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| Power's arrest photo. |
Indeed, just three months ago, series reporter Martha Bellisle received top honors during the 2010 Better Newspaper Contest sponsored by the Nevada Press Association. In addition to being named the year's outstanding journalist among Nevada's larger dailies, her DUI work was lauded as the story of the year.
"Bellisle’s exhaustive, in-depth reporting,'' the association said, "exposed numerous gaps in DUI enforcement in Nevada and held officials accountable for the lapses. Her reporting led to policy changes by prosecutors and DUI offenders being hauled away in handcuffs. A shining example of public service journalism."
Power, publisher since May 2007, was arrested on suspicion of first-time DUI and was ticketed for speeding, after a Washoe County Sheriff’s Office deputy stopped him about 10:10 p.m. Power was booked and released from the Washoe County Jail.
Related: from the paper's series, offenders skirt DUI law for years; plus: the series spurred changes in Nevada's DUI laws
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.
[Photo: Updated at 12:08 p.m. ET with Power's booking photo]
Why "sadly ironic?" Why not just plain ironic. Also, I went through all 100 of the mug shots the paper posed today, and Power is not there. Either there is lLots of criminal activity in this little town, or police are very aggressive there.
ReplyDeleteWhat is corporate policy on driving company cars while drunk? Is there any automatic procedure that takes the company car away from people charged with DUI?
ReplyDeletePower's booking photo is now online with the paper's original story about his arrest.
ReplyDeleteIf you track this story down in the "News" section of the Gazette-Journal site, rather than using Jim's direct link -- and you have to really look to find it -- you see that 32 comments were posted to the story. Yet, when you click on the story, none appear.
ReplyDeleteThe irony seems to be that the publisher is not willing to subject himself to the same scrutiny that other people receive everyday on Gannett sites.
I heard a rumor last week that gannett is actively trying to recruit a new publisher for the RGJ... Anyone know anything about it?
ReplyDeleteNote: Power is wearing a tuxedo in his booking photo is because he was returning from a party when a Washoe County sheriff's deputy pulled him over for speeding.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that they disabled reader comments for the story online of his arrest.
ReplyDeleteThe comments were very nasty and had nothing to do with Power's DUI arrest. A poster with the rep of hating the paper was making unfounded comments on Power's personal life that would be pulled on any other story.
ReplyDeleteAt least they published it, and with a picture. I didn't see anyway they could avoid doing this, but strange things happen in this company. But they did the right thing here.
ReplyDeleteThe Journal News in Westchester cut the posters who had uncomplimentary remarks about the retirement of VP/EE Henry "The Eyebrow" Freeman and the ascension of CynDee Royle to the VP throne.
ReplyDeleteThese were not insulting, merely remarks noting the declining quality and circulation of the paper.
Typical of The Journal News' attitude of being better than the readers or the subjects of its stories!
4:49 p.m.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to find a good thing to say about the debacle at The Journal News in Westchester, but it appears you are incorrect when you say that critical comments about Freeman and Royle have been removed from the website.
Go to lohud.com and keyword freeman and you will find two stories with about 20 comments total attached, many very uncomplimentary.
Not that Freeman and Royle give a rat's ass.
Sticks and stones and fat paychecks and all that.
The publisher in Cincinnati before Buchanan was arrested on DUI shortly before his ouster. Be careful what you wish for by calling for Power's demise.
ReplyDelete4:23 -- But comments are no longer allowed on that story. With most stories, Gannett newspapers pull "offensive" comments and let the rest stand. Is this a staffing issue? Not enough people to police the comments on what's sure to be a widely read piece?
ReplyDeleteI stand corrected 5:32 p.m....They did leave the stuff up! Missed it the first time (and almost this time) because of a rather long pause after clicking on the site.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I guess they recognize the truth when they see it!
