(The following is my post on today's Daily Kos.)
A tradition of journalism I have admired since the first day I worked for a small town weekly newspaper in 1977 has been the way newspapers stand up for college and high school journalists when they run afoul of the powers that be.
Newspapers, whether in metropolitan areas or in the backwaters of the United States, have banded together to aid student journalists who refuse to back down in the face of overwhelming pressure.
I had the privilege of being one of those newspapermen who backed the youngsters and I never hesitated. The First Amendment is the backbone of this nation, and its first line of defense should always be those who practice journalism.
Sadly, in these days when newsmen are no longer in control of their business and have seen it run into the ground by a neverending stream of those who have risen through the advertising ranks, it is no longer a given that newspapers will defend the First Amendment.
In Joplin, Missouri, the city that I call home, the newspaper appears set on providing a roadblock to the First Amendment and leaving a group of courageous young journalists and their advisor out to dry.
Controversy has never been a stranger to Missouri Southern State University’s student newspaper, The Chart. The newspaper has provided a steady stream of top-notch journalists to Missouri and in doing so has received many honors.
The newspaper has never been tested as much as it has since the hiring of Bruce Speck as the university president two years ago.
Speck was the only person to interview for the most important position on campus and since taking the helm he has been at the center of much criticism, both for his management style, his efforts to dismantled the university’s much praised international mission, and an abortive, secretive attempt to bring a medical school to Joplin.
The Chart has been on top of each controversy involving Speck, thanks to the hard work of Editor Brennan Stebbins and the guidance of advisor T. R. Hanrahan. For that diligence, Speck, his aides or board members have removed copies of the newspaper from a recruiting fair, have done their best to undermine it in the community, including the use of planted comments on my blog, The Turner Report and on other venues, and have threatened Hanrahan’s livelihood.
The community’s “professional” newspaper, The Joplin Globe, has been 10 steps behind The Chart on every MSSU story, but for a short time appeared to be making an effort to catch up.
Bruce Speck was under so much fire; he completely stopped talking to the media. All requests to talk to him had to go through his public information director, and every one of those requests was denied.
Enter Michael Beatty.
Beatty, the former publisher of the Baltimore Examiner, took the top position at the Joplin Globe at the beginning of the year. And if there was any hope that he would usher the Globe into a brave new world of hard-hitting journalism it ended April 6.
As I noted on a Turner Report post last night, Beatty sent an e-mail to Bruce Speck, which revealed that the Globe had dropped public information requests on items that could have embarrassed Speck, offered to arrange a meeting with him, Speck, and the Globe’s editor to give him “examples of positive stories” the Globe wanted to run about MSSU, and offered Speck advice on how to manage the news.
I suppose it comes as no surprise that the university is a major advertiser in the Globe, as are those who have been pushing for a medical school in Joplin.
So it is sad, but no surprise, that Michael Beatty failed to follow the rich tradition of newspapermen who battled to defend the First Amendment.
And it is no surprise that he has left Brennan Stebbins and the band of intrepid reporters at The Chart, to fend for themselves.
There is one consolation to the story, however. Michael Beatty’s e-mail to Bruce Speck was not uncovered through a leak from some disgruntled university employee. It was revealed through good old-fashioned reporting.
The e-mail came to light thanks to a Freedom of Information request from the Chart.
Now that is the First Amendment in action!
13 comments:
I always thought that Chad Stebbins was full of himself and his lame attempts at "reporting" were just to keep the campus entertained. In my opinion, they always "hand pick" the students that they interview to try and start some controversy.
Naturally the Chart is ahead of the Globe in reporting things that happen on campus....duh! I recognize that is Chad's vision that runs the whole operation, but he should be more open.
Slur the father for the nationally recognized, award winning work of the son...What the....?? Low, DD and Bruce...very low.
8:22 PM
It's quite clear you have no idea how the Chart works.
The work of the Chart and its students must hurt you deep somewhere so you must strike back at the students...
Sorry, 8:22, Stebbins, Hanrahan, the Chart and the students reporters have far more credibility than the Globe these days.
