Media Tidbits

Cut and paste? How can you screw that up?

From the WPTA story

And the WOWO story

The moral of the story, is that if you're going to copy off your neighbor's paper, you might want to try to copy correctly.....

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A simple rewrite of a police press release about the dangers of firing a gun into the air to celebrate New Year's Eve. But leave it to WANE TV to screw that up. Hey WANE, it's a toy gun (the orange tip). Do you think your viewers are idiots or did you want to be politically correct? Or,do you just not know what a real gun looks like? 

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And the Catch of The Day goes to WPTA.....

An earlier version of this story said that the Diocese had cut the award to Herx. Apparently someone at WPTA wisely rewrote the story before lawyers for the Diocese or others caught the screwup.  

Nice save.

Riddle Me This Journal Gazette...

This is a head-scratcher for the Maven.

The Journal Gazette encourages readers to share J-G stories with friends, and others using various social media platforms. 

But then, the Journal Gazette admonishes to not share their stories. Huh? 

SHARE but don't REDISTRIBUTE. 

Multiple Guess

Here's a perfect example why the mass audience is confused. 

Our friends at 21 Alive seem a little conflicted as well. So, the Maven will ask the question:

When it comes being certain that the Ash Skyline project will include the residential tower as part of the project,  

Is Mayor Tom 

A)Nearly certain?
B) Virtually certain?
C) Somewhat certain?
D) Kinda, sorta, maybe certain?
E) Not at all certain?

Not long ago, the Maximum Supreme Commander of the Fort Wayne Community School board, Field Marshall Mark GiaQuinta, blamed ignorant, misinformed and uninformed voters for FWCS's transportation budget shortfall (the goofball voters voted for lower taxes). Now, one can see why voters are ignorant or confused. Media is doing their part.....

WANE TV Lowers The Bar Further

The Maven can appreciate that it's the holidays, which means people are off and those without much seniority are stuck doing their job and that of someone else. It's a fact of life. 

However, the bar can only be lowered so far. 

From our friends at WANE TV today:

Perhaps the brakes took a break? Sorry, the Maven cracks himself up sometimes. 

Here's a ProTip for those in the WANE TV news room: If the thoroughfare is paved, has curbs, and is in an urban area, it's called a STREET, not a road. 

And to make this gem complete, the on air reporter mentioning a new street name in downtown, it's called VAN BURN Street. Please make a note of it, thank you. 

No Christmas Bonuses in Elkhart?

Federated Media folk in Elkhart/South Bend may not be getting that Christmas bonus this year. Instead, Federated Media/Pathfinder Communications will be sending $46,000 to the FCC. 

Here's what happened: Those ugly tones we hear on the radio and TV during weather and other emergencies are considered "sacred" to the FCC, as they are to only be used in a real emergency or life-threatening situation. It's called the Emergency Alert System, or EAS.

Recently, the FCC has fined radio and TV stations for including those "alert tones" in advertising and promotional announcements. One would think that those stations would not want to mislead their listeners/viewers, but, the almighty dollar is a very strong motivator. 

Well, WTRC-FM, a FedMed/Pathfinder station licensed to Niles, Michigan and serving the South Bend/Elkhart market got caught including those tones in an advertisement, and has agreed to pay the FCC $46,000 for their actions. While the language of the FCC document calls it a "consent decree" as opposed to a "fine", it's appears to be the equivalent of a plea bargain. 

Read for yourself here:

http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2014/db1210/DA-14-1656A1.pdf

This sure takes the heat of the kids in the WOWO news room, eh?

News....Maybe In An Academic Sense...

Please forgive the Maven for his absence these past days. Nothing personal, but there are things more important than what the collective Fort Wayne media spew forth on a regular basis. 

So, understanding that need for fun and hilarity, here's your "kids in the WOWO news room f*up fix" for the day. 

In an "updated" story about the City's second fatal hit and run, we are given this gem:

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): The man killed in a hit-and-run accident early this morning has been identified. 

Authorities say 42-year-old Rufus Overbay of Fort Wayne died as a result from blunt force trauma. Just after 12:30 a.m., Overbay's body was found near Crescent State and East State Boulevard.

Ah yes. Anyone care to venture a guess as to what a "Crescent State" is and what does it have to do with East State Boulevard?

Too much lip gloss, I guess. 

The Bulldog Has No Bite

The Maven routinely gets irritated when local media, usually TV and radio,  simply cut and paste and polish press releases written and assembled by the authorities. 
Where are the questions? Where is the original reporting?

What really perturbs the Maven is when a media outlet that knows better does the same thing. 

This little ditty appeared in the pages of the once-vaunted Journal Gazette this morning. If it looks like a PR staffer for the Henry administration wrote it, you're mostly right. It's long on brag and short on details. 

A quick read of the story begs questions that the Journal Gazette was comfortable enough not to ask. The friendly relationship between the Journal and the administration is well known, however the complete pass that the JG gave the city is glaring. 

Now, the Maven hasn't written for a newspaper in nearly 30 years, but even the Maven would like to know:

1. How were the neighborhoods receiving the new sidewalks and streets selected?
2. Isn't this just a multi-year PR campaign to enhance the images of the administration and city council? There's an election next year...
3. Why didn't previous administrations do this?
4. Which council districts received the most assistance?
5. Why is this not considered "vote buying"?
6. Do any of the contractors have a direct or indirect relationship with any of the politicians that voted to give them the contracts?
7. Did any of these contractors contribute to the election campaigns of council or the mayor?
8. How many of the companies doing the work are local. 
9. What percentage of the contractors are union vs non-union?

The Maven could continue, but the point is, the Journal Gazette has either become very lazy in it's old age, or it's doing a superb job of protecting the political and powerful, while doing a piss poor job of being a watchdog for government waste and fraud. 

The real crime is that the only reporter in town asking any questions is that slippery Adam whats-his-name on WANE TV.