It is a personal tragedy for Ted Power. I respect that. The image cultivated, long sought... its hypocrisy is a deal breaker. No matter his sycophantic service to Gannett, he's toast. His career, his life; length of said service essentially nothing. They did the same thing to me -- terrific tenure; excellent work; whatever asked, excelled. Poof! Although in my case it was tax-break outsourcing, not betting behind the wheel after drinking. Yet Gannett will do the same thing to Power as I. They've got his papers drawn up even before the test results come back.
ReplyDeleteI'm not so sure about that. But, we'll see . . .
ReplyDelete7:52, right or wrong, I'm not so sure that's the case. Could blow over.
ReplyDeleteBill Clinton survived the blue dress.
I don't know Ted Power. I just wish him and his family the best of luck. He might have just been one drink over the line...I don't see anything about his b.a.c...It could really be an aberration.
ReplyDeleteAnd if it's not, I hope he recognizes it for whats it is and he does something about it.
Alcohol sneaks up and plays a lot of nasty tricks on a lot of people. Mostly they can't even hear it coming.
I don't fell sorry for this guy. He drank and then decided to drive. Bottom line is he broke the law. Hopefully the city of Reno will make a example of him. Find him guilty, fine him as much as possible, make him attend meetings or whatever the law allows for a 1st time DUI.
ReplyDeleteAs far as 10:49 I think the picture shows he was well over the limit. He looks toasted. Hopefully it was worth it Teddy.
7:52 -- I'd hate to see anyone lose his career over one dumb mistake, but it's worth mentioning that this man has ended many people's Gannett careers during his time in Reno. And he willfully ended those careers as part of his personal decision to serve as a management arm of Gannett corporate.
ReplyDeleteIf corporate now decides that he's no longer viable as part of its machine, he of all people should understand. After all, he's been a willing part of the process for years.
The big difference between him and the many people he terminated as part of Gannett layoffs would be the fact that he actually did something wrong. Yes, it was a one-time mistake, but he let people go that hadn't been caught in any mistakes and he sent them out into a terrible economy where landing a job is next to impossible.
If that's where he finds himself, it will be unfortunate. But again, he'd be getting a better shake than many of the people who worked for him.
Beyond that, there's absolutely no reason to think he wouldn't land on his feet. He might make less pay than he does now. But again, that's the situation that many of his former employees have found themselves in and they didn't go out because of a bad decision that endangered other lives.
Ted seemed like a top notch guy in Lafayette La. I assure you the Louisiana group would love to have him back.
ReplyDeleteI have no sympathy for any Gannett overpaid publisher tooling around in a tux and company sedan. Sorry. And God help me.
ReplyDeleteI was a miserably-paid $42,000 a year managing editor at a Ganett paper and my career was ended by a little dictator publisher with a reprimand that was uncalled for since the "infraction" - a less-than-steller special section - was done by a news editor while I was away at a Gannett training program. Imagine that.
Regardless, the reprimand ruined any chances for a career or future with this company. So a year later, I quit in disgust, sold my company stock at almost $90 a share and moved on.
Hey wait, maybe I should actually thank the little dictator??
He's welcome in Louisiana. We'd love to have him back. The Cajun Mafia would make sure that this would never happen here. If Ted got pulled over, they'd drive him home and ask for a favor. He'd comply by covering or not covering a story, and everyone'd be happy.
ReplyDelete"The comments were very nasty and had nothing to do with Power's DUI arrest. A poster with the rep of hating the paper was making unfounded comments on Power's personal life that would be pulled on any other story."
ReplyDeleteJim allows these types of comments on every thread.
The comment about Jim being "subhuman" was excessive, but the point behind it was a good one.
That's right 2:03 PM you know who your daddy is! I'm Ted Power and I'm "the boss".
ReplyDeleteIf you're going to make the huge mistake of getting behind the wheel drunk, you better start looking for the best DUI lawyer. The law is the law, he shouldn't have gotten behind the wheel.
ReplyDelete