What a holiday gift to the community! Hey kids, get in here quick! Wow!!!
Unlimited access to the PDN and its archive of
high-quality and 100% accurate news-like articles!
For limited time only, comrades!
But seriously, all this tells us is that the people at Price Ford must have more dollars than sense to sponsor such a lame "giveaway." I'd love to have been at the meeting where this turkey of an idea was pitched to them. And I see that the PDN is still flogging their own no appeal staff to the community, with their seemingly eternal come-on, "PDN speakers available to address clubs, organizations and other gatherings." Uh, yeah, we know. You've been feting that one for a long, long time.
Paul Gottlieb is really, really available
for your child's birthday party. No, really.
Anyway, this does bring to mind some questions I've had about the PDN, and maybe some of you readers have some insights to share. The first thing I wonder about is how the traffic to the PDN website is doing (exciting free weekend aside) since they imposed the double whammy of having to have a Facebook account to comment, and their attempt to limit the number of pages you can view for free. I would imagine those two things have caused the number of hits to their website to plummet. There sure seem to be a lot fewer comments than there used to be. Before the shift, even fairly innocuous articles might generate a long string of crackpot comments. Now, most articles don't have any at all, and it seems to take a really controversial topic (Hi, Steve Markwell!) to generate much in the way of response. Does anyone know any of the poor souls who work at the PDN? Has anyone heard how their website traffic is doing? Is it true they have two sets of numbers - one for reality, and one to show to advertisers?
.jpg)
The PDN: We report, you deride!
And how are ad sales, anyway? Not everyone has Price Ford stupid money to piss away. Have the PDN's ad rates changed to reflect their own actual value and standing in the community? Or do they still charge Cadillac rates for their tricycle product? And what do Black Press, the PDN's Canadian overseers, think of their poor Clallam County cousins?
"Priceless"
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing to me that David Black; of Victoria, BC, owner of Black Press; owner of Sound Publishing, owner of PDN allows Brewer to run this paper with such impunity. Seems the Canadian masters don't give a shit how bad the rag is as long as they keep sending the advertising suckers' money to Canada. Keep in mind all the money spent in advertising goes to Canada and does nothing to build up our local economy--unless you count the pittance they pay their staff. I'm sure the little bit of heart tugging they do at Christmas seems like they are building the community but look at the pitiful coverage of the waste of taxpayers money on things like the Harbor Works, Gateway, the turn tank. Brewer never uttered a peep about these colossal wastes of trusting taxpayers money.
ReplyDeleteI agree. You said it well/ This isn't about supporting the community, it is about syphoning off money to outside interests.
DeleteOh! That has a familiar ring to it!
The PDN is such a waste. Every one I know stopped their subscriptions years ago. None have paid for online access. Why ?
DeleteSure, there are always chumps that are only marginally engaged. It's those that are keeping the PDN afloat. They aren't involved enough to know they are being manipulated and lied to.
Can we please, please make "We report, you deride" the slogan for the PDN? It's accurate in a way their own articles rarely are.
ReplyDeleteSadly, the PDN's level of "quality" is about par for the course here. KONP is a right-wing blast of hot air, and whenever they post "news" on their website, it's always chock full of typos, bad grammar, obviously missing words, and so on and so on.
ReplyDeletePort O Call is still cruising on some goodwill for being "new" and "fresh," but they too are sloppy, silly and inaccurate. Check out the recent "story" about Betsy Wharton's pickle business, written by Diana Somerville. Clearly it's supposed to be a feel good kind of piece, but it fails miserably. An excerpt:
A goal in launching the Clallam Canning Company was “to strengthen the local food web.” The company aims to become a large customer for Olympic Peninsula farms, “purchasing their top-quality produce and transforming it into the most delicious and nutritious ready to eat food that I can make”, Wharton states.
“I’d originally thought that Clallam Canning Company could offer ways for individual farmers to preserve bumper crops that might otherwise go to waste,” she said. “That has yet to happen.” Instead, Scott Naglel, the Crabfest guru, asked that she develop a special Crabfest cocktail sauce.
Crabfest Cocktail Sauce
“I processed more than 15 pounds of locally grown horseradish and was able to use all locally sourced ingredients: tomatoes, garlic, jalapeños.” Her unique, completely local sauce product that was developed and processed in time to be sold as part of the Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival in October.
She's still just making some pickles, and local farmers aren't exactly breaking her door down to work with her to "strengthen the local food web," but Betsy seems to think that using 15 pounds of local horseradish is some sort of accomplishment. This kind of fantasy-based spin is no different from the kinds of insanity and inanity we see from the PDN itself, or the Chamber of Commerce.
It's a shame we lost our little local access TV channel, because it's harder to engage in the kind of mind-boggling stupidity that we see around here with a camera present. But the written word lends itself to misdirection and obfuscation, and that's what we see from ALL the local print "news" sources here, in my opinion. It's ALL a load of BS; the only difference is that the PDN has a few more bulls producing their "product."
Thanks for reading the Port O Call so closely. We certainly invite new writers to join our ranks. Obviously you feel you can do better. Please submit an article of your own. Of course you'll have to put your name on it. We do. If you prefer merely trolling others who are making an attempt to add to the community conversation then have at it. I do wish you would tell us where we are "sloppy, silly and inaccurate." We are pleased to correct any inaccuracies when brought to our attention. Silly is in the eye of the beholder. Sloppy? well only you can make us better but you have to be more precise.
