Friday, January 22, 2010

News & Record front page story not newsworthy


T I N Y  D E C R E A S E


Today the Greensboro News & Record decided 2009’s tiny decrease in bus riders was important enough to put on its front page above the fold. That's today’s BIG STORY. I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t even care.

 
A N O T H E R   T I N Y   D E C R E A S E


Last week the Greensboro News & Record reported a another tiny decrease in 2009’s crime statistics. Everybody is interested in crime but the report wasn’t really big news because there was no noticeable change in crime. We still got too much of it.






E N O R M O U S   D E C R E A S E



What’s interesting is that for many years Greensboro declared water its most serious issue. But the News & Record refuses to inform its readers that public water use (water sales) is at a 15-year low. Now that’s a HUGE DECREASE and it is BIG NEWS! Agree?

Water use was projected to climb steeply and that’s why the Randleman Dam was needed. The steep climb never happened but an inept News & Record has yet to inform its readers about Greensboro's failed projections.





Greensboro’s daily newspaper is not the only agency concealing the lengthy decline in water use. The City of Greensboro is equally negligent for failing to inform citizens that water use (water sales) are lower now in 2010 than what was needed (sold to customers) in 1995 when the Randleman Dam was being justified. The implications are serious. The Greensboro water works is not selling enough water to pay for operations and finish paying for the Randleman Dam. That’s means either water rates or taxes (or both) must increase.







Thanks to the complete silence of the News & Record and the City of Greensboro, residents are in the dark about the city's shocking water history. My 2009 telephone survey revealed that 97% of citizens believe water use has increased since 1995 and that’s why we need the new dam and reservoir. They are seriously misinformed.







“Front page top of the fold” is reserved for BIG NEWS STORIES like the one in this vending machine that beconds to be published. 2009’s bus-riding- stays-the-same and 2009’s crime-stays-the-same are not big stories, but a 15-year water decline certainly is! Agree?







Last year I reported the News & Record's announcement that food prices increased. DUH. Everybody who grocery shops already knew food increased without having to buy a paper. The food increase was much like how water was supposed to increase (See red arrow). I asked the N&R why it was refusing to report that water use did not increase. The N&R did not reply. And two months ago I asked again in a letter to the editor of the News & Record. My letter was not selected for publication.





Unfortunately the News & Record is now in a real bind. It cannot report the BIG WATER DECLINE because it has been cheerleading for the Randleman Dam for 15 years now. Its reporting has been compromised by its cheers for Greensboro and its praise for the dam. If the newspaper decided to come clean now and report the truth about Greensboro water, its few remaining readers would likely cancel their subscriptions for having had the truth withheld from them all these years.


In the news business, integrity is everything…unless you have an agenda. And you know the N&R does.


And don't forget that the Rhinocensor Times and YES! WEAKLY are also failing to publish the 15-year water decline and the city's bogus water projections. Hammer claims Greensboro needs more water and YES! just did a full-page on fish in Badin Lake but it cannot find room to cover the water decline.

You might ask, “What the heck is going on here?” Now that’s a good question. Could the fraud and cover-up conspiracy be so powerful and far reaching that the local news won't dare report a 15-year water decline?









2 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete