Kevin Earl Dayhoff Art One-half Banana Stems

Kevin Earl Dayhoff Art One-half Banana Stems - www.kevindayhoff.com Address: PO Box 124, Westminster MD 21158 410-259-6403 kevindayhoff@gmail.com Runner, writer, artist, fire & police chaplain Mindless ramblings of a runner, journalist & artist: Travel, art, artists, authors, books, newspapers, media, writers and writing, journalists and journalism, reporters and reporting, technology, music, culture, opera... National & International politics www.kevindayhoff.net For community: www.kevindayhoff.org For art, technology, writing, & travel: www.kevindayhoff.com

Showing posts with label Blogosphere. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blogosphere. Show all posts

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Some thoughts on “Union says more job cuts coming at the Baltimore Sun”

Union says more job cuts coming at the Baltimore Sun” Thursday, November 13, 2008 Baltimore Business Journal - by Julekha Dash Staff



Hat Tip: The Gunpowder Chronicle



November 15th, 2008 - My thoughts, for what they are worth…



Lately the topic of another round of layoffs and adjustments in the business of Tribune and the Baltimore Sun has been the subject of some discussions among several of us who work for Tribune. (See my media disclosure here. I work for Tribune.)



I have also been a critic of the Baltimore Sun’s political coverage in the past and I agree that the widespread perception of bias on the part of the Baltimore Sun has been detrimental to the overall health of the paper.



Moreover I continue to believe that liberal media bias plagues too much of the traditional mainstream media.



However, when I read criticism that involves hyperbolic name-calling, the critic loses the argument with me. (And yes, I am aware of past columns and blog posts in which I have engaged in some name calling… I guess I am a recovering name caller…)



Nevertheless, the editorial board of the Baltimore Sun continues to promote the paper in an unfavorable light. The fact that I disagree with much of the editorial slant does not concern me. What concerns me is that all too often the position of the board is inconsistent, displays situational principles, and is personality driven.



Perhaps this is simply the nature of the beast, but I would much rather see objective consistent community-benefit-driven analysis and commentary, instead of a newspaper editorial board parroting the talking points and spin of a particular individual, political party, or ideology.



To say it clearly, anything Illinois Sen. Barack Obama or Maryland Governor O’Malley = GOOD. Anything conservative, Arizona Sen. John McCain, or former Governor Robert l. Ehrlich = BAD.



If you need a more recent example, take a look at slots: Slots under Governor Ehrlich = BAD. Slots under Governor O’Malley = GOOD. What changed…?



However, the local community newspaper arm of Tribune – The Baltimore Sun, the Patuxent Publishing Company, (Explore Baltimore Co., Explore Carroll Co. - the paper for which I write, and Explore Howard Co.,) continues to deliver quality news and reporting. Of course, part of the reason for that is that those of us on the local community level have a higher level of accountability in that we can often be found at the same pizza parlor and grocery store check out line with the very folks we cover.



Nonetheless, the current economic times are a strain on all businesses, including newspapers, the metros, and the community newspapers alike.



In spite of the bewildering approach of the Baltimore Sun’s editorial board, most all the reporters are quite professional, talented, and objective in their reporting.



In the end they all have families and unless a particular individual displays a personal animus or maliciousness; critics of the paper may benefit from a more constructive engagement with the reporters. And I hate to see anyone lose his or her job – especially these days.



And especially a writer: What do you call a writer without a significant other? Homeless.



There is a growing perception that the management of the Baltimore Sun is trying hard to adjust to the times – with more accessibility and less of the condescending arrogance that has manifested in the corporate personality of the paper in the past.



As an aside; whether I agree or disagree with the columnists, I like the sharp writing of most of the columnists (and most of the reporters) – and I like the paper’s recent foray into blogs. And I like the improvements in the web site.



The debate about blogger journalists versus traditional print media journalists has been getting increasingly boring – see 20070112 Some wisdom about the silliest debate in journalism. There are good and bad in both camps. If you don’t like a particular writer, don’t read them.



I read writers – not headlines - and not papers...



Attempting to promote blogs and new media by carelessly denigrating traditional print media is a disservice to all journalists and journalism and brings all of us down.



Considering the challenges at the local level, in Maryland and the nation; the press has, if anything, an increased responsibility and there is an important role for the Baltimore Sun to play.



We need greater cooperation, collaboration – and we need all hands on deck.



Kevin Dayhoff



******

Union says more job cuts coming at the Baltimore Sun



Thursday, November 13, 2008



Baltimore Business Journal - by
Julekha Dash Staff


A
Baltimore Sun union said Thursday it expects another round of job cuts at the newspaper, and officials are preparing to fight any future layoffs.



The Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild said it expects more job cuts within days. Angie Kuhl, a unit chair with the union, said she does not know how many job cuts are planned. But union officials don’t expect buyouts to be offered, as they have been in the past, and the cuts will impact the newsroom.



Renee Mutchnik, a Baltimore Sun spokeswoman, said Sun management has no comment.



The Sun eliminated 100 positions at the paper in August. It also recently eliminated its standalone Maryland and Business sections as part of an overall redesign.



[…]



Tribune Co., the Sun’s parent, posted a $124 million third quarter loss this month.



The newspaper, Maryland’s largest daily publication, saw its average Sunday circulation number fall 3.9 percent to 350,640 during the period.



Read the entire article here: Union says more job cuts coming at the Baltimore Sun



Tribune Co. posts $124M loss



http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/11/10/daily53.html



20081113 Some thoughts on
Union says more job cuts coming at the Baltimore Sun

Thursday, January 03, 2008

20080102 Fragmentary patchworks


Fragmentary patchworks of autochthonous and foreign elements.

January 2nd, 2008 by Kevin Dayhoff

Happy New Year Mr. Isaac Smith. Thanks for the mention - The List (No, Not the Washington Post's). [Free State Politics Maryland's online progressive community.]

Michael Swartz's list of local blogs to watch in 2008 is pretty good. It is missing a few good blogs of note, however…

As much as I agreed with most, but not all, of Mr. Swartz’s list, your list is right on the money. I also miss Stephanie Dray’s Jousting for Justice. And I am very happy that Crablaw's Maryland Weekly is back…

And thanks for calling to our attention the Washington Post’s list: Year in Review 2007 - “The List: What's In and Out for 2008” BY HANK STUEVER - WASHINGTON POST STAFF WRITER - – what a hoot. (And don’t miss giving The Year That Was 2007 by Brian Griffiths a good read. He obviously spent some time thinking about it…)

Your post could not have been timed better as it came shortly after a conversation with a dear colleague who said they like my blog – although I’m too liberal.

Ay caramba - whatever.

Along that thread, another colleague said “Dayhoff … your problem is that you like everybody.”

To that I plead guilty – life is way to short. Then again, maybe not – I don’t like mean people; and that personality defect occurs in folks from all political persuasions.

I simply do not allow politics to dictate my friends - - and I don’t like folks who do pick their friends based on politics. (I’ll be having lunch later in the week with a dear friend with whom I disagree about everything when it comes to politics.) I can disagree with folks about issues, but more often than not – I like the person…

As far as your observation: “… his actual blog hard to read -- its look is extremely busy and most of the posts are just link aggregations…” Hey, you oughta be in my head…

At least with the blog, there is an attempt at organization… I also find my blog “hard to read” and try as I might, after blogging for a number of years, it is still way too busy.

Perhaps my blog is a manifestation of being a hypergraphic attention deficit disorder hyperactive dyslexic. Maybe – just maybe, one day I’ll figure out what I’m doing. Being a technology geek – one would’ve thought blogging would be easy for me. It is not.

At this point, on the blog evolutionary scale, my blog is a monkey on roller skates. The monkey may or may not be wearing a pink tutu - this is for you to decide.

Years ago, I thought blogging would be easy for a columnist and short story writer. It has not been the case. And within the last number of months, I picked up a third (newspaper) column every week; which just proves the “Peter Principle” is real. I’m now way beyond my intellectual and cognitive abilities.

Heckfire – some days, I’m proud to have even found the time, much less the cognitive abilities - to post “link aggregations.”

Meanwhile, I am painstakingly determined to promote constant attention on current procedures of transacting business focusing emphasis on innovative ways to better, if not supercede, the expectations of quality. What I really need in order to navigate the treacherous waters that lie ahead is a list of specific unknown problems I will encounter.

Always remember, the purpose of my blog is to discuss fragmentary patchworks of autochthonous and foreign elements as juxtaposed by the undeniable command mortality of insignificant self-inflicted syntactic semiotic economics which sometimes may cause irreproducible results unless there is a pre-emptive digital fallibility matrix which would require an integrated third-generational triangulated refinement of indefinite managerial potential.

As I wax philosophic with metaphysical postulations, incomplete aphorisms and inconsistent sophism that allows me to conclude, more and more sure, that the only true thing about anything is nothing.

Now I know you believe you understand what you think I just said but I am sure that you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.

As always, your thoughtful consideration is appreciated regardless of the outcome on any particular issue. Whether we agree or disagree, always find my door open for friendly civil and constructive dialogue.

