Tag: Bend

Riding the news tide: Crimes covered, or not

We get all sorts of news tips and comments, as you can imagine. Some, well truly deserve no reply, not even a thanks. Rudeness can know no bounds, as you might expect. But I’m thrilled in little ways when I can provide an answer, a direction to an answer, offer up what someone needs, shed a little light.

“I just completed grand jury duty and I am wondering why you report on certain cases and don’t report on others,” a lady recently asked.

Oh man, that could fill a book or 3. Maybe one day it will. But in the meantime, we had a nice, non-confrontational exchange – and toward the end, I wrote that maybe I should blog about it, and she said, yes, I should – ‘it is so interesting.”

Well, I think so too. Some times I really do think the anger or frustration people feel about institutions such as, say, government or the media come from a lack of knowledge or understanding. Not always, of course, and I sure don’t want to talk down to or call folks’ ignorant. But some just crave some insight – a peek behind the curtain, you might say.

So here’s some expanded thoughts on what I had to say to that really good, thankfully nicely put, curious, non-accusatory question;-)

There are a host of factors that go into what stories get covered or don’t — sometimes ‘equal’ crimes or crashes or fires or the daily grist of breaking news make it into a broadcast or onto the Website or not simply because we do or don’t know about them. Again, for a variety of reasons – it may seem someone asks us every time they hear a siren or see a police car speeding somewhere, but some times those trees just fall in a part of the News Forest where they don’t make a sound, and people assume/presume we know when we don’t. (Then there are those who think we know everything and are upset when we don’t. Sorry, folks – we’re human too.)

The first in a string of judgment calls involves whether police put out a news release. And they may or may not put one out on, say, a minor or non-injury crash, depending on the circumstances of that crash, fire or what have you — or because they are so busy moving on to the next first-responder incident they never get around to it.

But I also noted that some crimes — abuse comes to mind – are not always reported due to policies ranging from federal privacy rules to not wanting to cause added woes when it involves a family member, for example. When police are turning to the public for any other potential victims – or the case is particularly high-profile (a gymnastics coach, a teacher etc.) or severe/disturbing –again, all judgment calls that might be different from one day to the next, depending in part on how many other things are going on that day.

Oh, I should throw in here one response from my kind correspondent, who said that after serving on the grand jury, she “learned so much about the law and, sadly, about our community, living in Bend, seeing the news was the only crime I knew about, but it appears there is quite a bit more going on here than I ever could have imagined.”

A rude awakening, indeed, and bound to change your perspective on your community. Hopefully not to raise the fear level, but a real eye-opener.

I told her I was sure it was “a window into a sad, very troubling part of our community.”

And she said – in what I took as an honest misunderstanding — “I guess I just thought that if an arrest was made you were allowed to report on it. Interesting that you need permission to do that from the police department or the DA. … I am just trying to figure out how all this works.”

My journalistic senses bristled and I answered – fast — ‘No, no, I never said ALLOWED. It’s more like … well, look at the court dockets of dozens of cases a single day. We don’t ONLY report the ones police do news releases on, but those are the bigger ones – robberies, break-ins, murders etc.”

And my reply also included a long-standing line I use that can sound like a cop-out but is just the basic truth: “For every story (crime or otherwise) we get to, there are hundreds, if not thousands we don’t. There are investigative reasons police or prosecutors might not release some information before trial. And lots of other factors come into play.”

I … we should never ever assume people know all that. As for whether you/they believe it – that we don’t choose which stories to do based on who we know and are trying to hurt or curry favor with, as opposed to what’s the most interesting to any given reporter on any given day — well, we can only control what we report, not how it’s received. I often say I take 100 percent credit (or blame) for what’s on the lines I write. What people read between them often has far more to do with what views and other “baggage” they bring to a story than what we write or say.

The grand juror got what I was saying, adding that she’d always watched our news “and I feel better knowing that you all are ethical in your reporting. I hope that will continue.”

“And I also want to say that I was very impressed with the officers and the DA’s office. They are very professional and human and do a wonderful job in our community.”

And thus the exchange ended. And I was reminded that some times, folks just need a bit of explanation about how things work to overcome misconceptions, assumptions or just working in a knowledge vacuum that can lead to all sorts of negative things.

