Monday, April 16, 2012

Cincy | Where was the Buchanan disclosure?

From alternative weekly CityBeat today

The Cincinnati Enquirer ran a lengthy, glowing article over the weekend about the ongoing redevelopment of Over-the-Rhine and 3CDC's central role in helping it occur — all of which is well and good. But the piece, which contained more than 1,900 words, could only find space for 125 words critical of the effort and none at all for a direct quote from 3CDC's critics. (That's about 1/16th for the those keeping track at home.) Maybe that's because Enquirer Publisher Margaret Buchanan sits on 3CDC's executive committee and is in charge of publicity for the group, which was yet another fact curiously missing from the article.

29 comments:

  1. Buchanan has turned the Enquirer into a newsletter that exists to sing nighttime lullabies to her sacred cows. Our main editors -- Washburn, Pichler, Hamilton, Engebrecht -- join in obediently. We love to kick easy targets, like city hall, the city school district and social welfare agencies, but turn on the love when it comes to 3CDC, the Chamber, Procter & Gamble, Fifth Third Bank and real estate developers.

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  2. Buchanan's connection should have been noted. It is when issues involve the University of Cincinnati. However when it comes to 3CDC's role in revitalization the Enquirer has been more than willing to march in lock step with it. A few years ago, a PR woman for 3CDC tracked down the former editor to complain about a reporter writing about the displacement of the homeless from Washington Park and the homeless shelter. The reporter got taken to the woodshed. The welts probably still show.
    It would also be helpful for the Enquirer to put more seasoned reporters on stories of this nature, reporters who have the contacts in the inner-city and can balance the piece. The lengthy story that appeared Sunday sounded as breathless as if it was written by the 3CDC public relations spokesperson. It had the air of an old Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland musical with Andy Hardy saying, "Hey, gang, let's put on a show."

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  3. Clear conflict of interest
    which means only one thing: President's Ring.

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  4. I'm surprised the story didn't have links to the sites where developers sell condos. The Enquirer could have charged for those links. Buchanan/Washburn simply need to get with it and monetize the content!

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  5. At least Buchanan didn't sign a recall petition.

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  6. If they're not going to do anything Zidich and the Fiesta Bowl scandal (in fact all signs point to a promotion for him) why would they care about the Ethical Lapses of Margaret Buchanan?

    Seriously, the publisher's role is to bring in $$$$. Gannett corporate doesn't want to be bothered with things like ethics.

    (Note that if you're a newsroom employee and sign a Scott Walker recall petition it's an entirely different matter.)

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  7. There's a different "oops" that's scaring the pants off the editor in the newsroom today. Can someone on the inside shed some light on what happened with a photo in Sunday's local section?

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    Replies
    1. Yes and Carolyn is working like crazy to figure out who is responsibe for that Fword pboto!

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  8. How does gannot allow this mediocre manager to continue? Send her to corporate already and put Cinncy out of its infancy.

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  9. Right on. Buchanan is all about, only about the $$$$. She could give a fuck about ethics. Never has and never will.

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  10. Just because Margaret knows the rules of disclosure doesn’t mean she has to play by them for herself.

    Sadly, this is just another “omission” that lessens the Enquirer’s credibility with its shrinking base of readers.

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  11. 1:07, What page in Local?

    2:10, Love the new name of the company. It's not Gannett. It's Gannot!

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  12. Frightened little tools, the Gannettoids. Laughing at their Oz-like puffery. Make Newt seem rational

    They recall the banana apology. They need to get to age 61 to get SocSec. Love that self-dealing.

    Laughing at you, Gannettoids. Weak, dim and fop-ish.

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  13. Gannett ethics. Meanwhile Khristopher Brooks is fired for his little piece of self promotion, while Washburn appears as a Woman to Watch in the Enquirer.

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  14. Living in Cincinnati, it is just obvious that the Enquirer uses its UN-Restricted power to have 2 or 3 part series on Issues with City Hall, its workers, or even some State agencies..But never a hint of 'wrong" at Kroger, P&G, GE, UC, or 3CDC. Also they talk in a series of "Bullying" in the schools and workplace. But never use the on-going use of intimidation and profanities in their own offices or distribution centers. Wish I had a $ for every time a manager shouted out F&^# or some other Sexual profanity!!!!No Class in the Enquirer workplace.

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  15. 1:07, how about some specifics? What photo? What was in it? Are we just supposed to guess?

    4:40, great post.

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  16. Gay & Lesbian rally photo. 2 ladies front and center. One holding a sign with an arrow pointing to the other with the caption "I f**k her". Photo from November 2011. Quite a few printed copies out the door before caught. That's what you get when you show good workers the door.

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  17. 5:40 Many, many people across the newspaper industry would like to see a photo of that page, with the photograph visible.

    You could send it to me at jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]

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  18. Washburn trying to find out who's responsible for an Fword photo in the paper? She should find the idiot who planned the hub, layoffs and buy-outs expecting to get by with editing on the cheap.

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  19. 1:07 here. Don't have a copy and haven't seen the page. Washburn censored the staff from discussing the incident outside newsroom walls, probably within those walls, too.

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  20. When did that edict come down from CW. Haven't heard that. But I'm in the who-gives-a-shit about them rank in CW's book I'm sure.

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  21. Is that the same hub that dropped the f-bomb in the Greenville paper? That would make this their second bombing in less than six months.
    http://gannettblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/greenville-wtf-mistake-everyones.html

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  22. K, like I care why?

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  23. Until someone can provide a link to the story, or identify more information about the photo (photog name, when & where it was taken, etc.) I call complete BS.

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  24. The few copies that were floating around have disappeared. Local section Page B-4 Photo credit to T.Jones/Enquirer. No BS!!!

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  25. Washburn is also incensed that she didn't win a Woman of the Year award, despite the fact that TEN women won. Poor staffers had to write 10 fluffy profiles of the women, as if there wasn't any real news breaking around town. Each of the women had to pledge that they would drop the Enquirer's name in conversation as they make the rounds in their social circles, also to carry subscription forms and prepaid envelopes wherever they go. Several of the more influential women have agreed to nominate Margaret Buchanan to serve on various political and powerful steering commmittees locally, one of which will be looking into the possibility of launching the city's first newspaper since the Post shut down in 2007.

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  26. Buchanan, going to be nominated on a committee to start a local newspaper 9:54 PM?

    It’s doubtful any serious players would want and/or trust her to help launch a potential competitor. She’s not a detail, nuts and bolts person at all and her only real strength lies in the power Gannett gave her as publisher.

    Frankly, if a serious group is forming there are more suitable, experienced people in the area who would be highly motivated to help.

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  27. Working with her when she was at elmira was when I learned that true evil does exist in the world.

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  28. The "f*&k" photo absolutely got published. Copies aren't handy because the disaster was caught early. Probably less than 10,000 got delivered and the rest were destroyed.

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