Pray for my wife.

Best wishes for a great 2008.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

www.kevindayhoff.net

E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr.org or kevindayhoff AT gmail.com

His columns and articles appear in The Tentacle - www.thetentacle.com; Westminster Eagle Opinion; www.thewestminstereagle.com, Winchester Report and The Sunday Carroll Eagle – in the Sunday Carroll County section of the Baltimore Sun. Get Westminster Eagle RSS Feed

Saturday, January 13, 2007

20070112 Some wisdom about the silliest debate in journalism


Some Wisdom About the Silliest Debate in Journalism

From Tapscott's Copy Desk

More From this Blog : “Tapscott's Copy Desk

January 4, 11:26 AM - - January 12th, 2007

I was looking for this post when I posted “20070110 Tapscott and Surber have moved their blogs to newspapers.”

Mark Tapscott was kind enough to e-mail a link to me earlier this morning. Thank you.

I could not agree more with what Mr. Tapscott has to say about the issue of traditional “newsprint” journalism versus internet journalism – “Blogging.”

Actually I feel it is an artificial construct developed by some folks in the blogging community in order to make themselves feel more relevant or some folks in the traditional newsprint world who feel threatened.

Most traditional newsprint reporters have been wonderful – if not fun, with whom to work.

Then again, I have run across some stiff opposition and absolute obstructionism on the part of some folks, who shall go unnamed.

And for the most part, not from the newspaper industry – (read: usually liberals who hide behind their political ideology as a fragile identity.)

Although a certain Baltimore Sun reporter or two (not all of them, to be sure – some have been great…) has had a lot of attitude; but I have not been able to distinguish if this “attitude” is not as much because I am a blogger or if it is not just a manifestation of their elitist attitude in general towards the general public, former and current elected or appointed officials or anyone and everyone in the journalism world who is not so privileged to work for the Baltimore Sun.

And the Associated Press. My gosh, what is their problem? In the fortunate instance or two when I either broke a story or was in the lead, AP went out of their way to not mention me. Not so with the Gazette…

Thanks to the wonderful folks – and a great editor - who carry one of my columns, Patuxent Publishing, I am, perhaps, the first blogger to be credentialed by Maryland State government to cover the Maryland General Assembly.

The press pool in Annapolis has been great. Certain liberal legislators have gone out of their way to either ignore me ob disparaging. Heckfire - whatever.

So like I’ve said, with the exception of some isolated incidents with individuals with a general “attitude problem,” I have had very little problem with organizations, other reporters or elected or appointed officials to respond or cooperate on articles for the blog.

A few individuals have gone out of their way to be accommodating. To mention several off the top of my head; Carroll County Commissioner Dean L. Minnich and Republican Minority Whip Allen Kittleman are in the top ten easily. To mention others would be a disservice to the many that have gone beyond the call of duty to get me information and be responsive.

Meanwhile, Mr. Tapscott wrote:

Bloggers and mainstream journalists are polar opposites, right? No love lost between them. One represents the future, the other the past. The traditional reporters do all the work, then the bloggers come along and tear it apart.

And so goes the argument.

Regardless which side of this one you happen to line up on, I am literally on both sides, being a mainstream journalist by career and a blogger by choice. I know a little bit about the strengths and weaknesses of both, and there are many on each side.

The fact is, however, that mainstreamers and bloggers (as well as other online journalists) ought to be cooperating rather than conflicting. If they sought out mutual strengths instead of emphasizing what each sees as the other's weaknesses, together they could do some incredible journalism.

That's been my view for a long time…

Read the rest of his post here. He goes into some greater depth and refers to another article which was apparently part of the etiology of his post…

Also read: “20061209 Is a new age of American Journalism by Mark Tapscott

Kevin

####

Thursday, October 26, 2006

20061026 Blogospheric recognition from George Washington’s IPDI




Blogospheric recognition from George Washington’s IPDI

Blogospheric recognition from
George Washington University’s “Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet”

» WHO'S BLOGGING THE 2006 MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA ELECTIONS?

October 26th, 2006

THANKS!
IPDI!

Grazing through my fellow Maryland Blogger Alliance member’s web sites yesterday, I noticed a post by my colleague
Bruce Godfrey at Crablaw’s Maryland Weekly that caught my attention.

He wrote in a post titled “
Congratulations to Maryland Blogger Alliance Member Kevin Dayhoff” :

“Maryland Blogger Alliance member Kevin Dayhoff was recognized by the
Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet for his coverage of the Maryland elections as a "must read" - I concur totally. Congrats, Kevin! posted by Bruce Godfrey at 10/24/2006 03:08:00 AM PERMALINK

Holy Cow! That’s me.