Not always, of course. Many people are dead-set in their bunker mentalities of the us vs. them, and believe everyone has an angle to make someone look good or bad, that we focus on the bad side of news to make a buck rather than it just being … the news (1,000 kids crossing a street safely isn’t news. One who doesn’t, is;-/ Or that we don’t do any(!) good news stories (oh man, stats to show otherwise apparently will never change some minds on that one, because the tragedies/problems are so … sticky and heavy, while the good news often feels like a lighter-than-air will o’ the wisp… fluttering off in the breeze.)

I hope this all came across as more of an explanation than a defense. And wasn’t an eye-rolling exercise in “oh, who doesn’t know all THAT.” Because I really believe there are many who don’t know, and won’t automatically distrust the answers because they come from the Big Bad Media in Cahoots with Big Bad Government.

I sure hope/pray so.

And your question about what we do/don’t do and why is? (And the tone of your question will no doubt play a role in whether I answer and how. Civility meets civility and all that;-)

Conflicting fairnesses (or, since when is life supposed to be fair?)

I heard overnight from a friend who is livid that Bend city councilors sent a proposed room tax increase – a compromise that probably pleases no one 100 percent, the very definition – to voters in November.

He says the public has no full understanding of such things as tourism economics and that the councilors shirked their duties and should resign. Etc. etc.

Was really surprised by that. First of all, aren’t city councils required to send tax hikes to voters – by state law, city charter or both — and wouldn’t the outcry be much larger if they did this without asking the voters?

And since when is an “educated vote” required? That’s as problematic to make happen (quizzes at the polling place before you get to vote? Oh wait, we don’t have polling places any more) as the notion that only “those who pay” — property owners – should get to vote on property tax hikes. What property owner doesn’t pass on all or part of such taxes to their renters? And whose fault is that?

Life isn’t fair, but so many expect it to be perfectly so. And yes, the odds of this tax hike passing are great, since it’s a tax on someone else – the visitors to our community.

Some have cried “taxation without representation!”

Huh?

How about the notion that visitors to a community by their very visit make use of roads, sewer, water and sometimes emergency services that residents pay for — and thus should shoulder a percentage – the exact amount in never-ending argument — of those costs?

It all reminds me of the favorite line, “Growth should pay it’s own way.” Like “information wants to be free,” it’s nice pablum, but completely impossible in the real world.

Bend is growing again, and that tug of war, wrestling match (grow the city! No, say no to developers! Keep Bend as it is!) will be back, with all the impossible-to-please-all decisions they entail.

A city or county cannot reject a building or a resort, say, because “we don’t want any more” or “we have enough already.” It’s simply … well, illegal, under state land use laws. It’s like saying “I want to do whatever I want with my land – property rights! – but my neighbor shouldn’t be able to do anything that affects me.” Impossible to make happen, impossible to enforce – and totally illogical to request. And yet, some do. Many, in fact.

Why are all the things we “learned in kindergarten” so hard for folks to remember or accept later in life? Ah, because by then, with all our life experiences, we “know better.”

Not;-)

What a blog is – and isn’t

This is a blog. Blogs are usually one person’s posts, thoughts and comments, usually presented chronologically.
A blog is NOT an online forum system, or a commenting system on news articles. Somehow, many folks have gotten confused about just what a blog is — and isn’t.
Our daily paper has a front page story about how the city of Bend is going to try out an online forum. The word they picked for the “jump” header? Blog.
I guess we’re all looking for short, punchy shorthand to describe and categorize stuff. But right is right, and wrong is wrong, and bloggers know that much of what is called blogs these days are NOT a blog.
That said, I wish the city all the luck in the world in trying to get some useful info out of folks in a forum structure, and keep the rabble-rousers to background. It’s a challenge, as I know from our very lively comment system at KTVZ.COM and other experiences over the decades.
But people who post comments there WON’T be blogging, or posting blogs. Let’s try to call it what it is.

Only the good die young

OK, so it’s a great Billy Joel song. It fits as well as anything for this little piece.

I doubt highly regarded cyclist/triathlete/mtn. biker Steve Larsen, who died this week at age 39, and Navy rescue swimmer and Marshall (skip the smirks) HS graduate Aaron Clingman, who died this week at age 25, ever crossed paths in Bend, the town they both called home.

But they did this week, on the news and in the headlines. Both died inexplicably, to this point – super-fit Larsen collapsing and dying on the Cascade Middle School track of an as-yet undiagnosed heart ailment, Clingman with five crewmates in the crash of a Navy helicopter into the Pacific Ocean near San Diego.

