Publish or Perish? The PD Does Neither
By Roldo Bartimole

Well, the Plain Dealer did it again.

Our monopoly daily apparently has invented a new form of reporting, or not – avoidance journalism.

Some hard choice comes up. Avoid it.

Isn’t that what they did when Publisher Alex “Snake” Machaskee did not go along with the paper’s editorial board decision to endorse John Kerry? They evaded the confrontation by avoiding an endorsement.

It was an embarrassing episode in a long history of embarrassing occurrences.

Now, the PD has, according to Editor Doug Clifton, “two stories of profound importance languish(ing) in our hands.” The paper decided that it would remain silent on both stories in fear that reporters or others could go to jail if the pieces were published.

“The public would be well served to know them, but both are based on documents leaked to us by people who would face deep trouble for having leaked them,” wrote Clifton.

I hadn’t seen Clifton’s column until last Friday when alerted by someone. This is a national story, I said to myself, and alerted Editor and Publisher. E&P ran a piece on line and the New York Times, now in the exact situation the PD wants to avoid, ran an even longer piece.

What are the pieces about? What’s swirling around the PD newsroom and among others is the thought that it has to do with the Nate Gray episode and names not made public who are possible targets of the government’s case against local politicians and their friends.

The Gray case ended in a mistrial, under unsettling circumstances, last week and the government will again try the case, next time in Akron. One juror, who had a prior association with a Cleveland politician, held out against 11.

Well, it’s not hard to extrapolate there.

What’s the triumvirate that has ruled in Cleveland in the past decade or more? Answer: Former Mayor Michael White, Gray (twice best man at White’s wedding), and Sam Miller, closest advisor of White and a top gun at Forest City Enterprises.

Nevertheless, what puzzles me is why Clifton wrote the piece proclaiming the PD held illegal documents. Can that itself be construed as illegal?

Here’s the conclusion of the Times piece: “Mr. Clifton said he was surprised that there had been so little public reaction to his disclosure of ‘something that newspapers typically don’t reveal’ – that real live news had been stifled. I hope the public will be bothered by that.”

That suggests to me that Clifton wanted this news to be widely debated and made into an issue. He certainly didn’t evade questions by either Editor and Publisher or the N. Y. Times.

Maybe his motive was meant to counter Machaskee who may have vetoed publication, along with the paper’s lawyers. Reporters could go to jail but newspapers could be fined, something repugnant to Machaskee and his bosses, the Newhouse family.

That’s pure speculation on my part but in so many cases of censorship and misfeasance in Machaskee’s long history – earning him the moniker “Snake” – he has been the culprit at the PD.

One has to wonder also whether the PD could not speculate strongly as to the possibility that the government also would look to former Mayor White when Gray has been recipient of so much government work via the White administration.

It is a question that has been on the minds of many ordinary citizens, so why not the PD in its coverage of these foul doings.

A number of Cleveland bloggers have begun picking away critically at the PD, so it’s likely that the story may have some shelf life left to it.

Known By The Company He Keeps

Tell me, does this make the worse possible combination of backers today for a black candidate for Mayor?

Former Safety Director James Draper can claim the backing of city’s Police and Fire unions and top wealthy corporate leaders. None is likely top of the list of favorites for blacks.

And there aren’t three more greedy entities when it comes to taking care of themselves with city goodies, particularly the business community.

No wonder there are so many sightings of Draper at Johnny’s downtown restaurant where the elite, including George Forbes, like to eat, or at least be seen.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Roldo Bartimole RoldoAtAdelphia.net (:divend:)