Fast Food Journalism at the Pee Dee

The front page of the Pee Dee has become a forum of Fast Food Journalism - just about as protein deficient in information as the McDonald’s servings are absent nutrition.

Sunday’s edition reveals the lack of thought now a trademark of the PD front-page slide. The five-and-half, 12-inch display – about leadership and regionalism – has the photos of 75 politicians imbedded. Seventy-five cropped photos!

Is that supposed to be powerful? Is that supposed to be creative?

As usual, the “article” isn’t one. It sends you searching among the shorts in the display for “Where the hell is the story?” Finally, I noticed a black line with an ad for the website and - YES! - a note that inside on Page 4 “area leaders react.” All in all, not very tasty stuff.

The Pee Dee headline: “SO MANY LEADERS. WHO WILL LEAD US?” This is the great challenge.

On Page 4, we unfortunately get another non-story. It is a broken-up smattering of this and that with comments from some “leaders.” Many suggest, “That’s not my department.”

We don’t get actual factual or reasoned material. Slapdash quotes from our “leaders,” who don’t seem all that interested.

This is a lazy means of looking at anything. It’s makes for particularly dreadfully sluggish reading.

Sunday’s paper produced a fine example of Fast Food Journalism. A lot of space used representing little value to anybody or anything.

MORE SUNDAY NONSENSE FROM THE PEE DEE

The Pee Dee also put on a full-court press on the Medical Mart.

We need this or we’re going to fall into the lake!

With shameless propaganda the Sunday Forum pages were given over to two self-interested medical mart proponents, including one who actually would enjoy the business that we are expected create and subsidize with an increased county sales tax.

The two op-ed reports were from the potential mart operator Christopher Kennedy, president of Merchandise Mart Properties and son of Robert Kennedy (think this has anything to do with Kennedy-sycophant Tim Hagan’s rush to raise your taxes?), and the Cleveland Clinic’s CEO Toby Cosgrove. Likely PR firms wrote both sales pitches.

The PD gives us all sides as long as it doesn’t differ from its public stance.

We get no “fair and balanced” Fox News approach here. Simply, you take this dose of our humbug because that’s all you’re going to get. Not a word allowed in two full Forum pages by anyone who might have an opinion different from party doctrine.

The two proponent’s arguments are accompanied by eight highlighted quotes. Needless to say, all eight are excitedly in harmony with the two self-interested proponents and the PD.

Would you expect anything else from the editorial page of the Pee Dee? One can’t allow a smidgen of truth when peddling so crucial an issue as swallowing a tax to subsidize some wealthy guys – Kennedys at that. Let’s not forget the Ratners and the Forest City Gang lurking in the background.

Once again we hear comments of how this mart will be the “real savior of downtown,” and “a real catalyst for our city.” Wasn’t that supposed to be Gateway? Wasn’t that supposed to be the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Wasn’t that supposed to be Browns Stadium? Guess not.

Newcomers Publisher Terry Egger and Editor Susan Goldberg – now the paper’s managers - seem more pliable in the hands of the elite here than Alex “the Snake” Machaskee. Is that possible?

It’s more obvious where this pair lunches than where George Forbes got free vittles.

Only in the letters to the editor does one get any relief from the plying beseeches of those who want subsidies for breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner. The only relief we get is some common sense from readers.

What we end up with by reading the Pee Dee is a hefty serving of Fast Food Journalism and a heavy-handed dosage of party line propaganda.

It ain’t very appetizing.

SQUARING LAKE ERIE

It was announced yesterday by the Greater Cleveland Partnership that funds have been set aside to study the “squaring of Lake Erie.”

“A square lake would fit in perfectly for Cleveland, we believe, and it would help tourism,” said GCP boss Joe Roman.

Yes, this is a joke, too.

So many people inquired whether last week’s column item about our leaders proposing to straighten the Cuyahoga River was true that I guess I should say that such uncertainty about an obvious put on says more than we would like to know about how we perceive our leadership.

It’s not a testimony to their prowess, that’s for sure

From Cool Cleveland contributor Roldo Bartimole roldoATadelphia.net
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