BLOGGING FOR TRANSPARENCY….
‘Another reporter is told to keep an eye on the local government, but he covers a city council that also meets Tuesday nights, forcing him to alternate his attendance between the two municipalities. The politicians time their misdeeds accordingly: Property taxes and garbage fees go up, a tire dump and a warehouse park are built in residential neighborhoods, and everybody gets a pay raise.
The weary reporter quits, so the newspaper dumps his job on somebody else — who also covers city council meetings on Tuesday nights.
”For the corrupt politicians in our circulation area, it was a dream come true,” writes Hiaasen, a Miami Herald columnist who says newspapers regularly inform his fiction. “The unsuspecting citizens of three communities . . . were being semi-regularly reamed and ripped off by their elected representatives, all because the newspaper could no longer afford to show up.”
Imagine this scenario playing out in city after city, and you have a pretty good idea of the political fallout of a newspaper industry on the wane. This is the best thing that ever happened to crooked pols since manila envelopes.’
HERE’S THE SCOOP….
‘Sure, the explosive growth of blogs and other online outlets is helping fill the void. Some of the best scoops of the 2008 campaign first appeared outside the mainstream press. Local gadflies, out-of-work reporters and other rabble rousers are posting great stuff.’
BC- This is what the “2-Hats” are trying to stop!…Sorry guys…that’s not happening!….
Definitely more to come….from this ” self -appointed oversight committee”as referred to by Comm. Silverstone… “rabble rouser”…”blogger!….
full text below…
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/columnists/beth-reinhard/story/949348.html
Tags: Local Politics, News, Scoops
