To paraphrase Andy Stone: "Forgive the naval gazing, it's time to talk about....the Glenwood Springs Post Independent". A Stone's Throw column that was written shortly after Bob Ward resigned as editor of the Aspen Times, and just a few days before...(eh, well...how do we say it?..what do we call it...really?)...the Times determined they could handle things without Jenna Weatherred.
The resulting positive changes in the Times were near immediate after Weatherred moved down valley. A return to the healthier rivalry between the two Aspen newspapers, and enjoyed when Ward was on deck was back. The pilfering of content from other Swift publications, just to make a full paper each day, has decreased by about 2/3rds. The once-in-awhile slip to stalkarazzi style tabloid ink has drifted to roughly once a month or so, and the overall tone is more respectful to the community reporting. They've even branched out and dipped a toe into the world of realism and have confronted some of their crony accounts, such as the Aspen Skico and a local politician or two. Overall, the Aspen Times is...the Aspen Times. They will go on being the genre that they are as long as they are owned by the current owners. And that's OK with the folks. It is tolerable and acceptable. The Times may not give a fig for cleaning up what they helped create in systemic decay within the community, but they have at least stopped adding to the corrosion. Pretty much.
The trickle down valley phenomena that is day-to-day life as locals know it, saw near immediate changes in the GSPI as Weatherred concentrated on down valley publications. Given what was going on in region wide tones with major crime that "suddenly crept up and out into the public eye", overturns of longstanding political power in municipal elections, no-ability-to-deny local voices that had been raised for years on a wide range of topics finally getting some ink time (and dare we say a little bit of an 'enlightened mindset'?) after abruptly leaving 'upvalley'; the publisher and editors on the GSPI made dramatic changes in the quality of their output.
And a grateful public sighed relief.
You see, when they are the only game in town, it had grown near intolerable for most folks to even pick up the "daily rag". We all saw the birth of the "Editorial Board" opinion piece and a few new columnists that enabled the cherished views of the managing staff to remain being published. In fairness, we also saw a couple of balanced the other direction columnists come into weekly publication. Overall, things were slightly better for awhile.
What we did not see, was reporting of the news. All the news.
The folks still needed to turn to the Aspen Daily, Steamboat Today and the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel to stay informed on the wide range of changes happening in their locale.
Is this a "personal" "attack" on the Post Independent and staff by a 'reputed' "one person with an agenda"?
Not at all.
Here's another 'juicy' little tidbit "about 'SandBox Nanny' " that actors have not given you because they are...well....'actors':
When approached in late April of 2009 with the idea and concept of 'Safe Place to Whistleblow on Non-Profits', one of the first questions 'Nanny' asked was: "Why hasn't all this been reported over the years in the newspaper?" It was a legitimate question coming from a fiercely private individual who frankly...really didn't care all that much about the social world of the Valley. Having gone through one of those divorces that left behind a twisted ex, on an attempted personal redemption mission filled with disinformation, 'SandBox Nanny' pretty much kept to herself and a small group of trusted friends and business acquaintances who truly knew her personally. You know, the kind that take the time to ask and dig all the way to the source of an allegation and grasp hold of the truthful facts before speaking. Her daily news focus was limited more to politics and trends.
The response she was given to her question was chilling.
The very thought that beautiful towns like Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, Basalt and Aspen were filled with what can only be categorized as (quote) "systemic decay and corrosion", through traceable to a handful of source abuses of power and (somewhat soft) corruption, was not only shocking, it was appalling. The fact that same traceable corrosion had just shattered her own life and the lives of her children without her knowing until it was too late to stop it, was devastating. To stand and listen to adults she has known for years actually choking up with emotion as they gave details of what some of those power abuses had done to others lives was life-changing. Finally, she had an answer as to "why" her and her family's lives had been targeted over the previous four months. The timing of the answer given to her was late April 2009.
Still, she moved heaven and earth to avoid grabbing the Safe Place concept, until finally realizing that no matter what was done to balance, the issue directed toward her was about personal vengeance and had the power of media, politics and money behind it. Coming at her world full steam. It wouldn't have mattered what was done to balance or enforce the other direction, it was a personal attack. Safe Place and smalltown7 were given her permission to launch on May 23, 2009. The rest is somewhat local infamous lore.