They say deaths come in threes, but let’s not hoist that old canard and just draw some comparisons and contrasts.

I’d never heard of either gentleman, but both no doubt had endured much and prevailed – Larsen winning accolades not just for his multi-sport prowess but his strong family commitment and easy-going way of offering help and advice to just about anyone who crossed his path.

We know far less of Clingman, only that he struggled at Bend HS, always wanted to be a rescue swimmer with the Navy and eventually got that prized diploma.

We know he had a wife and 10-month-old baby, and to look at those photos is both heartbreaking and inspiring.

Two men among the many who die too soon, in the midst of doing what they loved, that giving solace to friends and family, but not really easing the pain.

Sometimes, the shining examples of true lives lived day to day in inspiring ways only draw attention when they end. Which is sad, too, but … hey, we’re all too busy living our own lives.

But it’s worth taking a moment to stop and contemplate – should you, too, depart this mortal plane in an instant, what would people say about you?

I no doubt would have my grieving friends and supporters, and quietly smirking detractors (some of those anonymous online commenters who think I wield my delete-button sword because I’m power-hungry or I don’t agree with their views. In other words, wrong;-/

What would your headline say?

Sparkling snow and Christmas cheer

A musing on Christmas Day of how things really aren’t all that bad – and a prayer it’ll stay that way.

I really don’t mind shoveling – it’s some of the best exercise I get! And I’m getting a lot of it lately – we have to be at, oh, 1-2 feet of snow in past 2-3 weeks, which you just knew was gonna happen after a too-warm Christmas parade.

Despite the challenges at work and my wife’s challenges in finding work, I and Deb have lots to be thankful for this year. For her, the move from W. Virginia to Bend by her older sister Diane was the biggest present of all. And I’ve got to admit, she can make chocolate goodies almost as good as Deb’s. (Hmm, navigating a safe way to put things;-)

Anyway, I think anyone who has a good job after the travails of the last half of 2008 has to be mighty thankful – and I am. I’m also thankful for my online friends, and those who come to KTVZ.COM without intentions of stirring up trouble but engaging in civil, often lively conversation. I try not to dwell too much on those who only make accusations and stir up trouble. I resolve in ’09 to spend even less time trying to defend myself/our station to those who clearly are just picking fights. If their comments are out of line, they are gone. If not, I’ll try harder to bite my tongue and let everyone else have their say, as a good moderator does. (I’ll never ignore a question that isn’t a putdown in disguise, though;-)

Oh, the title. Yes, when I was shoveling the driveway, in today’s blue-sky sunshine, the snow was just so … sparkling. Desperate me, I took it as a sign that just maybe, things will get better in 2009, and that the doomsayers will be as wrong as they were when they kept predicting doom earlier and it didn’t happen. We have mighty challenges, but – you can call be naive – if we just put our minds to it, I think we can head off Depression 2.0. I pray so.

Meanwhile, I might not be able to convince the powers that be that we should give over 2-3 minutes of airtime to just showing the gorgeous beauty of a snow-flocked High Desert when the clouds part on a blue-sky day, but … don’t let it pass you by. While you’re shoveling, rushing about or driving with fingers clenched on the steering wheel, watching for the yahoos going too fast who could slam into you … be sure to look up and around some times. The world is gorgeous when it’s snow-covered like this – don’t miss out!

And Merry Christmas to all of you. Here’s to a great ’09!

Remembering Bob Buxton

Go ahead, say ‘who’? I’ll understand. He was a co-worker, and a friend, and … well, read on. I thought I owed it to the guy, having waxed poetic about Bill Friedman, a far better known local individual who died almost the same day, at almost the same age.

REMEMBERING BOB BUXTON:
By Barney Lerten
Nov. 16, 2008

Two men, Bend residents of similar age, passed away recently – within a day of each other, actually. I knew them both, in totally separate circumstances. Many knew Bill Friedman, and I was honored to speak Saturday at his public memorial service, a simple gathering in a scenic park by the river.

Far fewer knew Bob Buxton – and even many who knew him didn’t know much about him. I am not yet of the age where I read the obituaries/death notices daily – may I never grow that “old” in my sphere of interests – so it was in a touching, honest piece by Janet Stevens in Friday’s Bulletin that I learned of Bob’s passing, at age 71, a year shy of Friedman.

The brief death notice in the paper, when I looked it up, simply noted his passing and said “no services will be held.”

No surprise. Bob wouldn’t want the fuss.

Now that I think about it, Buxton and Friedman did look a bit alike – gray hair, big glasses (like mine), a gray beard by the point in life I knew them.

But while Bill was comfortable in the public arena, and had married twice (at least?), Bob was a single man throughout his life, who had his pleasures and joys (dune buggying at the coast, taking long trips in his rig, and as a philatelist – that’s stamp collection) but was definitely what many would call, by and large, a loner, even amid the often cacophonous din of The Bulletin’s newsroom.

Don’t get me wrong – Bob could be very friendly, and caring, and work hard at keeping up a friendly conversation. But nobody would call him a party animal. Many might use the term curmudgeon, or even a grump. But he was who he was, and he was great at editing the wire and building pages at The Bulletin. He was a stickler for getting it right, as am I. So in that sense, we’re kindred spirits.

I first got to know Bob as a gruff voice on the telephone during my years with United Press International’s Portland bureau, when he (or his boss, Bob Chandler) would call about a typo or error in the wire report, or to ask where the hell the daily midday stock list was (something we had to call someone to get and manually punch in back then, probably the last thing holding up putting the then-afternoon paper to bed and presses to roll).

I always tried to do as they asked as fast (and typically frenetic) as I could, never knowing that it would help lead me to my next job when, as the last UPI reporter in Portland and next-to-last in the state, a boss in LA I barely knew called me up in late 1990 to tell me I was “the best person (they’ve) ever had to lay off.”

Ouch.

Months later, unemployment about to expire, I called Bob at The Bulletin to see if there were any openings. (My wife’s folks lived in Bend, so that would be a plus). He said there was, put me on the phone with then-City Editor Jeff Nielson. Long story short: I came over for an interview, two women turned down the job for various reasons, and I was in (first beat: Redmond, Sisters, religion and agriculture if I’m not mistaken….)

Much like Janet’s piece in the paper, I must note that while we worked in the same building, and were friendly with each other, Bob and I didn’t become close friends. Not really of the same generation, but he could harrumph with the best of them, and joined in the sometimes tacky, frequently crude humor you find in just about any newsroom. (Later, after his retirement, we fellow Bulletin refugees would chuckle over an error or two in the paper, as if to say, that wouldn’t happen if we were there.)

In recent years, Bob had turned to me a few times for advice and assistance in the foreign (to him) world of personal computers. He wanted one primarily to go on eBay and bid on stamp collections. Unfortunately, I have just enough tech knowledge to be dangerous, and am a lousy teacher – too easily frustrated, especially when I couldn’t make things work.

Bob was fighting several health problems in recent years, but still managed to find things to chuckle about and enjoy – a good NASCAR race on TV, his cat Fred (a friendly gray fellow that I think was a Russian blue).

I tried not to feel sorry for Bob being alone – he had some friends, some mutual, some not. But I felt more than a bit guilty for not visiting or at least calling him up more often.

We did chat online – he learned to use instant messaging, and his screen name fit his dune buggy affection, as ‘DoonDood1.’ (Mine is ‘computingfool’ – will skip the story behind that this time, too much about me already.)

So anyway, Bob, glad you’re out of pain now. You’ll be missed by those who knew and appreciated your dry humor, your smile and your friendship. May your celestial travels put you behind the wheel of a really nice rig, hitting the heavenly coast, a great diner, a NASCAR track or wherever your heart takes you.

Remembering Bill Friedman

Bill Friedman’s wife, Shoshana, asked me to post this at the CaringBridge Website set up in his honor. Alas, the piece is too long for there, because they have a 5,000-character limit. So instead, I’m posting it here and linking to it. Hope that’s OK.

REMEMBERING BILL FRIEDMAN

By Barney Lerten

November 15, 2008

 

As a reporter, I’ve often said, jokingly, that the worst thing I could do to some people is to quote them accurately.

 

I recall a certain former city manager who once told me a joke, as we talked on the phone. I was laughing – but I was typing. A few days later, Larry – I mean, that unnamed city manager – called me up. The words were in print, and he was not laughing. But he learned anew the power of those three little words – off the record – and what can happen when they’re not used.

 

But when it comes to Bill, the best thing I can do, to salute and reflect on his simple, quiet, but powerful role in Bend government over the past decade or so, is to quote him accurately – something I always try to do, but do better now, covering the council via TV and typing, then I ever did scribbling in the front row at City Hall. Then, now and forever, my handwriting is atrocious.

