STAR TRIBUNE REPORTER DEFENDS ANOTHER REPORTER'S OERTWIG ARTICLE
The Star Tribune's story on Al Oertwig's nocturnal activities is generating some negative reaction towards the reporter who wrote the story, Jim Walsh.
This email was just sent out by a colleague of Jim Walsh through E-Democray's St. Paul list serve.
Good day:
My name is Steve Brandt, and I'm a colleague of Jim Walsh. Normally I lurk and post on your sister list in Minneapolis, but I thought I'd drop in to read the reaction to Jim's piece.
When you're a reporter, it's always fascinating to read and hear the things that people read into your story that never crossed your mind. Jim is out of the office today, but I know that he's been surprised by the tone of yesterday's reaction. Some folks have suggested that Jim was tipped off to board member Oertwig's habits by someone who had it in for him politically. That's not correct. Like many reporters, Jim picks things up on the beat. He's been aware of Oertwig's habits for some time. He's had lots of other stories competing for his time, as we all do, and finally found time to explore this one. If someone HAD tipped Jim off for political reasons, their timing would have been rather suspect, given that Oertwig's term isn't up until the end of 2007.
Some folks don't find this newsworthy. That's okay. I do. I should disclose that I played a very minor role in the story by suggesting some public records sources that Jim could check in doing his due diligence. I cover Minneapolis schools for the Star Tribune, and if a board member over here had the same patterns as Al, I'd have been all over the story.
Why?
First, there's the unresolved question of whether a person used a public facility for private purposes. The evidence seems to point toward Oertwig sleeping at district headquarters. He denies that, and he's the only one who knows for sure.
Second, there's a pattern of unusual behavior concerning hours. That's undeniable. It may be a personal quirk, but I've made decisions in voting based on such factors when the candidates otherwise appear equal. This type of story in the news business is what is called a talker--the kind of story that's like to prompt a "Hey, Mabel--look at this" over the breakfast table, or a water-cooler conversation at work.
Third, there's the issue of taxes. Any time a public official doesn't pay a fair share of taxes, that's an issue. Al is still the legal owner of the house that was relative-homesteaded, and he's benefitted financially from a status he hasn't deserved since his son moved out five years ago.
Fourth, I think it's reasonable to expect a public official to meet some norms of property upkeep that regular citizens must live up to. If you are getting cited, as Oertwig has, you're not doing that.
I never met Mr. Oertwig until he came over to talk to Walsh. Jim introduced me to Al, and he seemed like a likeable enough guy from that brief encounter. But in this business of reporting public affairs, it's not whether you like someone, but what their record is. Jim has written about Oertwig in almost 40 articles focusing on the business of the St. Paul school board, or the poiltics of getting elected to it. Readers want to know how and what their public officials are doing, and Jim has given them that. He's written about everything from the budget issues facing St. Paul schools to what your kids are eating in those schools. He has done work that's groundbreaking nationally in covering the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act, especially all of its loopholes that leave kids behind, and has set the standard in this state for reporting on the details of school finance.
Just as people suggest that this article on Al has to be seen in the context of his larger record, I'd suggest that Jim's article has to bee seen in the context of his larger body of reporting on St. Paul schools and beyond.
Steve Brandt
Minneapolis
Born in St. Joseph's Hospital
Raised on Wheelock Parkway
This email was just sent out by a colleague of Jim Walsh through E-Democray's St. Paul list serve.
Good day:
My name is Steve Brandt, and I'm a colleague of Jim Walsh. Normally I lurk and post on your sister list in Minneapolis, but I thought I'd drop in to read the reaction to Jim's piece.
When you're a reporter, it's always fascinating to read and hear the things that people read into your story that never crossed your mind. Jim is out of the office today, but I know that he's been surprised by the tone of yesterday's reaction. Some folks have suggested that Jim was tipped off to board member Oertwig's habits by someone who had it in for him politically. That's not correct. Like many reporters, Jim picks things up on the beat. He's been aware of Oertwig's habits for some time. He's had lots of other stories competing for his time, as we all do, and finally found time to explore this one. If someone HAD tipped Jim off for political reasons, their timing would have been rather suspect, given that Oertwig's term isn't up until the end of 2007.
Some folks don't find this newsworthy. That's okay. I do. I should disclose that I played a very minor role in the story by suggesting some public records sources that Jim could check in doing his due diligence. I cover Minneapolis schools for the Star Tribune, and if a board member over here had the same patterns as Al, I'd have been all over the story.
Why?
First, there's the unresolved question of whether a person used a public facility for private purposes. The evidence seems to point toward Oertwig sleeping at district headquarters. He denies that, and he's the only one who knows for sure.
Second, there's a pattern of unusual behavior concerning hours. That's undeniable. It may be a personal quirk, but I've made decisions in voting based on such factors when the candidates otherwise appear equal. This type of story in the news business is what is called a talker--the kind of story that's like to prompt a "Hey, Mabel--look at this" over the breakfast table, or a water-cooler conversation at work.
Third, there's the issue of taxes. Any time a public official doesn't pay a fair share of taxes, that's an issue. Al is still the legal owner of the house that was relative-homesteaded, and he's benefitted financially from a status he hasn't deserved since his son moved out five years ago.
Fourth, I think it's reasonable to expect a public official to meet some norms of property upkeep that regular citizens must live up to. If you are getting cited, as Oertwig has, you're not doing that.
I never met Mr. Oertwig until he came over to talk to Walsh. Jim introduced me to Al, and he seemed like a likeable enough guy from that brief encounter. But in this business of reporting public affairs, it's not whether you like someone, but what their record is. Jim has written about Oertwig in almost 40 articles focusing on the business of the St. Paul school board, or the poiltics of getting elected to it. Readers want to know how and what their public officials are doing, and Jim has given them that. He's written about everything from the budget issues facing St. Paul schools to what your kids are eating in those schools. He has done work that's groundbreaking nationally in covering the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act, especially all of its loopholes that leave kids behind, and has set the standard in this state for reporting on the details of school finance.
Just as people suggest that this article on Al has to be seen in the context of his larger record, I'd suggest that Jim's article has to bee seen in the context of his larger body of reporting on St. Paul schools and beyond.
Steve Brandt
Minneapolis
Born in St. Joseph's Hospital
Raised on Wheelock Parkway
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home