News is a Conversation: Posts by Terry Bain

Congratulations (Terry Bain)

Blessings.

tags: KenSands, Ken, Sands, spokesman, SpokesmanReview, newspaper ( Full post )

Teacher ousted for porn, still paid (Terry Bain)

Was the teacher "ousted" or did he resign? I know he likely resigned because they were on to him, but it seems an important difference in this story because the difference between being ousted and resigning seems to be the difference between whether he's still being paid or not... that is, because he resigned immediately, he still gets the paycheck until the end of his contract, but if he had been investigated and then ousted, well... I don't know what the law states, but I'm under the impression that it would be a different story. Yes? No? Questions? Petitions? ( Full post )

TXT: Extra Extra Extra (Terry Bain)

In a TXT story about newspapers paying search engines for ad links on big news stories link), the story fails to mention whether or not the Spokesman-Review has ever done so, and if they would consider doing so. I'm primarily just curious, because I think the practice is rather ridiculous, though I can see why a paper might do it... for instance, if you were a local paper with a big story, like the mayor not paying for pilfered grapes at the supermarket, you might pay for the keywords "pilfered grapes" so that the traffic didn't all end up at the Tacoman News Tribune. Um. But I really just wanted to know. ( Full post )

Responding to the Jack Lynch Non-Story (Terry Bain)

I'm going to try not to flip out. Which I may anyway. Because I'm angry, and I'm repulsed by this whole episode, and it's a large part of what's been keeping me away from this "blog" for too long. ( Full post )

Accuracy Splotch (Terry Bain)

Whoah. Did I just count six (6!) items in the Accuracy Watch?

I don't know what has to be different, but it seems to me something has to be different.

While I'm on the Accuracy Watch topic, I've always wondered what on earth the purpose of the words "due to a reporter's error" or "due to a photographer's error" were. It would seem to me to be a big step in the right direction to simply take each error on as a group, so that each error becomes the responsibility of the entire staff rather than an error of one reporter or photographer or journeyman electrician. The implication always seems to be that "this wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for that (unnamed) person." ( Full post )

Turkey Mess Redux (Terry Bain)

I don't know exactly what happened, but it appears that in some versions of the Spokesman-Review Thursday Morning Extravaganza, the entire contents of both the turkey Turkey correction, along with the Ex-UI VP AP story were printed on both B2 and B3 in their entirety. ( Full post )

Anticipating News by Ikea (Terry Bain)

UPDATE: See there, I knew I could count on you dudes to bring me the home cooked goods.

Okay. No I didn't. I half expected the song to remain the same.

Um, and, yeah, I know half the story actually is the same because it was directly from the AP story and it even says so at the bottom of the story "AP contributed to this story," but I'm still glad to see a local byline there... and I'm assuming there will be more. ( Full post )

When I was green in judgment, cold in blood (Terry Bain)

Okay. I know why you did it. And you know who you are. From the front page. A headline. And you can feel it coming, can't you?

Spinach scare ends salad days

Shakespeare, though probably not rolling over in his grave, is likely wondering what on earth e. coli has to do with "youthful inexperience or indescretion." ( Full post )

Aaaargh! (Terry Bain)

Avast! What's it take to get on the front page of the local paper these days? Fair attendance? Salmon news? Deadly spinach? Surely Talk Like a Pirate Day deserves at least a mention...

Doesn't it? ( Full post )

Die Photoshop, Die Die (Terry Bain)

My guess is that the regular readership of most newspapers assumes that the photographers that work there regularly modify/crop, or otherwise enhance their images (a print journalist is allowed to edit, so why not a photojournalist?). But maybe I'm wrong, and I'm pretty sure most of them don't... witness the Charlotte Observer photographer who was sacked for changing the color of the sky in his photo. I'll grant that I haven't seen the photo, but this seems rather extreme. For instance, one might wonder about placing a photo that once once color on a page that is designated as black and white. Can we change the photo to black and white? ( Full post )

Rah Rah Spokane, Rah Rah Convention Center, Rah Rah Why Weren't Joe and Sally Invited? (Terry Bain)

In the SR coverage of the Convention Center, the story by Alison Boggs says:

The opening today of Spokane's expanded Convention Center is a testament to public support for the convention business � essentially a belief that it makes good economic sense for Spokane.