 

So that should be my first salute to Bill – his voice and timbre was unique, his cadence – starting with a slight stammer – like Jimmy Stewart in his prime, though no one would ever confuse the two. He spoke slowly enough that I could capture his words in my scribbles, and not so slowly that it felt like a day in fourth grade as others read their essays at a maddeningly glacial pace.

 

No, it was as if he wanted you to ride along with his thought process, almost hear the mental gears turning – and make clear that he wasn’t letting his mouth get ahead of his brain, as some politicians – we’re talking other places, not here – often do.

 

His attire was unique as well, for years – hence all the white shirts and jeans surrounding us – and as someone blessedly free of the neck-noose tie in recent years, we were a kindred spirit in that regard.

 

I tell people I have little if any memory, only archives – and the fates have conspired to destroy, lose or burn many of those, which accounts for the nearly fire-hazard stacks of fading newsprint in my home office. So that is where I turned, when asked – and how could I refuse the honor? – to find some ‘quotable quotes’ from Bill, for this occasion.

 

One of the first and funniest I found came from a March 2003 Bend Bugle, when the city was wrestling, as always, with what to charge developers and how to account for all that rapid growth.

 

At one point in the frustrating dialogue, Bill made a simple, three-word funding suggestion: “Magic pixie dust.”

 

“So far,” he said, “It’s a total disaster. The builders have to pay more … and 60 percent has to come from somewhere else. Everybody’s even – we’re all going to lose.”

 

Seven months later, a similar remark: “This is a lose-lose-lose proposition. We can’t get there from here, even with increased taxes.”

 

But perhaps, that same month six years ago, came a truly symbolic time, close to here – dedication of the Bill Healy Bridge – when Bill, a long-time supporter of the controversial project, said he’d thought about borrowing Lincoln’s words at Gettysburg – ‘Four score and seven years ago” – since it seemed to have taken that long to happen.”

 

So the councilor who had donned a Dr. Seuss ‘Cat in the Hat” hat and read a made-up fairy tale, ‘The Lonely Little Log Deck,” during a debate, offered thanks to both those who said yes and no to the bridge, for making it a better span – as he put it, “for taking the time to care.”

 

Skip ahead four years, to May of last year, and when he called a 50 percent hike in some building fees “outrageous and unconscionable,” and the state-driven budget process “unfortunate,” he still managed to put a positive spin on things, as I wrote then, “sounding hopeful that everyone would come to consensus on where to go.”

 

“I’m not uncomfortable,” he said. “This is the way democracy works. I think we’re going to have a good result and move forward.”

 

Last September, as the Juniper Ridge debate roiled, Bill tried to sound a note of reason, as he urged his colleagues not to back the idea of a public vote on the project.

 

As he put it, “We can abdicate our responsibility in some very unfortunate ways.” But he also said, “We need to listen to the community, build ways to discuss” the issue.

 

He was not a man bound to tradition, as in his continued efforts to increase safety and sanity in Bend, by banning fireworks.

 

“I agree it’s an American tradition,” he said. “The question is, should every tradition from the past be carried into the future?”

 

That takes us to last spring, when councilors took a chance – brave or foolish, take your pick – and did not cut Bend Area Transit’s budget, several months before this fall’s fateful third vote on a service that many surveys have shown residents want – they just don’t want to pay more for.

 

“It’s an interesting gamble, but it is a gamble,” Bill said.

 

And as the appreciative audience of mostly senior transit riders filed out of the council chambers to a waiting Dial-A-Ride bus, many thanking councilors for their decision, and the council waited to move on to the next agenda item, Bill told Michael Funke, the stalwart labor organizer, “The ball’s in your court.”

 

Funke replied, “The ball’s in all of our courts.”

 

It’s only fitting that was one of the last times I quoted Bill. Because when it comes to loving, caring about and investing our time, energy – and yes our hard-earned money – in keeping Bend livable and successful, indeed, Bill would tell us all, were he here today, “The ball’s in your court.”

 

And if we approach each issue, large or small, with the grace, wisdom, and yes humor that Bill Friedman displayed in ways large and small, we should all in the end, win or lose, be able to quote Bill accurately, and tell everybody we know: “This is the way democracy works.”