Chad Stebbins is a credit to MSSU and was a great influence to many journalists. The Joplin Globe has been an embarrassment to journalism. MSSU was a great school and I am proud of the work I did there as a journalist and student. From what I have seen the new administration has done its best to ruin the school. The Globe has done little to shine a light on the shady backroom deals and thus the "journalists" at the Glob have allowed the fungus that is corruption to grow out of control. Shame on the Globe for being an embarassment to the entire community.
-Phil Cross (not afraid to post openly)
Turner is whining again that his detractors use his blog comments to make fun of Turner's pretensions. If you don't like what we comment upon, Turner, simply disable the comments section and reveal yourself as a hypocrite once and for all.
The fact of the matter is that Speck enjoys the confidence of the Board of Governors and they renewed his contract. So Speck can fire anyone he pleases and thus nobody who works for MSSU wants to cross him in these days when the job market is poor for academics.
Now if Speck wants to use his power ruthlessly, then this is simply nothing different than Turner and the local left-winger chattering nitwits would abuse it as well. Anonymous @ 8:06 PM simply gave his impression that Chad Stebbins and son were not the second coming of journalistic Jesus Christ or really all that good in the overall scheme of things and the rest of the yappers and Turner 'think' that Anon 8:06 is either Speck or Dwight Douglas. Such is their 'excellence in reporting.'
For the vast majority of us, whether Speck and Dwight Douglas run things as opposed to Turner and friends means little. Somebody is going to be MSSU President, and Speck seems to have held the line on keeping tuition in line and not cutting any jobs. In an era of declining state aid and taxes, this is actually pretty good, and whether or not you like Speck, it shows that Speck is competent. And thus since Speck is competent, then best leave things be as they are.
So Turner's whining that these idiotic scribblers unable to run paper newspapers as a profitable business might not get grown men to jump at whatever they command or explain themselves every five minutes shows that Turner is out of it. Speck doesn't have to explain himself to you wretched idiot scribblers and most people with any sense wouldn't speak to members of the fifth column in any case. Nor does the Joplin Globe have any duty to engage in mischief or idle speculation against the president of any local business which advertises in their paper.
Now what this means is that you get to write whatever foolishness you please in your blog, Turner, and delete critical comments, including or especially this one. But I fail to see why someone who abused members of the community when they were a reporter and editor 'thinks' that they have any moral ground in which to squeal about how anyone with good sense doesn't want anything to do with you. So maybe you should quit whining that you are not the only one who gets to abuse the First Amendment, Turner. You've deleted comments before, so threatening to do so again, and acting as if you are doing us all a favor by allowing some select criticism merely goes to show that you probably wouldn't do as good a job -- or as honestly as Speck.
Speck's doing a good enough job as MSSU President and if he is smart enough not to want to talk to someone with an agenda of causing him and the college trouble, then that goes to show that Speck has good sense. Plus, some of us like listening to Turner whine.
@Go tell it to the Marines -- You obviously don't know jack about journalism, or about proper management techniques; in fact, your post, which is a rambling rant that appears induced by drugs or alcohol, offers nothing new. Bruce Speck is an embarrassment and should be fired or resign. Of course the board "supports him." The board is heavily influenced by Dwight Douglas, who has an iron-clad grasp on who is on the board, and what the agenda is. This type of rule by one group is paramount to fascism. Sadly, the present situation is likely to end with a tragedy of come sort. Let us all hope that before that occurs, clearer minds will prevail.
Also to "Go tell it to the marines" -
Speck did not "hold the line on tuition increases". The Governor and Senate of Missouri is doing that. It's called Senate Bill 389.
And if you think that Anonymous 8:06 was not trying to imply that Chad Stebbins is "behind all the monkeyshines" at MSSU, then you don't understand how to read. Here is a direct quote: "I recognize that is Chad's vision that runs the whole operation, but he should be more open."
And if you think you would like to work for Dr. Speck, since he is such a great leader, come on out to MSSU and pick up a job. You should have a doctorate in some field as that is a small requirement for most university professors. Also you should be prepared to feel completely baffled everyday as to why things are happening as they are. You will never know from day to day what random policy might be enforced or what new person may be your boss that day or why you continue to care about a university where you know that your work and input are not valued.