And I would agree. But it seems as if we're still operating by old-Spokane rules here, folks, because having a grand opening day that's by invitation only does nothing but confuse and confound the citizens and voters of Spokane by first locking the doors, then opening them up the following day (for five measly hours) for open house festivities. ( Full post )

Clothesline Outlawed (Terry Bain)

A recent post in the briefing about clotheslines having been "outlawed" in several Spokane neighborhoods got me to thinking. Are they truly "outlawed"? Is this something on the law books? Is it a neighborhood rule? Is this on par with driveways in historical neighborhoods? ( Full post )

This Has Been Nagging at Me for Awhile, But I'm Bringing it Up Today (Terry Bain)

...for no special reason except that I'm just now remembering to bring it up.

And that is, what's with the section title "Today"?

Okay. So IN Life was probably past its prime, but at least I could count on it actually describing the section... that is, it was "Inland Northwest Life." It had something to do with living around here. And it appears that it still does. ( Full post )

Headline Sniper Strikes Again (Terry Bain)

Yesterday. Headline:

"North Korea defies U.S."

Though true, this is hardly the crux of the story (if one takes the time to read it)... nor is it particularly surprising or informative. Perhaps more importantly North Korea "They have basically defied the international community," as Stephen Hadley is quoted as saying in that very story. ( Full post )

Off Again On Again (Terry Bain)

I think this morning I'm just going to pose a question and see what kind of answers I get, if any.

First, let's take a look at the above-the-fold headline in today's paper: "Lights Out at Tidyman's." ( Full post )

Dogs Die in Hot Cars (Terry Bain)

I finished watching the daily briefing (and got my password back... thanks, folks), and I have to say I'm concerned about the attitude toward the "hot dog" story... most importantly the idea that it needs to be hotter before running a story about stuck in cars. ( Full post )

Vincente Out-Foxed by Hicks (Terry Bain)

Okay, I was pretty sure when I read that the S-R was considering running the American Idol winner on the front page that nothing would actually come of it. The story would end up in Today. Or somewhere else. Maybe A3. ( Full post )

Englishing Oddishly (Terry Bain)

I'm under the distinct impression that the headlines in the paper are often trying to do too much, and the headline indicating that "Heat records fall" is no exception.

Does this not seem to imply the opposite of what it's trying to say? That is "Heat records fall" seems to be saying that the records are now lower, when in fact they have been "broken" or other wise surpassed. ( Full post )

When Does the Freeway Construction Begin? (Terry Bain)

I would like to congratulate the Spokesman-Review for keeping the "road construction story" off the front page for today's paper.

Okay. Maybe that was too snarky. But I keep looking at yesterday's paper, specifically the front page, wherein the news is forced below the fold and off to the side by... what? An eye-in-the-sky photo of... nothing. No traffic. No enraged motorists. No orange-jacketed flaggers. Not even a Bloomsday runner or a Hoopfest shooter. ( Full post )

S-R Values PDF (Terry Bain)

I've got a question about the S-R Values Statement (beware the link... it's a pdf). And that's my question right there. Why is the Values Statement a pdf? This makes it slightly obnoxious for some readers (if their browser downloads the pdf rather than just displays it), makes it difficult for some search engines to find (though Google has no problem with pdf files) and is usually reserved for something that you want to preserve a certain design. And the document itself appears to be entirely undesigned. That is, it appears to be nothing more than a Word (or other word processor) document output in pdf format. Wouldn't it be simpler, and more elegant, and easier for the paper to update when necessary, and easier for people to access, if it were an html or xml or other text-based file? ( Full post )