DeleteOh, and by the way, Port O Call is exhorting the new Schools Super to bring forth the public access channel they have at the Skills Center. It has been ready to go for years but of course the powers that be don't want people looking over their shoulder so they will not put forth the pittance it would take to bring it online. Port O Call even offered to do a fund raiser to get them online but that effort too has so far been rebuffed. Perhaps if the readers here will make a call to Dr. Marc Jackson at the Port Angeles Schools District you may persuade him to get the community access channel up and running. His number is:360-457-8575. He is all atwitter about getting this hundred million dollar school bond passed--right now he may be receptive to your plea. Later, who can say?
DeleteI disagree with you. There IS a difference between the Port O Call and the PDN. The opinion piece by Dale about the people in the Skill Center trying to prevent him from leaving papers there shows the kind of control on information and efforts that has kept Port Angeles from moving forward. : "Edna is a friend of mine" You won't find that kind of exposure in the PDN.
DeleteLots of the PoC articles over the last year have exposed the behind-the-scenes actions by the powers-that-be. Look what resulted. City Council finally held accountable for the money it gives to the PADA and Chamber. Look what happened with Russ and Timmy's attempts to consolidate power via the "PAU". The PDN just does the usual RAh-rah..
But, I do agree with you, 100% , about public access TV. All council, Planning Commish, Commissioners, Port, etc meetings should be broadcast live, and re- broadcast so more of the public can see what is going on. Absolutely.
Let's work on getting that happening.
While I don't think the Port O Call will be any sort of a game changer here, it IS nice to see certain things actually acknowledged in print, however late or unlikely to change anything. Seeing Democrat John Marrs admit that local Democrats got "played" by slimy Mike Chapman in the last election was a good thing to see in writing. Too bad it wasn't said during that election, rather than after the fact, but...Sure would like to know what those diverted Democrats think of their "friend" Mike Chapman now!
DeleteSpeaking of control of information: I tried to purchase air time on Rush Radio intending to do an hour long call-in talk radio show. Offered to purchase one hour a day, five days a week for six months.. Todd wouldn't allow it. Before starting Port O Call I attempted to get a letter to the editor published in the daily paper. My subject was the insanity of using the turd tank because it is sitting on an active seismic zone. Brewer refused to run it saying I had no proof it was an active seismic zone. I then showed him a graphic published by his paper showing it was sitting on an active zone. Then Brewer said, "we don't want to scare anyone." Yes, they have communications wrapped up. That is why the auto dealers will not advertise with Port O Call--they cannot control the message so they withhold their advertising, even tho we reach 100% of the homes and businesses in the city limits. Likewise with Swains, OMC, most of the realtors, both of Edna's friends. They don't want the truth out. They have been quite successful in controlling the message. Port O Call is beginning its second year. While we do miss a comma now and then we don't miss an important meeting when the public's money is being spent.
DeleteDale, I know you have good intentions, and all that, but some of what Port O Call does in puzzling. The recent column by Diana Somerville urging people to really check out the candidates for the charter review committee, that was published AFTER the election was over, is but one example. Weirdbeard stuff like that gives the impression that the POC is to perhaps be taken less than seriously. Just so you know.
DeleteWe published over two hundred stories this year. That makes us "off" by one half of one percent. WTF do you want FOR FREE?
DeleteDale,
DeleteWhen you publish silly statements about PADA taking the high road and being courageous by standing up to the City and PA United group during the whole PA United process earlier this year - people are not going to take you seriously and likely to question your grasp of reality. PADA did anything but the courageous thing. Furthermore, you purported the CEO group was pulling strings and calling the shots behind the curtain. This read more like a conspiracy theory than credible journalism. You want to be taken seriously? Start by listening and getting your facts correct.
Per Anon 1PM: I agree with what you have to say. I'd also like to know what the local Democrats think now of Steve Tharinger, who helped Mike Chapman play them for fools.
DeleteDale:
ReplyDelete"Sloppy? well only you can make us better but you have to be more precise."
The word "Well" should be capitalized. The sentence also might be improved by the use of a comma or two as well. For instance.
Really? That is what you see as being the pressing issues confronting Port Angeles? That is what you see as important? Commas and caps?
DeleteReally?
Okay. I guess some of us can spend our time discussing grammar and punctuation. I get what Dale is trying to DO, and I support his efforts.
Well, gee...And I thought I was starting a discussion about the PDN...
ReplyDeleteYes. Interesting how it developed. I do find it interesting how some are so quick to criticize the Port o Call, while they sit back and seem to do nothing of consequence, themselves. Other than undermine one of the few efforts that is actually doing something to help change the very things they complain about.
DeleteBut, that has been long observed. That the "Liberals" are quick to eat their own, self destroy, and stay a splintered ineffective force in politics.
The PDN? We all know they are bootlickers for the status quo.
Detour!
DeleteAnon 11:03
DeleteIf the PDN is the bootlicker of the status quo. That must make Port O Call the antagonist of the lowest common denominator.
We had cut the PDN down to just Fridays/Sundays and still weren't getting much of value so when we got our latest renewal notice we decided we're going to let the subscription run out. You can bypass the article limit just by using "incognito mode" in Chrome anyway if you just want to see what's in the online version.
ReplyDeleteRe: Port O Call. Time will certainly reveal. A year from now, we'll have more to evaluate by.
ReplyDeleteAnyone notice the PDN never runs crime stories until Port O Call ran their "Bullets Fly on First Street" on Monday and on Wednesday PDN reports, "six burglaries in 24 hours." Seems there was no crime in town until Port O Call reported it and now there is a rash of crime. Actually the boot lickers at PDN lacked the balz to report it until Port O Call took the lead. Likewise, Port O Call reports the new art pieces coming to the Elwah Center and a day or two later the PDN runs a similar story. Port O Call needs to go daily and create some real competition in the news coverage in town.
ReplyDelete