This board of governors has been "out of it" by design. Douglas design. That's why they went along with Douglas and "told" Speck they would renew his contract for two years. When they realized "there really was trouble in Dodge City", it was too late. There was a majority on the board to fire Bruce BUT since Dwight had convinced them earlier to TELL Speck they would renew his contract for two years, they argued for a while about what to do. No contract had been signed, but not wanting to spend $400,000 to buy him out since they had already "told" him and Bruce would legally have them by the balls, they acquiesced and resigned themselves to wait and see if "things would get better."
They never did. They got worse.
Messich, the respected VP of Acadsemic Affairs, and former dean of arts and sciences and head of Biology resigned "to go back to the classroom", a couple of years away from retirement, when he could have just stayed as VP at the higher salary and greatly enhanced his retirement pension. Bruce appoints Jack Oaks, and after 18, just 18 days on the job, Oaks resigns (giving up 40 grand a year) and goes back to the classroom. As he does, he issues a scathing letter "outing" Bruce and his incredibly poor leadership and vindictive behavior. Bruce then starts a national search, and one by one the finalists withdraw when they see who they would be working for. Bruce declares the search a "failure". We are now operating with another incompetent as interim vp of academic affairs. Terri Agee, the vp of business and a pal of Douglas, also quits and goes "back to the classroom" although she had never taught. The loss in salary by going from vp to professor is around 50 thousand. Why did she do that?... Of course, her pal Dwight arranged for a cushy internal legal "consulting" for her at extra pay. Venture to guess how much extra she will get for this "extra" work?
Speck doesn't even have to fire people. The rats abandon the ship on their own.
Douglas pal, Nodler, got a 2 million dollar pork for a "stadium storm shelter" HA!The football coach wanted to transform the shelter into a indoor practice facility. They spent 400 thousand in planning and the project was misteriously abandoned. To this day there has been no accounting of the 400000 dollars and neither Bruce, nor Douglas nor Nodler will speak about it.
The Globe, of course, has not dare ask the questions that should be asked about these wasted 400000 of TAXPAYER MONEY. Way to spot the sunshine on public officials, Globe.
All of this, and much more, (no room to detail it all) under the poor leadership of whom "Go tell it to the marines" calls "competent"
Give me a break!
The faculty at Southern are right. They are whining, yes, whining about poor leadership. They should!
Who wouldn't. The Chart is right. They are the only ones bringing sunshine into the nefarious affairs of Bruce, Dwight and company. Keep it up, Chart!
You said: "Speck's doing a good enough job as MSSU President and if he is smart enough not to want to talk to someone with an agenda of causing him and the college trouble, then that goes to show that Speck has good sense."
First of all, you cannot defend a policy of blanket refusal to grant interviews by the president of a public institution. You just can't. Second, since you refer to "college", I'm guessing you've been observing a while. Right, DD?
Worse, Speck is not a man of good sense. He is also a man with no integrity. Julio may have had a benign dictatorship during his term, but he had integrity. He was also smart enough to know what to say and not to say to the media. The faculty knew whom they could trust and not trust…and they knew how Julio would react to just about every possible thing that might be asked of him. Speck, however, is a loose cannon; and the "meda policy" proves he is a man without a lick of sense. But he was handpicked for the job by two guys with even less sense. So what did we expect?
Listening to all these idiots claiming -- correctly -- to be what 'modern journalism' is all about simply goes to show why newspapers and media are going bankrupt. The reason is because you fools are morally and mentally bankrupt. The only reason for reading your drivel is to think on the matter some, then do the exact opposite of what you fools want.
Nobody intelligent has any 'duty' as Anonymous 10:09 claimed to speak to any journalist simply because these importunate idlers have claimed some sort of perogative to bother people going about their business. Since Speck has gone about minding the store as the Board of Governors set him to doing, anything less than a subpoena by a court of law is the only means under which he has to testify against his own interests. Some liberal whiners who want to hector him about why he doesn't do things as they wish doesn't cut it. But why don't you try holding your breath or hopping on one foot until Speck's contract is up for all the good it will do you?
