Too Hard on the Lowell Sun?
Having a blog means being able to write when the spirit moves you, to clarify a previous thought, or simply to respond to something from the “offline” world when you think there needs to be a discussion. Like my blog responses to conversations with elected officials…when Councilor Rita Mercier decided to take my lack of support for reelecting incumbents personally…or when Rep. Golden failed to get the point of a post (admitting he hardly read the blog) aimed at asking a question about some legislation.
In this case, I almost decided not to write out my thoughts because I’m probably going to piss some people off. Well, the heck with that. 
I’m going to explain some things, and I’m then going to ask for feedback. I think it’s worth it.
The item in question is whether or not I/we (I will take primary lead on this) are too hard on (”bashing” was a word I think was used) the Lowell Sun. The conversation stemmed from a reader believing I was too unfair - actually, inaccurate - in my sarcastic remarks about the Sun in this post from the morning about Meehan and UML. But it extends beyond that to all the frustrations we’ve voiced over the Lowell Sun in the last couple of years.
In the post, I said, “Even the Sun (a laggard when it comes to updating their website) put the item in their breaking news section” with a link to the news story. Specifically, there is nothing inaccurate there, though it’s a little biting, I’ll admit. The Lowell Sun is a laggard compared with most newspapers its size or bigger in updating their website. It’s a marketing system that I’m sure their corporate parent chose. They want the print edition (presumably where most of the money is) to have high priority over their website. But it has the end result of making much of the news they post on the web, especially that covered by other papers in the state or nation, awfully out-of-date.
The complaint really stemmed from this particular case, though; that the Sun had actually “broken” the story first last night, and on its website immediately put the smallish article up in the Breaking News section. They felt I mislead about how “timely” the Sun was. But the published Globe article this morning was already more comprehensive than the short breaking story from the Sun, because any comprehensive article from the paper edition that the Sun runs on any subject is never updated on the web before noon.
Now, I don’t think this is a whiny who-gets-credit-for-breaking-news complaint. I do think it’s a legitimate one. But I also take a little bit of umbrage at the fact that I was called inaccurate. I was not. The Sun doesn’t always update their site in a timely manner, and if a little frustration comes out when I talk about it, that’s because a) it’s frustrating and b) this is a blog. It’s an online journal (in the “diary” sense) of opinion. Writing a blog is more intimate and passionate.
And on the inaccuracy comment, if you don’t like something I say and think I was unfair in dealing with the Sun or any other subject, make your case in the comments. That’s why they’re there. I do actually stand by my sarcasm, because it expresses real feelings, and it’s a legitimate point, and I’m willing to defend it (hence this post).
Hell, if you don’t think you can put your name on on a comment, be anonymous if you want.
I will admit to having very little respect for some aspects of the Sun - its website was one of the first things on which I commented, and very little from that list has changed. I also can’t stand the agenda-driving motivation of much of its editorial page. But I have enormous amounts of respect for individuals at the Sun, hard working men and women, especially those who make it their goal to have fair and balanced coverage.
The great thing about a blog is when you have something “on your chest,” you can, if you so choose, put it out there. Anyone can start a blog and say whatever they want (short of incitement to violence or libel). And blogs rely on credibility built up over time in order to gain readership. A juggernaut like the Lowell Sun should have very little to fear from a blog who is simply “bashing” them with no reason, as the credibility of the blogger will quickly be slagged…and maybe they have everything to fear from one who criticizes fairly.
Some people obviously think this blog’s credibility has been harmed by the constant frustrations expressed about the Lowell Sun (I will admit, it has rather seeped into our language). So, what do you think?