Ready yourselves for the propoganda war which is about to begin.
(Yeah, I know. That sentence sounds mighty Darnell-esque. But seriously- enough is enough. We should all know by now that the ones touted as the “Reed Team” are the ones to avoid next fall.)
As soon as this election dies down, you’re going to start to hear chatter about the next Harrisburg Mayoral and Council elections- which are just about a year away.
When being courted, please remember the following facts:
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In a display of some fine journalism the likes of which this city has been mostly denied, WHP-21 reporter Jason Bristol shed some light on the financial quagmire known as the Sports Hall of Fame.
Bristol asked some pretty basic questions of Lavenda; and his answers made it quite clear that there is, perhaps, no real plan or possibility of Harrisburg having a sports hall of fame anytime in the near future.
Bristol asked Lavenda “Have you heard of the Sports Museum of America which is in New York?”
To which Lavenda replied: “From my understanding, they’re no further along than we are.”
And here’s where the proverbial bitch-slap comes in: The Sports Museum of America opened in May and boasts over one thousands sports exhibits including the Heisman Trophy and exhibits which allow visitors to participate in interactive activities like changing a tire on a NASCAR vehicle or seeing what it’s like to be an NHL goalie.
But Lavenda, the man earning one hundred thousand dollars per year to develop Harrisburg’s version of a sports hall of fame, was literally clueless about this massive display just three and a half hours from here.
Read Jason Bristol’s blistering report here.
And be sure to email Bristol commending him on a job well done here.
Based on the fact that the Patriot News has displayed an almost inexplicable increase in the coverage of local events and reports released by the Mayors Office over the past several days, I’d like to hold a conference with the Patriot News Editorial Board and ask them a few questions.
If the Patriot News Editorial Board were willing to listen to the concerns of a panel of people just like me who wonder some of the same things with regard to the way they report their news, I would ask them the following questions:
1. What is the thought process when deciding which events or activities that occur within the walls of the Martin Luther King Jr. building in Harrisburg are considered newsworthy?
2. Does the newspaper aggressively seek realistic, accurate and relevant crime data from the records department in The City of Harrisburg? If not, why? If so, what investigative methods do you use?
3. Does the editorial board of The Patriot News have a bias for or against any body within local government?
4. Does the Editorial Board of The Patriot News aggressively seek out stories and happenings? Or is it more of a passive endeavor; reporting on and responding to only the press releases sent to them?
5. Does the Editorial Board of The Patriot News view it’s readers as intelligent, concerned and capable citizens of the city within which it reports? Or are the demographics and readership data used for selling advertising it’s only concern?