Thanks a bunch
Mr. Godfrey for calling it to my attention.

What an honor, especially since I look up to my colleagues with the Maryland Bloggers Alliance for what a great job they all do.

And it was not lost on me; after I followed the links graciously provided by
Crablaw, that another MBA member, Free State Politics was also recognized. Congratulations.

So I humbly accept the recognition on behalf of all my colleagues with the Maryland Blogger Alliance and all the bloggers out there who slave away for long hours trying to make a difference and a contribution to our greater community by promoting facts and information, discussion and dialogue.

I am well aware of
Dave Wissing’s excellent work at the Hedgehog Report. For all political junkies who appreciate numbers and commentary, there is no one better. And the work that the “Gang of Four” are doing with the elections in Howard County is cutting edge.

I finally had a chance this afternoon to take a cruise of all the sites and it is an impressive compendium of work. I got lots of value
going through the Virginia bloggers’ sites and I recommend that you also find the time for that virtual cruise.

Congratulations to everyone who made the list.

Anyway, Here’s the skinny:

George Washington University’s “Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet” top 12 Maryland and Virginia political blogs.

» WHO'S BLOGGING THE 2006 MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA ELECTIONS?

Labor Day marks the official start of the political season, and the Institute has turned its attention to local and state races. This month, we look at who's blogging about Maryland and Virginia politics.

Below is our shortlist of six must-read blogs in Maryland and six in Virginia:

Maryland

Free State Politics –
http://freestatepolitics.blogspot.com/Montgomery Public Schools – http://montgomerypublicschools.blogspot.com/Maryland Politics Now – http://www.mdpoliticsnow.com/?cat=1The Hedgehog Report – http://www.hedgehogreport.com/Blog Arundel – http://arundel.blogspot.com/Kevin Dayhoff – http://www.kevindayhoff.com/

Virginia

Not Larry Sabato –
http://notlarrysabato.typepad.com/Raising Kaine – http://www.raisingkaine.com/frontPage.doCommonwealth Conservative – http://www.vaconservative.com/The Virginia Progressive – http://vaprogressive.com/Two Conservatives – http://twoconservatives.blogspot.com/Skeptical Observer – http://skepticalobservor.blogspot.com/

LEARN MORE and view our complete list
HERE.

Whoa. Okay, talk with ya later. I’ve now gotta take out the trash, get dinner ready for my wife and do the dishes.

PS: Also please see:
Thanks to George Washington University’s Institute for Politics,
Internet Accolade

Soundtrack” Labels: Blogosphere, Elections 2006 MD, Erratum, Maryland Bloggers Alliance, Personal, Recognition, Virginia Issues

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA. E-mail him at:
kdayhoff@carr.org www.thetentacle.com Westminster Eagle Opinion and Winchester Report www.thewestminstereagle.com www.kevindayhoff.com has moved to http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

20060425 Introducing Hot Air


Introducing Hot Air

Read Michelle Malkin’s Introducing Hot Air

Hot Air can be found here: http://hotair.com/

3…2…1…

http://hotair.com/archives/the-blog/2006/04/24/321/

April 24, 2006 4:15 AM by Michelle

We’re live! Welcome to Hot Air, the world’s first, full-service conservative Internet broadcast network. Tune out Katie Couric and tune …

Conservative Internet Broadcast Network Debuts

http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2006/4/emw376471.htm

Features daily newscast with Michelle Malkin • Staff blogs w/the hottest vidclips & headlines • Affiliates across the globe • Right-leaning movies, podcasts & animation

Washington, DC (PRWEB) April 24, 2006 -- Hot Air (http://www.hotair.com/), the world’s first conservative Internet broadcast network, launches today. Founder and CEO Michelle Malkin leads a multi-talented, tech-savvy staff on the cutting edge of the Internet video/TV convergence.

Hot Air’s ground-breaking, irreverent daily video newscast, “Vent with Michelle Malkin,” tackles media sacred cows and left-wing shibboleths -- harnessing the best blog reporting and analysis across the Internet. Today’s inaugural newscast skewers U.S. high-tech titans kowtowing to China’s tyrants.

This is not your father’s nightly news.

Hot Air exposes new viewers of all political stripes to the world of videoblogging, animation, and podcasting. The network has signed on independent affiliates from Paris to Washington, D.C. Advertisers have lined up; Hot Air has already sold pre-roll video ads through the first week.

The next great information revolution is here. Tune in at http://www.hotair.com/.

To schedule an interview with Michelle Malkin, e-mail hotairnetwork @ gmail.com

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