When No News Is Bad News
You had to read the current issue of Downtown Birmingham/Bloomfield magazine to find out that the Kresge Building has finally been sold and will be redeveloped. You wouldn't have found the news here in the Patch, nor in the Birmingham Eccentric, nor in the News or Free Press.
It isn't the scoop of the century, which makes it all the more worrying, since we would hope the Patch and Eccentric would have caught on. And if they didn't catch on to that simple news, what else are they missing?
Downtown's Lisa Brody does us a huge favor in the same issue by reminding about two important, and scary, dynamics: 1) the disconnect between what we as citizens, backed by state law, consider public information, and what our public officials consider to be public, and 2) the declining ability of the media to exercise its traditional role as watchdog.
It will take a long time to replace the media as watchdog, and until that happens, we can expect a lot of news — and a lot of malfeasance — to go unreported.
Charles Wickins
8:37 am on Monday, January 2, 2012
Earth shattering that news is not, really Mr Baller. But i do agree that Lisa does good work.
Alan Stamm
4:15 pm on Monday, January 2, 2012
Really, Clinton? You start the year by publicly slapping the hosts of your guest posts, really?
I agree wholeheartedly about the media's vital watchdog role, I also admire Lisa Brody's work, and I think it's ill-mannered to snidely badmouth Birmingham Patch because a commercial real estate transaction wasn't among the dozens of useful reports on city government, businesses, education, sports, entertainment and residents posted over seven days each week.
Caustically rebuking the site that has given you a blogging platform since May may show Birmingham Buzz-style independence and brashness. But it seems akin to enjoying a free event's hospitality, then telling the host there's better music and food elsewhere. Bad form.
Robert Bruner
10:50 am on Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Technically, the former Kresge property is the subject of a ground lease (An agreement in which a tenant is permitted to develop a piece of property during the lease period, after which the land and all improvements are turned over to the property owner.) It was not sold. At least that is my understanding. The real news will be if/when the tenant applies for site plan approval. Stay tuned...
Clinton Baller
7:32 am on Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Alan, I'm sorry you missed my point: http://newspaperdeathwatch.com/
Alan Stamm
8:51 am on Wednesday, January 4, 2012
As an emigre from the shrinking world of daily newspapers, I caught your main point -- and a sharply worded side point, Clinton.
I'm glad Patch and Downtown emerged as new information sources at a time when legacy media struggle for survival. There's reason to appreciate our city's journalistic diversity rather than taking shots at Patch and the Eccentric because they "didn't catch on to that simple news" -- or potential news, as Bob Bruner frames it.
Instead of sarcastically saying "sorry" to me, consider using this site more graciously.