Leadership issues, Part 2
Posted February 8th, 2008 at 3:34 PM by SamHI realize the N&R’s failed public information request is a major part part of the evolving black book memo story. But I still find it fascinating that, in the process of breaking the story, both The Troublemaker and the Rhino take time to taunt N&R city reporter Margaret Banks, who spent all day yesterday catching up.
John Hammer writes:
Banks is told that the city will not give her the two-page memo that she requested because city attorneys “are not aware of the alleged two-page memo.”
Normally Banks would have to accept the city’s assertion that the memo doesn’t exist, but in this case banks is in luck because her friends here at The Rhino Times have decided to help her out by publishing the entire two-page memo here on our front page.”
I think it’s not unfair to say that Banks doesn’t have the hardcore investigative reporting skills necessary for covering city hall. She’s a features writer by trade who (correct me if I’m wrong) spent time on the religion beat before moving to city politics. Nothing personal, and I’m certainly not saying I’ve got the skills; that’s how ended up here analyzing the work of guys like Hammer and Holder.
Besides, who’s around down at the N&R to train Banks for such a difficult job? The seasoned reporters are all on the retirement plan and the editors are big-picture guys concentrating on feelings rather than details. Now we learn from Hoggard that the N&R is cutting paid local columnists loose due to to budgetary considerations. Somehow I don’t think they’ll roll those “savings” into more investigative reporting.
Expectations from our paper of record have lowered for quite some time now. Don’t expect much more. Real news and analysis of what’s going on with Greensboro city government is here.
February 8th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
Wow, I had been sending the very same message to Margaret for one week. Margaret is a spunky news reporter with a lot of potential, but just like all of the rest down there, she have no concept of investigative reporting. But, then, why should they, no one has trained or mentored them. It’s a sad state, and pretty much tells the story of why the ship is sinking. Unfortunately, when you tell some of them that they are “sound bite” reporters, they get offended. They really do not know what investigative reporting is about or how to get a story. Ben Holder could teach them much.
February 9th, 2008 at 8:32 am
Thanks for the insight, Kachina.
One question that I haven’t seen answered is how the Rhino and the Troublemaker acquired the memo — did they makw a public information request, too, and just knew what to ask for, or did it just “fall into their hands?” Either way, they published it first, which doesn’t make the N&R look good.
As for being sound bite reporters, they are enough stories at every public meeting to fill a week, yet you never read about many of the intreresting things officials discuss. That problem runs the spectrum — city government, county, school board beats. It’s a problem down there on E. Market St.
February 10th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
[...] OK, the article is the type of investigative piece that I recently complained wiss missing at the N&R, the accompanying piece, the lead editorial and Rick Thames’ (so far unposted) column is advocacy journalism the team down on East Market Street could be proud of. I’ll be interested to see just how much more the Obersever can tell us in thefive parts to come. [...]
February 25th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
[...] No lie, honest to goodness truth: When I wrote this post questionning Margaret Banks’ investigative reporting skills, I was going to suggest that the N&R move her and replace on the city government beat with necomer Brian Ewing. But I didn’t want to be that presumptuous. [...]