.
WATCHDOG: It will be a sign that integrity has been restored to the monopoly newspapers when these major stories involving Penn Square Partners, of which an affiliate of Lancaster Newspapers, Inc. is an equal partner, are scrupulously reported.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
GUILT BY ASSOCIATION
In reference to the recent unintentional violation of the Sunshine Act by the current commissioners, Marv Adams, editor of the Sunday News: "But does any one think this violation compares to the violations that surrounded the sale of Conestoga View? ... Common sense is not common online among those who see a conspiracy at every turn ... NewsLanc.com, a staunch defender of Shellenberger and Henderson, posted last week: 'Wake up Lancaster ... to the Sunshine Law!'"
WATCHDOG: Adams apparently failed to distinguish between NewsLanc's news coverage of the event (which some criticized as being rather tepid) and what was said in a published letter. But even the letter to the editor did not suggest that the recent violation was part of a "conspiracy." Rather it suggested that, if indeed there were violations by the former Commissioner (something that the writer and NewsLanc do not believe was the case), that they were also honest mistakes, and should not have been reported by the monopoly newspapers as though they were the crime of the century.
WATCHDOG: Adams apparently failed to distinguish between NewsLanc's news coverage of the event (which some criticized as being rather tepid) and what was said in a published letter. But even the letter to the editor did not suggest that the recent violation was part of a "conspiracy." Rather it suggested that, if indeed there were violations by the former Commissioner (something that the writer and NewsLanc do not believe was the case), that they were also honest mistakes, and should not have been reported by the monopoly newspapers as though they were the crime of the century.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL
"SDL blasts Science Academy; School District of Lancaster officials said the proposed charter school would be underfunded and understaffed." 2/12/08
WATCHDOG: It should not take the Intell until the 'jump page' and the last three paragraphs of a 22 paragraph article to report the Science Academy's response. The following paragraphs should have appeared far earlier on the front page of the Local / Business section:
"David Morgan III, a former assistant superintendent at the Great Valley School District who serves as Science Academy's curriculum consultant, said school officials plan to correct any 'inconsistencies' in the curriculum. A written response to the concerns will be submitted in the coming weeks as part of the official record of the hearing, Morford said."
WATCHDOG: It should not take the Intell until the 'jump page' and the last three paragraphs of a 22 paragraph article to report the Science Academy's response. The following paragraphs should have appeared far earlier on the front page of the Local / Business section:
"David Morgan III, a former assistant superintendent at the Great Valley School District who serves as Science Academy's curriculum consultant, said school officials plan to correct any 'inconsistencies' in the curriculum. A written response to the concerns will be submitted in the coming weeks as part of the official record of the hearing, Morford said."
Sunday, February 10, 2008
KUDOS
To the Sunday News and Associate Editor Gil Smart for publishing "Saving souls, losing neighborhood?" a very thoughtful and measured article concerning the Water Street Rescue Mission, its laudable services to the homeless, its importance to the entire region, and its possible implications for the convention center project. The article can be found here.
WATCHDOG: Visit NewsLanc's "Will Lancaster be like Atlanta or Philadelphia" of Nov. 20, 2007 for answers to the important questions that Smart implicitly raises in his article. The article can be found here.
WATCHDOG: Visit NewsLanc's "Will Lancaster be like Atlanta or Philadelphia" of Nov. 20, 2007 for answers to the important questions that Smart implicitly raises in his article. The article can be found here.
SUNDAY NEWS
"Barbara Hough Roda has been promoted to managing editor of the Sunday News effective today...[she] is assisted by Gil Smart, associate editor." (Feb.10)
WATCHDOG: NewsLanc has confirmed from a reliable source that "The top positions on the Sunday News, in descending order, are: Editor, Managing Editor, Associate Editor." We don't want to get Marv Adams (or ourselves!) in trouble, but we have a lot of respect for Adams. He isn't always right, but he always permits those on the other side to have their say.
WATCHDOG: NewsLanc has confirmed from a reliable source that "The top positions on the Sunday News, in descending order, are: Editor, Managing Editor, Associate Editor." We don't want to get Marv Adams (or ourselves!) in trouble, but we have a lot of respect for Adams. He isn't always right, but he always permits those on the other side to have their say.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Casino Hype
On Feb. 9, the Intelligencer Journal gushed: "With all the glitz of Las Vegas and the movies, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course will open its doors this week in Dauphin County.
The plush $300 million casino features 2,020 slot machines, restaurants to suit everyone's tastes, from hot dogs to haute cuisine, hundreds of flat-panel TVs and live and simulcast horse races, all amid decor of movieposters and props that reflect the best of Tinseltown."
WATCHDOG: Are we being prepared for the inevitable? Knowledgeable observers speculate that when the convention center project was pronounced dead in 2006, its sudden and miraculous resuscitation had to do with the passing of the law permitting licensing of slot casinos (with table gambling likely soon to follow.) We do know that talk about "closing the funding gap" was sheer propaganda. The gap actually exploded.
The plush $300 million casino features 2,020 slot machines, restaurants to suit everyone's tastes, from hot dogs to haute cuisine, hundreds of flat-panel TVs and live and simulcast horse races, all amid decor of movieposters and props that reflect the best of Tinseltown."
WATCHDOG: Are we being prepared for the inevitable? Knowledgeable observers speculate that when the convention center project was pronounced dead in 2006, its sudden and miraculous resuscitation had to do with the passing of the law permitting licensing of slot casinos (with table gambling likely soon to follow.) We do know that talk about "closing the funding gap" was sheer propaganda. The gap actually exploded.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
"SIN CITY"
In his Sunday News Column which readers claim they will never read again and keep on objecting to, Gil Smart comes to the defense of the New Era. "The article was the latest in a fairly long line of what might be called 'sin' stories that have been plastered all over the front page..... While the Craigslist story - while all these stories - are legitimate stories, good stories, they are of such interest to local readers in part because there's still a sort of naiveté in Lancaster County, I think a sense that these things don't happen here." (Emphasis original.)
WATCHDOG: We understand now. All those "sin" stories appearing in the New Era are to instruct us about our humanity, and providing provocative headlines and devoting the top of the front page of the newspaper to how to get l--- locally is to teach humility to our children. (They might have missed this vital lesson had it appeared elsewhere in the paper and been written in a less sensational manner.) And here dumb us thought editor Ernie Schreiber was trying to increase circulation by exploiting our common prurience!
WATCHDOG: We understand now. All those "sin" stories appearing in the New Era are to instruct us about our humanity, and providing provocative headlines and devoting the top of the front page of the newspaper to how to get l--- locally is to teach humility to our children. (They might have missed this vital lesson had it appeared elsewhere in the paper and been written in a less sensational manner.) And here dumb us thought editor Ernie Schreiber was trying to increase circulation by exploiting our common prurience!
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