Sorry so long (Best of luck Barack, farewell Bill)

Wow, time flies when you’re not blogging – sorry about that;-) Elections were … well, let’s just say we learned lessons about how early to prepare for new stuff. But it did go pretty well;-)

So now, a watershed moment in American history. Let’s all hope and pray for better days ahead, and that bipartisan is still possible. We shall see.

And tonight came word of a sad passing of what folks used to call a “city father” of Bend – Councilor and former mayor Bill Friedman has passed away at age 72. I liked Bill – I don’t know if I ever saw him lose his temper, but he was a strong voice for good planning to deal with Bend’s rapid growth over the past decade. It’s easy to look back and make judgments, but I have no doubt every vote he cast was done with Bend’s best interests at heart.

He loved to be witty, and to sit back, let others weigh in and then slowly, calmly, crystallize his thoughts. I wrote on the Website tonight about a memorable moment, when he donned a Dr. Seuss ‘Cat in the Hat’ hat to read a fable of ‘The Lonely Little Log Deck,” as he argued for the controversial Southern River Crossing (now Bill Healy Memorial Bridge). A fun moment, from someone who often tried to break a testy council moment with a gentle moment of levity.

He shall be missed, by many.

Personally, I’m going to try for more blog entries. If I can’t do this at least weekly, something’s wrong. Adding WordPress to the laptop’s taskbar should help remind me.

Actually had less news for a change this weekend (yay) allowing time for things like reading, not just skimming The Bulletin (had to drop The Oregonian, who can afford $75 a month!) and last night actually watched a movie with darlin Deb (that “Journey to the Center of the Earth” remake, a fun trip;-)

There’s Bend, and then there’s ‘Bend’

A few years ago, Bend became all of Deschutes County – at least, in the eyes of Uncle Sam. When it created the Bend Metropolitan Statistical Area, or MSA, it included every square inch of Deschutes County – Brothers to Sisters, Tumalo to Terrebonne, Redmond to La Pine. I once knew why, but I forget.;-)

Then there’s the other big government entity that says what’s where – the U.S. Postal Service.

To their way of thinking, “Bend” extends beyond Sunriver, almost to La Pine, west halfway to Sisters, and north halfway to Redmond – in terms of mailing addresses, that is.

So are those folks “Bend” residents? Of course not, they are MILES from the city limits, and never will be part of Bend – and if I know those rural residents as well as I think I do, they’re darn GLAD not to be really “in” Bend, whatever their catalogs, junk mail and bills tell them every day.

I raise the issue because we did a story of a big drug bust down south of Sunriver, and after using “South county” for a while – a most unwieldy term – I dared to call it a “La Pine” home where it happened.

Well, not exactly – but a heck of a lot closer than Bend is!

So of course, I came in for some grief, trying to “lump” these criminals in to give La Pine a black eye.

Puh-leeze. All I want to do is give people a better sense of where these locations are, good, bad or ugly. If someone from Oregon Water Wonderland is elected president – hey, it could happen – I bet folks would be glad to say they are from “La Pine,” or “Sunriver,” or even “Bend.” Even if they’re not really from any of them.

Geography, politics, crime and … well, human nature. Is this a great country or what?

Story choices and the never-perfect formula

Other day, got an e-mail from a nice lady:

Has there been any news reports on the new Sonic Burger opening in Bend? Just curious about it since the last couple days cars have been lined up down the highway waiting to get into the restaurant. I didn’t see anything about it on your website.

My reply:

Well, no, we haven’t covered the latest restaurant opening frenzy in Bend. The paper had a photo and caption, just adding to the hordes who got the word through word of mouth or passing by. We figured it was pretty well known and didn’t need a “free ad” from us- heck, even read a blogger waxing poetic over their little ice cubes.

Her reply – again, in a tone so much appreciated compared to the nasty, accusatory stuff we all too often get:

