Thursday, April 12, 2007

The Herald-Sun: "Love Yourself, Durham"

Jim Cooney, in yesterday's press conference:
And I want to call out first the newspaper in Durham, North Carolina, "The Durham Herald-Sun," who, to this day...(LAUGHTER) ... has not written a single editorial critical of the way in which Mike Nifong proceeded. If "The Durham-Herald Sun" had bothered to stand up and demand proper processes, the presumption of innocence, and doing things the way our Constitution provides, do you think Mike Nifong would have rolled forward?

Instead, they published editorials talking about how bad all the lacrosse players were, and that the lacrosse players should have to prove their innocence, and that, in addition to the crimes that night, there was a crime of a cover-up. And you will not see a word of apology from them.

In fact, as recently as two weeks ago, they were still publishing what they knew were lies, and repeating them.
Unintentionally confirming the wisdom of Cooney's remarks, the Herald-Sun, this morning, published two editorials. One was entitled "Too Scary to Imagine." A denunciation, at long last, of Mike Nifong's misconduct? Not exactly--a routine discussion of climate change.

The other editorial theorized, "Love yourself, Durham. You've got good reason." A day after the state's AG characterized Durham's DA as a "rogue prosecutor" and noted how its police department violated basic procedures, the H-S wrote about the Forbes rankings of "Best Places for Business and Careers" to assert that "although Durham residents may occasionally suffer from bouts of low self-esteem, there is much to love about our town."

The editorials continue the H-S pattern throughout the case: relentlessly spin facts in Nifong's favor, and then when the facts are overpoweringly negative, simply ignore them.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Love yourself, Durham?"
Wow. That's funny, especially
if you use another word for
"love."

Mac

Anonymous said...

Personally, I find that that Herald-Sun headline a felicitous companion to what is obviously their journalistic credo:
"F*ck Yourself, Truth".

Anonymous said...

Significantly, the Herald Sun also has an article with calls for Nifong's resignation, so even the Snooze Room has abandoned him:

http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-838304.cfm

While I am sure they would love to distance themselves from their boy, just think how humiliating it must be for them to include the following quote in one of their own stories:

"If the Durham Herald-Sun had bothered to stand up and demand proper processes, the presumption of innocence and doing things the way our Constitution provides, do you think Mike Nifong would have rolled forward?" asked Jim Cooney, Seligmann's attorney.

http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-838303.cfm

Anonymous said...

As a newspaper guy, all I can say is: "Wow."

Generally, complaints about an editorial page's stance boil down to simple differences in opinion.

This, however, was a ringing indictment of a newspaper that failed not only to meet its obligations as a community watchdog, but resolutely defended the indefensible.

Anonymous said...

The Durham Herald Sun's coverage of this hoax disgusts me. It will forever be used in journalism courses as a worst case example. I live in Durham and I subscribe to the N and O and that will never change. The comments on the HS website calling the tone of the press conference as "bitter" and "I told you so" were uncalled for and blatantly false.

Anonymous said...

People who pay for the H-S are supporting a form of cancer.

Come on, people of Durham, do the right thing and cancel your subscriptions to the the H-S today. There is nothing of value there that you can't get from another forum, oftentimes for free. You really can live just fine without it.

Anonymous said...

There's plenty of "love" to be had in Durham as evidenced by the multiple recipes of baby gravy revealed in this case...although technically some of it might be "Raleigh's "love",but hey, can't we all just get along?

Anonymous said...

"...the H-S pattern throughout the case: relentlessly spin facts in Nifong's favor, and then when the facts are overpoweringly negative, simply ignore them."

These are well known tactics of the Old media (no longer mainstream)that have always been used.

Time magazine’s 1938 man of the year, Adolf Hitler was quoted as saying: “the great masses of the people will more easily fall victims to the big lie than the small one." The old media loves the big lie.

The old media cares nothing about the truth, they only care about marketing their product and will use whatever means possible, including deception.

We are witnessing the decline of the old media as it is being knocked off of it's powerful throne by blogs such as this!
Great work!

Unknown said...

I just went to the Pulitzer web site, and it appears that Professor Johnson is not eligible for a Pulitzer Prize in journalism despite his yeoman's work here:

"Entries for journalism awards must be made from material published by a United States newspaper—in print or online—that appears daily, Sunday or at least once a week during the calendar year."

Unless (and this is the lawyer in me talking) we can characterize DIW as a "newspaper", it looks like Professor Johnson is ineligible.

I think that is truly sad, since, in my view, Professor Johnson's work excelled that of most if not all of the "newspaper" journalists covering this case.