Insofar as making sure that no positions have been cut and that the University -- actually, I don't think that MSSU rates being called a 'University' -- has enough funds to survive a tuition freeze means that Speck is doing a good enough job financially. A lot of colleges and universities have lost much of their financial base during this bankster-induced depression, and if Speck's management has MSSU financially sound, then what more is required?
The whiners, starting with Turner, 'think' that Speck should be removed simply because they don't like him. Which is tough, simply because the vast majority of us out here who would otherwise not care one way or the other about Speck or Dwight Douglas like these whiners even less. Guess what "Mean Girrrrlz"? Nobody cares and so Speck is in and you fools are out. Life after High School can be so cruel. Go whine your way towards further alienation for all we care.
So, regardless of what is said and whined about, if some of you college types don't like the way Speck runs things, please feel free to quit. Plenty more eggheads living on the edge of financial destitution without benefits with worthless degrees willing to take your place. I bet that they'd kiss Bruce's butt for a chance to feed at the public trough some of you dissatisfied swine want to tip over.
And no, I don't mind you whining and moaning about Speck and Douglas. I so love listening to the yelps of real perceived pain coming from you idiots. You may call Bruce and Dwight the biggest idiots in Joplin -- but anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear can see that you woeful snot-nosed mattoids are on the outside looking in with your snouts pressed against the glass.
Nobody believes everything -- or really much of anything -- that they read in a newspaper or blog.
Especially this blog. Pore Pore Pityfool Turner.
Dear Go tell it to the marines 2 1:02 a.m.
Really?
OK. You've jumped the shark this time. No one is going to believe you're for real.
The comments section on Turner's Blog is far more interesting than anything Turner has to write. Turner is a knee-jerk liberal trying to tell the natives that he is one of them while engaging in a great white liberal whale-hunt on Capt'n Speck and Capt'n Douglas. Call Turner, who is well out of any position of power and thus unsuccessful in his crusade, 'Moby Dickless.'
Reality is that Speck has the better part of a two year contract ahead of him. And if Speck manages to keep MSSU solvent while funding for higher education is drying up, then Speck will likely get another extention on his contract.
Julio Leon was a begger in a day when there was plenty of money in the Missouri treasury. Speck did away with this laughable 'international mission' silliness -- we have enough third-world refuse thanks to Tysons Foods already -- and tried to actually bring in a medical school given that there are plenty of hospitals in this area needing doctors. One of the keys to lowering the demand for medical services in an ageing population is increasing the number of mechanics in the doctor licensing monopoly and making it cheaper for them to get a license. So it fell through because of the current educational paradyme of educrat turf wars.
In an age of "University of Phoenixes" and other on-line schools, I think that Dr. Speck's hunker-downism and Dwight Douglas's relentless Joplin boosterism might actually turn out correct. It is time for MSSU to hunker down during tough economic times and become more relevant to LOCAL interests as opposed to the demands of liberal journalism types who can't even get a job in a dying irrelevant industry.
Reality is something which happens whether you liberal nitwits like it or not. The public funding cupboard is bare. Time to stop irrelevant internationalist silliness and work towards solutions geared to local interests. Speck and Douglas, whether you like them or not, seem to have a greater grasp of reality than Turner and most of his fellow liberal fish-out-of-water-in-SW-Missouri edumacated fools on this blog.
This entire blog entry came about because one entity dependent upon the well-wishing of the public, the Joplin Globe, decided to work well with the other publicly funded entity dependent upon the good will of the public, Missouri Southern State 'University.' There is good sense in both of these reaching an accommodation for the good of the region. There is no need for constant back-biting and whining. And so they came to an accommodation. And, as long as it is above-ground and known then what of it? Is it so very wrong when society's leaders co-operate for the good of us all? Regardless of what the chattering nitwits like Turner 'think'?
Reality sucks. Reality bites.
Reality IS. Get used to it.
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