I appreciate your reply Barney, but I see it in a completely different way. So here’s an example of how one reader/viewer thinks: 
It’s not just the latest restaurant opening frenzy in Bend; it’s so much more. It’s a traffic congestion story for one. On Wednesday, May 21st, traffic was backed up coming from the North as far back as the jail. It became such an issue that the highway department lit up a big flashing sign warning drivers of a heavy traffic area. Peoples lives and commutes were being effected.
You’re not the paper. Who cares what the paper had; not everyone looks at the paper. Is it your norm to pick and choose stories based on what the paper is doing? Isn’t every single news story you do a “free ad” in one way or another? Does KTVZ support the economy in Bend? What about the jobs that are being provided for by Sonic? 
Who cares if you were criticized for doing a story on Trader Joe’s. Shouldn’t dictate how you handle something now. I believe the majority of us appreciated hearing about a new business opening in that area of Bend. Progress is beautiful. Improvements are wonderful.
People in North Bend and Sisters now have a quality fast food restaurant on “their” end of town. It’s been a long time coming. This is a big deal to us. A piece of land in our town is now bursting with life after years of being vacant and depressed. It’s nice to see improvement there after watching the Tom Tom close and the truck stop shut down. I love that things are happening there again.
Sonic has a really good bacon cheese burger toaster. My son really likes them and wants to go get one right now.
And last but not least…It’s a happy story as opposed to sad or scary…which is primarily what we’re used to hearing. We need more happy, exciting and fun in our lives right now. Times are hard. You’re missing out on all the fun. Let’s hear it for Sonic. Welcome to Bend.

And again, my reply:

…you make all your points very well. One thing I forgot to tell YOU was – I’m NOT the news director and am only one voice in about four (news director, show producers) on what we do/don’t cover. And I win some, lose some. Every day I do a list of 30 or so story ideas, and on good days, roughly a third turn into stories. There’s always hundreds more story ideas than there are time in the show, reporters not already tied up, time conflicts etc.
Yes, the paper influences what stories we do and how we treat them, to some degree. So does radio, our TV competition, etc. We don’t necessarily DO or NOT DO stories based on what others do, but it DOES play a role – as it does for every media outlet.
We sure don’t want to look like we’re chasing the paper (or anyone else’s) tail – some folks think we just rip stories out of the paper and read them – nothing could be further from the truth. Give me two stories of roughly equal importance (a judgment call there!), one that other media outlets have had and the other newly discovered by us, and we’ll always do the latter – we don’t want to look/sound like everyone else.
 This is a worthwhile discussion…”

…and I went on to ask if I could post it here. Haven’t heard back, so I figure it’s safe, leaving out her name (I’ll add it if she’s comfortable with it.)

So, let me add on a few thoughts. Some folks think we should cheer good economic news. Others think we should spend more time on the bad things folks do. Heck, we did what I thought was an innocuous story on the crummy weather heading into the weekend, and … well, here’s the post by someone labeled “Stay positive”:

Can we keep the negative news confined to the TV broadcast please? Why does everyone in the world with an internet connection need to know that we’re having bad weather during the first big weekend of the summer season? What good does that do for the Realtors and tourism-driven businesses?”

That prompted the predictable reaction from other commenters of “what in the world???” – and I have to admit, I even wonder if it was tongue-in-cheek? Surely, no one expects us to tilt our coverage to not tell outsiders the weather isn’t perfect every holiday?

We also had a story recently about a USA Today article that referred in its headline to Bend as “the new Boulder.” The reaction in postings was strong, and predictable – many incredulous that anyone could do a nice write-up about Bend – asking if he’d ever even VISITED the place – and others pointing to the long, familiar list of problems here (housing prices dropping like a rock, not enough well-paying jobs, a city government running short of cash, etc. etc.)

It all reminded me of one of my first stories at The Bulletin, back in 1991. Talked to authors of a book called “50 Fabulous Places to Raise Your Family.”

They started with a list of 250 or so metro areas. They thought they’d have trouble narrowing it to 50 – they had trouble coming up with 50 – and they decided they needed to talk to newcomers, because in just about every city listed, the longer folks had lived there, the more incredulous they were that anyone would ever think that town was a good place to raise a family!

That’s because the longer you live somewhere, the more familiar you are with its shortcomings, the more you take for granted its niceties – or miss what it was like when you arrived (wishing someone had shut the gate behind you).

People in Bend like to think that’s something unique to here. It’s a universal trait. Reminds me also of what a fired city manager told me years ago, after he got the heave-ho after many years in the job: “Friends come and go, but enemies accumulate.”

So if you do a positive story about the place you live, you’re a chamber-of-commerce suck-up, a member of the Good Old Boys. If you do a negative one, you’re unfairly attacking, etc. etc. It’s gone from “you can’t please everyone” to “good luck pleasing anyone.”

But still, we keep trying. 😉 What do you think? What if you were a news director – what would be your guiding principles about “free ads,” story selection, etc? Because if nothing else, the Internet has made it possible for everyone to play the role of “news editor,” picking what topics they’re interested in, etc.