BOOK RECOMMENDATION: 'Stonewalled; My Fight For the Truth Against the Forces of Obstruction, Intimidation and Harassment in Obama’s Washington,' Sharyl Attkisson, HarperBooks, 2014

STONEWALLED: MY FIGHT FOR TRUTH AGAINST THE FORCES OF OBSTRUCTION, INTIMIDATION, AND HARASSMENT IN OBAMA’S WASHINGTON
By Sharyl Attkisson

Harper, $27.99, 432 pages

Sharyl Attkisson discusses STONEWALLED

BOOK REVIEW: ‘Stonewalled’
By Ken Allard - Special to The Washington Times - - Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Sharyl Attkisson
Senior Independent Contributor
THE DAILY SIGNAL
The Heritage Foundation

Carmel’s ‘Pravda,’ the official organ of City Hall: The Carmel Pine Cone

ABSTRACT: While Editor & Publisher Paul Miller of The Carmel Pine Cone editorialized that “there’s still only one place to find out what’s going on at Carmel City Hall, the police station or the school board. And that’s in the pages of this newspaper,” The Carmel Pine Cone’s news reporting and editorial commentary, due to incompetence or bias, ignorance or censorship, has failed to timely inform Carmelites of all the facts on numerous issues and items, including 3 recent specific areas of coverage, namely News Reporting and Editorial Commentary of the Mayoral and City Council Candidates for the April 8, 2008 election, the Carmel Hospital Redevelopment project and the Forest Theater Foundation’s "Neighborhood Meeting" on their “pre-design” for the Forest Theatre. COMMENTS are made regarding the coverage of each of the 3 recent areas of coverage. And FINAL COMMENTS are made regarding The Carmel Pine Cone and the principles of journalism.


”And while revenues at small-town papers such as The Pine Cone are also declining, there is a bright light at the end of our particular tunnel. Because for all the explosive growth in information on the Internet, there’s still only one place to find out what’s going on at Carmel City Hall, the police station or the school board. And that’s in the pages of this newspaper.”

(Source: Editorial, Bad news for newspapers, The Carmel Pine Cone, January 25, 2008)

Apparently Editor & Publisher Paul Miller believes “there’s still only one place to find out what’s going on at Carmel City Hall, the police station or the school board. And that’s in the pages of this newspaper.”

Yet, The Carmel Pine Cone’s news reporting and editorial commentary, due to incompetence or bias, ignorance or censorship, has failed to timely inform Carmelites of all the facts on numerous issues and items, including 3 recent specific areas of coverage, as follows:

I. News Reporting and Editorial Commentary of the Mayoral and City Council Candidates for the April 8, 2008 election:

As of Friday, February 1, 2008, news reporting and editorial commentary about the mayoral and city council candidates for the April 8, 2008 election included 3 articles and one editorial, as follows:

City council challenger touts experience, fairness, MARY BROWNFIELD, The Carmel Pine Cone, January 25, 2008: Of a total 19 paragraphs, 14 paragraphs were devoted to City Council challenger Michael LePage, including 7 quotes, whereas only 5 paragraphs were devoted to mayoral challenger Dogman McBill, including 2 quotes. The article appeared on the front page, below the fold, and continued on page 21A.

MCCLOUD RUNS FOR FIFTH TERM ■ Would become city’s longest-serving mayor, MARY BROWNFIELD, The Carmel Pine Cone, December 14, 2007: Of a total of 20 paragraphs, there were 9 quotes attributed to Mayor Sue McCloud. The article appeared on the front page, above the fold, and continued on page 11A, conspicuously next to the article, Eastwood brings his deft touch to a heart-wrenching drama, by Paul Miller.

Editorial A race with no challengers? The Carmel Pine Cone, December 14, 2007. A telling selected excerpt, as follows:

“...we don’t think the race should attract anyone who hasn’t lived in town at least a decade and served on a city board or commission for several years. Being a city council member isn’t easy, and the decisions it requires aren’t for rookies. On the other hand, having one’s name inscribed in Carmel’s history books is an honor, and so is the opportunity to help protect and preserve one of the finest small cities in the world.”

Talmage, Sharp enter council race, MARY BROWNFIELD, The Carmel Pine Cone, December 7, 2007: Of a total 22 paragraphs, 9 paragraphs were devoted to City Council Member Karen Sharp, including 6 quotes and 10 paragraphs were devoted to City Council Member Ken Talmage, including 6 quotes. The article appeared on the front page, above the fold, and continued on pages 11A and 29A.

COMMENTS:
• On coverage of candidates:
While a brief biography of the candidates and their campaign message of “why voters should elect me” are interesting, it is no substitute for an interview where the reporter challenges each candidate on the significant issues facing the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Moreover, reporters should not only provide context, but reporters should critically analyze responses and inform the public of inaccurate and misleading statements.

The meager coverage on the mayoral challenger, Dogman McBill, is a classic example of subjective opinion overwhelming objective news reporting. All of the candidates should be challenged on the issues with the goal of informing and empowering Carmelites to make intelligent and informed electoral decisions.

