Thursday, April 23, 2009

Urgent: Beck says we 'do not guarantee anonymity'

This just in from Wausau Daily Herald Publisher Michael Beck:

Jim,

Sorry for the delay. It's been a long, busy day.

Did you really tell our managing editor that if I didn't call you by midnight, you would post a letter or e-mail about us?  Wow.

As for your question, we abide by our online terms of use. They do not guarantee anonymity. I won't address the Zuleger story.

However, I can envision a scenario where we would release contact information for someone making comments on our site. For instance, if someone were making threatening comments.

Ultimately, we're trying to do the best job we can.

I hope this helps.

Michael Beck
Publisher
Wausau Daily Herald

11 comments:

  1. Jim-- No one can guarantee anonymity on the Internet. Not even you. So what's your point?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beck wrote: "Did you really tell our managing editor that if I didn't call you by midnight, you would post a letter or e-mail about us?"

    I sure did.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jim Hopkins said...

    Beck wrote: "Did you really tell our managing editor that if I didn't call you by midnight, you would post a letter or e-mail about us?"

    I sure did.

    4/24/2009 12:15 AM


    Jim, I don't know why you sound so proud of this. Is this the way you dealt with sources when you were with USA Today?

    ReplyDelete
  4. 12:39 am: I gave Mike Beck more than six hours to respond to my questions before I posted them online. That's a courtesy, in my book.

    ReplyDelete
  5. You are such an asshole Jim.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Beck wrote: "... we abide by our online terms of use. They do not guarantee anonymity."

    Which is EXACTLY what I said in the FIRST comment on this topic at 5 a.m. Thursday morning.

    You don't like it, don't agree to the Terms Of Service by posting on the site.

    Maybe the paper should not have given up the info, but they are perfectly within their rights to do so. End of story.

    ReplyDelete
  7. 12:39, 2:31,

    You either aren't reporters or not very good ones.
    You call, or e-mail if that's your only option, ask the question and tell your deadline.
    If the source doesn't respond by then, it's noted.
    It's not a threat. It's reality of daily newspapers.
    If you didn't do that, any source could delay any story by not responding. How fucked up would that be?

    ReplyDelete
  8. My WOW comes from Beck's egotistical stance to think that Gannett should be spared the same investigative dilligence by a reporter when investigating it's own actions as they would/and do ecpect of a reporter investigating city government officials.

    Jim is a reporter, who's beat is to cover Gannett Company Incorporated. No different than any reporter covering local government beats.

    People..get over yourselves.

    ReplyDelete
  9. @9:00 perhaps Beck was astonished at the deadline because sources don't get held accountable at his paper? And they get to stall as a courtesy?

    Or, perhaps he doesn't understand how journalists work.

    ReplyDelete
  10. @9:00 perhaps Beck was astonished at the deadline because sources don't get held accountable at his paper? And they get to stall as a courtesy?

    Or, perhaps he doesn't understand how journalists work.

    4/24/2009 10:04 AM

    _________________________________

    9:00 AM here...

    His "paper"? He's Publisher for all 4 Central WI newspapers.

    I know Mike Beck, and if he doesn't understand how journalists work, he shouldn't be Publisher of 4 newspapers.

    And if sources are allowed to stall "as a courtecy" and this is the MO of the newsrooms he's in charge of, then once again, he is not qualified to be publisher of 4 newspapers.

    ReplyDelete
  11. @9:00 perhaps Beck was astonished at the deadline because sources don't get held accountable at his paper? And they get to stall as a courtesy? Or, perhaps he doesn't understand how journalists work. 4/24/2009 10:04 AM _________________________________ 9:00 AM here... His "paper"? He's Publisher for all 4 Central WI newspapers. I know Mike Beck, and if he doesn't understand how journalists work, he shouldn't be Publisher of 4 newspapers. And if sources are allowed to stall "as a courtecy" and this is the MO of the newsrooms he's in charge of, then once again, he is not qualified to be publisher of 4 newspapers.

    ReplyDelete

Jim says: "Proceed with caution; this is a free-for-all comment zone. I try to correct or clarify incorrect information. But I can't catch everything. Please keep your posts focused on Gannett and media-related subjects. Note that I occasionally review comments in advance, to reject inappropriate ones. And I ignore hostile posters, and recommend you do, too."

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