Posts Tagged ‘economy’

Off the record. Personal honor vs public responsibility and David Brooks

Posted: October 16, 2010 by datechguy in media
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One of the things that I’ve learned since I’ve gotten involved in this business is what the words “off the record” means.

People will tell you things “on background” or “without attribution” meaning that you can use them as long as it is attributed to “a source said” type of thing or as general background information.

“Off the record” is something more blunt. This means you accept information on the condition that you pledge your personal word and honor not to reveal it.

Now if you can get that information from another source that’s different but once you have agreed to “off the record” one’s personal honor and one is obliged to keep that word. That was David Brooks dilemma.

In such a situation he is ethically obliged not to talk (or as Stacy McCain says never burn a source) so I don’t fault him for that…

…BUT it would be interesting to see what his columns about the president looked like after the fact. Did he seem less supportive? Did he give the words of the administration less credence and more doubt? One can’t come out and say “This guy is lying to your face and he told me so!” but you can change the direction of your coverage from admiration to skepticism without breaking your word.

One has an obligation to protect ones source but also to inform the public. Social schedule not withstanding if your priority is to be honorable, you have to find a way to do both.

Questions from the ma-3 Debate

Posted: October 14, 2010 by datechguy in congress, elections, internet/free speech, local stuff, opinion/news, politics, short films/interviews, special events
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The question that has garnered so much attention was not the only one asked. Here are a series of questions that were asked and the candidate’s answers:

On the lame duck session:

On Term Limits:

On Illegal Immigration:

(more…)

“If you judge by signs ‘For Sale’ would be winning hands down”

Posted: October 9, 2010 by datechguy in elections, local issues, oddities, opinion/news, politics
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Ran into DaHospitality guy yesterday. Haven’t seen much of him as he’s been busy with running the old Dynasty Sable Face to Face baseball league (now in its 23rd year).

He was interested in my wandering Olver story and out of curiosity starting driving around town to check out signs. He said that in West Fitchburg (his stomping ground) you could see quite a few Olver signs. I haven’t been to west Fitchburg in a couple of weeks but I’ll take his word for it.

He then told me after driving the main drags once he hit side roads and left west Fitchburg the Bill Gunn signs: “Totally blew Olver away” (his pun not mine), but there was a more important indicator.

He could not get over how many “For Sale” signs there were everywhere. Beyond the normal buying and selling it seems that more people without jobs are preparing to flee to other parts less expensive parts of the country (Massachusetts will likely lose another district for 2012) or state, or just need to raise funds to survive. As he put it Gunn has much more signage that Olver but “For Sale” dwarfs them both.

It is that bad economy more than any number of Bill Gunn signs that spell trouble for John Olver and every other democrat in this state.

Little Miss Attila asks the question

Posted: September 21, 2010 by datechguy in business, opinion/news
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and I really don’t have the answer:

Why is the Administration loaning money to Mexico to drill in the Gulf, while preventing companies from doing the same thing here?

Is the administration’s plan to create jobs in Mexico to stem the tide of people coming here? If so they didn’t read this piece from USA today:

ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — The bodies of six kidnapped police officers, most of them dismembered, were found Sunday in a ravine in the Mexican state of Guerrero, bringing to eight the death toll from a mass abduction of policemen, officials said.

Fernando Monreal Leyva, director of State Investigative Police, said one survivor of the massacre was located in this coastal state known for beach resorts that has become a drug cartel battleground.

I remember the days when Acapulco was associated with vacations that you won on the Price is Right. Can you imagine trying to give away a vacation to Mexico today? The contestant would be screaming, but not from excitement.

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