The issue of a lack of timely news reporting is evident; while The Carmel Pine Cone published articles on the incumbents on December 7, 2007 and December 14, 2007, The Carmel Pine Cone published an article on the challengers on January 25, 2008, 14 days after the close of the filing period.

II. Hospital annexation withdrawn, MARY BROWNFIELD, The Carmel Pine Cone, November 9, 2007.

COMMENTS:
• On the Carmel Hospital Redevelopment project:
The issue of a lack of timely news reporting is evident; while the article was published in the November 6, 2007 edition of The Carmel Pine Cone, developer Robert Leidig informed Mayor Sue McCloud of his intention to withdraw his application 15 days earlier in his October 22, 2007 letter to Mayor Sue McCloud. Moreover, reporting on Mayor Sue McCloud’s role in this matter, including her not placing Robert Leidig’s proposal on a City Council agenda for a final public resolution, was absent.

Subjective opinion slanting news reporting is evident whenever critical omissions are present. Specifically, omissions included the City contracting with Pacific Municipal Consultants for “PROFESSIONAL PLANNING SERVICES CARMELHOSPITAL ANNEXATION SITE,” the content of the professional services rendered and the $10,527.60 cost to taxpayers.

And even though the article ended with “Since the area is in its sphere of influence, McCloud said the city will likely keep an eye on the proposal,” The Carmel Pine Cone has failed to follow-up with a timely report on the CARMEL HIGHLANDS/UNINCORPORATED LAND USE ADVISORY COMMITTEE meeting of January 22 and the upcoming meeting on Tuesday, February 19, 2008.

III. Forest Theater redo: Better sound from the stage, less noise from the bathrooms, MARY BROWNFIELD, The Carmel Pine Cone, November 23, 2007.

COMMENTS:
• On the Forest Theater Foundation’s "Neighborhood Meeting" on their “pre-design” for the Forest Theatre:
Again, the issue is a lack of timely news reporting; while the article was published in the November 23 edition of The Carmel Pine Cone, the Forest Theater Foundation’s “Neighborhood Meeting” on R.F. McCann & Company Architects, Inc.’s “pre-design” was actually held on October 30, 2007, three weeks earlier.

And although Mayor Sue McCloud may have intended it to be a meeting “simply intended to solicit input from those who would be most affected by changes at the theater before taking the issue to the larger community,” Mary Brownfield failed to inform readers that only a small fraction of the audience members were from the immediate neighborhood.

Failures to provide context are evident whenever omissions of relevant content are present. Specifically, the omission of City Administrator Rich Guillen’s statement at the meeting that the preliminary finding of the historical consultant hired to complete a historic evaluation of the Forest Theatre was that the site was historic, but not any of the structures. Moreover, The Carmel Pine Cone has since failed to follow-up with more explicit details of JRP Historical Consulting’s historic evaluation, as the City paid them $7,411.58 on December 18, 2007 for their professional services.

FINAL COMMENTS:
• Whenever there is a blur between news coverage and editorial commentary, subjection opinion overwhelming objective news reporting and omission of critical facts, readers accurately perceive journalism as stenography and propaganda. Specifically, news coverage and editorial commentary in The Carmel Pine Cone are uncritical of the mayor and city hall sources and reports only what the “City” chooses to impart to reporters.

• When reading The Carmel Pine Cone, readers would be wise to ask themselves if the news reporting and editorial commentary meet the standards set forth in the principles of journalism, as follows:

1. JOURNALISM'S FIRST OBLIGATION IS TO THE TRUTH

2. ITS FIRST LOYALTY IS TO CITIZENS

3. ITS ESSENCE IS A DISCIPLINE OF VERIFICATION

4. ITS PRACTITIONERS MUST MAINTAIN AN INDEPENDENCE FROM THOSE THEY COVER

5. IT MUST SERVE AS AN INDEPENDENT MONITOR OF POWER

6. IT MUST PROVIDE A FORUM FOR PUBLIC CRITICISM AND COMPROMISE

7. IT MUST STRIVE TO MAKE THE SIGNIFICANT INTERESTING AND RELEVANT

8. IT MUST KEEP THE NEWS COMPREHENSIVE AND PROPORTIONAL

9. ITS PRACTITIONERS MUST BE ALLOWED TO EXERCISE THEIR PERSONAL CONSCIENCE

In conclusion and most importantly, if the news reporters and editorial writer of The Carmel Pine Cone fail to understand their first loyalty is to citizens, not Mayor Sue McCloud and her administration and they must serve as an independent monitor of power, not as a City Hall propaganda purveyors, then they are failing in their responsibility to inform, and thus empower, Carmelites to make intelligent decisions regarding our village.

Journalism Standards: Part II

TIMELINE:

Sunday, 8 October 2006:
The Monterey County Herald’s publication of “Local government preserves its right to interfere,” a Guest Commentary by Lawrence Samuels.

Sunday, 8 October 2006:
A Carmel-by-the-Sea resident’s corrections (4) to the Guest Commentary by Lawrence Samuels.

