Not As Clever By Half at KUOW (KUOW's Answer)
Not to drag this out but just so you know what KUOW says on the issue of Joel Connelly resorting to name-calling to make a point on last Friday's Weekday, I wrote to the station. Here's what Katy Sewall, the Weekday producer, had to say:
"The name calling by Joel Connelly was regrettable – but it is an opinion round-table. We do not control their opinions, or the opinions of our callers. It is our right as listeners to solidly disagree. And as a producer, right for me to take note of what is working and what isn’t. "
But that seems to say, in KUOW's opinion since it is an opinion round-table, anything goes. Good to know in case anyone ever wants to call Mr. Connelly, Ms. Balter or anyone else on the panel a name. I honestly wonder if someone called in and called Mr. Connelly say, a gasbag, if one the panelists wouldn't object. I bet they would.
Also, Ms. Sewall and the host, Steve Sher, control the time that callers have. If I had been given the chance, I would have "solidly disagreed" on air but I didn't get the chance.
I still stand by my statement that pundits with real opinions based on experience and facts don't need to call others names to make a good point.
"The name calling by Joel Connelly was regrettable – but it is an opinion round-table. We do not control their opinions, or the opinions of our callers. It is our right as listeners to solidly disagree. And as a producer, right for me to take note of what is working and what isn’t. "
But that seems to say, in KUOW's opinion since it is an opinion round-table, anything goes. Good to know in case anyone ever wants to call Mr. Connelly, Ms. Balter or anyone else on the panel a name. I honestly wonder if someone called in and called Mr. Connelly say, a gasbag, if one the panelists wouldn't object. I bet they would.
Also, Ms. Sewall and the host, Steve Sher, control the time that callers have. If I had been given the chance, I would have "solidly disagreed" on air but I didn't get the chance.
I still stand by my statement that pundits with real opinions based on experience and facts don't need to call others names to make a good point.
Comments
Will writers at Publicola, the Weekly or The Stranger fill the gap with more fully-formed opinions on education? Maybe, but they'll need to cover schools as a serious subject. The Weekly has given attention to SPS over the years, but I'd like to see Nina Shapiro go deeper, kind of like what's done here.
Melissa, Charlie, Beth, et al, you've set the bar, and it's pretty high.
"Melissa when you sit down with Mary are her issues and ideas off the table? And did she not meet with you previously as all the other candidates did to discuss these already? I ask because she doesn't have any that reflect the 8 years of experience on her website.
View her site and you will see that Mary details her concerns for gay rights, single payer insurance and a progressive tax structure... not much she can do as SBM nor do they reflect her 8 years of experience.
Sorry don't know how to add a link better than this...
http://www.marybass.com/
index.php/issues
I just think that we need a more focused effort for our kids. "
I would add equal pay for equal work, dolphin free tuna and fairer immigration laws but ... oh well. Maybe if she had more time she would have.
My discussions with Mary were more around what complaints I have heard about her and how she would answer them. And, how she might defend herself against that criticism.
On issues we talked more about closures and their effects.
Would it be fair to have a similar dialogue with Kay?
I meant I told Mary what the different raps were about her and was she planning to defend herself if it did come up (with SB races being the genteel races that they are)?
You mean like "washed up nobodies" and "bobbleheads" and "out of touch gas bag who doesn't know what he is talking about"
It's all opinion, so it's all good?
When there is no real reporting all that is left is opinion.
Much of what comes out of the Times resembles rewritten SPS press releases, which hardly makes it real journalism.
Look to Westbrook and Mas for real news that is well written. Opinions that are based on analysis of the facts can be found on this blog NOT in the Times.
Since the departure of Jessica Blanchard and Emily Hefter, there is much less on the schools worth reading in the Times or PI.
But so what... with Mas and Westbrook the really important stuff is well covered.