But, there is a Pulitzer Prize for "Letters" (i.e. books). I am looking forward to it.

Thanks again Professor Johnson for your excellent work.

Anonymous said...

The Hurled-Scum should be the recipient of the Wendy Murphy Award. They are made for each other.

Anonymous said...

Why would Prof. Johnson want to receive a Pulitzer?

Like the Nobel Peace Prize, it has taken on a mantle of dubious distinction.

Anonymous said...

Jackie Wagstaff called... She wants to know if she is still the most insane person in Durham.

Anonymous said...

"In fact, as recently as two weeks ago, they were still publishing what they knew were lies, and repeating them."

Legal jargon for Defamation !! I can only hope the HS gets sued for such.

BDay

Anonymous said...

The wendy Murphy award...thats funny

Anonymous said...

In today's Herald-Sun article on the dismissal, the following line appears:

"Nifong is scheduled to stand trial in June before the Bar for alleged prosecutorial misconduct and faces a possible loss of his law license."

If I'm not mistaken this is the FIRST time the Herald-Sun has not included "exoneration" in the list of possible outcomes for Nifong's hearing.

Gayle Miller said...

I posted yesterday afternoon on three quotes from the New Observer (http://savkobabe.blogspot.com/2007/04/some-people-just-dont-get-it-do-they-in.html) - 2 of which were utterly indefensible and stupid and 1 which was sensible and intelligent.

These people have so invested themselves in the lie that to accept truth would shake the very foundations of who they are! And THAT, my friends, is pathetic.

Anonymous said...

I,for one, am happy to bid Durham and Duke goodbye and let them go to h^^^ in their own basket.

Anonymous said...

"Love yourself, Durham"???

Well, as recently as a couple of months ago, many Durham residents still believed that Crystal Gail Mangum was telling the truth. No one in the Durham community, as far as I know, had condemned Chan Hall's infamous statement (the lax-convictions-as-reparations theory) publicly. It would seem that Durham is a self congratulatory bastion of racist, bigoted harmony. So, sure, Durham, go ahead and love yourself, but I wouldn't let anyone else know that you're doing it.

Anonymous said...

Why would Prof. Johnson want to receive a Pulitzer?

Like the Nobel Peace Prize, it has taken on a mantle of dubious distinction


Exactly. Pulitzer committee consists people like gang88 members. If you illegally expose national secrets, fake memos or otherwise help terrorists or racists you have a shot. At least you should advance The Liberal Cause. It is far more likely that Duff Wilson or H-S wins the Pulitzer prize for reporting "the wider meta-narrative of race, gender and inequality in GWB's Amerika".

Anonymous said...

In a ludicrous bid to not take sides and therefore anger black and guilty white lib readers (and thus drive his circ numbers even lower than they are now), Ashley, his reporters and his edit page wound up defending the indefensible.

Whether or not he might have been troubled by Nifong's conduct is immaterial, really; his motive was for Durham to eventually come together for one big, smelly group hug, reagardless of how racist, illogical, emotional and unreasonable many of the huggers are.

Group therapy is not the mission of a good newspaper, let alone its edit page. Naming names, kicking @ss and holding officials' feet to the fire is.

Short and sweet: Ashley wants to be loved, not respected. He's doubtless found there's none of the former in Durham, and consequently he'll receive none of the latter.

Anonymous said...

Deklan Singh said...
"Love yourself, Durham"???

Well, as recently as a couple of months ago, many Durham residents still believed that Crystal Gail Mangum was telling the truth. No one in the Durham community, as far as I know, had condemned Chan Hall's infamous statement (the lax-convictions-as-reparations theory) publicly. It would seem that Durham is a self congratulatory bastion of racist, bigoted harmony. So, sure, Durham, go ahead and love yourself, but I wouldn't let anyone else know that you're doing it.


this comment is evidence of your own ignorance and bigotry, and it's far worse than anything happening in Durham.

DaveW said...

OK, I've read your blog a long time but never posted.

"Love yourself, Durham"?

That's just comical. Are they saying they (the HS) shouldn't feel guilt for their own behavior? Sounds to me like they're feeling sorry for themselves.

Anonymous said...

As someone related to the prior Herald-Sun administration, it really is a shame to see what the bozos from Paxton have done to the paper. John Cole would have had enough cartoon material for a book had he not been run out of town.

The reporters would have been unleashed to discover the truth, rather than parrot Mr. Ashley's shiny, happy people version of journalism.

Unfortunately, it was left to the N&O to do the job of Durham's newspaper.

Anonymous said...

Nice Blog!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for interesting article.

Anonymous said...

Very interesting site. Blog is very good. I am happy that I think the same!