Thursday, 12 October 2006
The Monterey County Herald’s publication of a “Setting it straight” Letter to the Editor by Sue McCloud.

Monday, 16 October 2006:
The Monterey County Herald’s publication of “Draconian housing laws,” by Lawrence Samuels, rebutting Mayor McCloud’s 12 October 2006 Letter to the Editor.

Wednesday, 18 October 2006:
The Monterey County Herald’s publication of “Truly Worthy,” a Letter to the Editor by Erling Lagerholm rebutting Lawrence Samuels’s original 8 October 2006 Guest Commentary.


On Erling Lagerholm’s Letter to the Editor, published 10 days after the publication of the Guest Commentary:

“The board has created no list. This was done previously without participation by the board.”

Comment: True; However, Erling Lagerholm omits the fact that the City Council members are responsible for the Carmel Inventory of Historic Resources; an Inventory which consisted of approximately 300 “historic properties” when it was submitted to the California Coastal Commission for certification in 2004.

“This represents an 82 percent "de-designation," hardly a sign that government is taking ‘bite-sized control over private property.’”

“It truly represents a careful, detailed review by the staff and board to designate historic only truly worthy properties.”

Comment: Assuming an 82% de-designation rate, or 82% of all appeals granted, what does that say about the city’s policy direction and review of the Carmel Inventory of Historic Resources prior to their submittal to the California Coastal Commission? The General Plan/Coastal Land Use Plan Land Use & Community Character Element states “The purpose of this component of the Land Use Plan is to…promote the identification and preservation of structures and sites that best represent this history.” In other words, extrapolating from Lagerholm’s logic, the Inventory of Historic Resources should have consisted of about 54 historic properties (82% of the total 300), not 300 “historic properties.” Additionally, only properties which are appealed will receive a detailed review of the evidence, or about 100 of 300. That being the case, the City’s Inventory of Historic Resources will not represent, in its entirety, “only truly worthy properties.”

On Sue McCloud’s Letter to the Editor, published 4 days after publication of the Guest Commentary and Corrections submitted to The Monterey County Herald:

If it is The Herald’s policy not to publish Corrections in the “Corrections” section of the newspaper, but rather publish “corrections” letters to the editor, then WHERE was Sue McCloud’s Letter to the Editor during the 2006 mayoral campaign correcting her age as 71, not as published repeatedly as 63? And WHERE was her Letter to the Editor correcting the city’s misinformation published at least two times that the proceeds from the sale of the Flanders Mansion Property would fund the Fire Station Seismic Retrofit Project when the monies had already been budgeted and the City was and is in litigation over the disposition of the Flanders Mansion Property?

Journalism Standards: Part I

For interesting content regarding a resident's concerns about The Monterey County Herald’s recent publication of a Guest Commentary, submitted corrections, a “corrections” Letter to the Editor and the Committee of Concerned Journalists Executive Director’s response, please click on the title (link) above.

Conflict of Interest? A Guest Commentary, A Letter to the Editor, and Corrections Standards
CCJ Staff, An exchange between CCJ Executive Director Jeffrey Dvorkin and a concerned citizen, October 16, 2006


Additionally, the following is information about the Committee of Concerned Journalists, (http://www.concernedjournalists.org/). This organization’s overriding belief is that the “purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with accurate and reliable information they need to function in a free society.” And whose members are concerned with today’s journalism “standards.”

About CCJ Executive Director Jeffrey Dvorkin:

Jeffrey Dvorkin assumed the role of Executive Director of CCJ in July 2006.

Prior to becoming CCJ’s Executive Director, Jeffrey Dvorkin was with National Public Radio; as the organization’s first Ombudsman (2000-2006), author of an online column, Vice President for News & Information (1997-2000). Prior to his positions with NPR, he was Managing Editor and Chief Journalist at CBC Radio (1991-1997), a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Dvorkin’s broadcast journalism career, which included upholding “editorial standards and ensuring the excellence of news and information programming,” spanned almost 30 years.

Committee of Concerned Journalists (CCJ)

CCJ History:

“On a rainy Saturday in June 1997, twenty-five journalists gathered at the Harvard Faculty Club...They were there because they thought something was seriously wrong with their profession. They barely recognized what they considered journalism in much of the work of their colleagues. Instead of serving a larger public interest, they feared, their profession was damaging it.”

(Source: http://www.concernedjournalists.org/about_ccj/history)

CCJ People:

“The Committee of Concerned Journalists is a consortium of reporters, editors, producers, publishers, owners, and academics concerned about the direction of and pressures facing American journalism. Created in June 1997, the group aims to clarify standards and principles in journalism by bringing journalists together to discuss their craft, its purpose and what sets it apart from other forms of communication.”
(Source: http://www.concernedjournalists.org/about_ccj/staff)

CCJ’s Core Principles

A Statement of Concern

A Statement of Shared Purpose

A Citizens' Bill of Rights
(Source: http://www.concernedjournalists.org/node/385)


Note: The Monterey County Herald’s Executive Editor, Carolina Garcia, IS NOT a member of CCJ.