How many lives have been literally torn apart by the power abuses that are present in this one town?
Just reaching back in memory over the past three years, while setting aside the major body count from her own life, 'SandBox Nanny' counts up (8) lives that have been hurt. In 81601 alone. With no real hope to repair, and only ability to rebuild. Damage that the one abuse of power that is the Glenwood Springs Post Independent has greatly contributed to. As far as the "systemic decay and corrosion" that they contribute to in literally every publication they pump out that is less than what the standard and ethics of journalistic integrity demand of their position of community trust; the numbers remain continuing to be counted.
Is this a "personal attack" on GSPI and staff? Absolutely not. It is one alternative media voice that is simply giving an outlet for long repressed voices to speak up.
An alternative media that is deeply appreciative of the Doug Meyers of the world who see, in similar way to 'SandBox Nanny', that the answer to fixing the problem of the local media power abuses is to never lose sight of the facts. Just the facts.
Happy Spring to the publisher, editors and reporters here on the Glenwood Springs Post Independent.
Who knows? Maybe instead of the slip-sliding back to the past we've been seeing out of you again over the past month or so, you will opt for a full 180 degree turn and remember the higher bar of journalistic integrity.
(Read more? Click title and links within post)
"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."
5 comments:
Nanny. If there was a complete cleanup on the PI, the Times and the chamber would you get rid of this blog then?
No, "anonymous", I wouldn't.
SandboxBlogs was an experiment when it started off and it's become very popular. We have a lot of followers and the avatars that 'hang out' on the forum like having a home base.
I also don't consider this as a medium to "clean-up" anything. The (3) issues you speak of in the PI, the Times and the chamber will clear themselves up in the normal course of that sort of thing needing to be cleared. Sure, it's logical to realize that will unfold in some ways in the near future and in the interests of full disclosure I am very much looking forward to that. However, that clearing really has nothing to do with the base problems of public power abuse, alleged corruption in a lot of areas and public ability to feel safe enough and free enough to speak up on what they know.
Isn't it fascinating how distorted perception can become when media is put in the hands of ill-intent? What I'm 'just sayin' is that nowhere, in anything I have ever written or voiced my own opinion over have I ever stated or even given the impression that I personally "have an agenda". Reality, is that the media is not something I need for my own clearing and purposes. Reality is that I am simply one more voice, in a sea of voices out here that is speaking up on things I see. Reality, is that I am actually a very newcomer to Glenwood Springs and these issues have been around for many, many years longer than I have.
Just the facts. just sayin.
What I will give you is my thought on how very nice it would be to have authorities do some valley wide cleaning in a couple areas and I have high hopes for the DEA and FBI to do just that. Imagine a world where we can concentrate on positive growth and movement in our communities, uncensored or banned voices sharing equal spotlight and healthy power and politics as our norm.
Wow. Thanks for asking but there are no plans to let go of the SandBoxBlogs or SafePlaceBlogs families.
ya know, that's just what I was saying in the other comment. Strip whatever it is down to source and stick with the facts and who the person is with nothing else lipstick plastered on over the top of them. I don't know meyers who's writing in to the pi. but I'm intelligent enough to read and have a good memory. not rocket science to recall that the man is speaking truth on what he's written in about in the past. just pay attention to what he says. not rocket science to know that jenna and her people sit on the phone and make calls to anyone they don't like in opinion. and put out outright character assasin hits in the newspaper. it's what they do and the low kind of ethics they proudly wave as their banner. they don't even have the respect or honor to not do same to a sitting 3-term sheriff. ask yourself this, anon. where did you form your impression that sandbox and nanny have an agenda or personal need to have this blog live? did you hear that or get an impression of it from more than one source? then break it down. who was the source that gave it to your source? break it down and keep going until you get just the facts on why six other people and I came up with a concept that would make for certain our voices wouldn't get pushed back or eliminated. one of those facts is that in nanny we have someone we've known for a long time that stays the course no matter how unpopular she is made out to be by somebody else who should be looking in a mirror. it's called having our back and us having hers. so don't be counting on this blog disappearing any time in the future. what I will say is that I hope it's not that much longer before all that is really wrong in this valley is cleaned up for good. like I said. muscle is what's needed and the folks have gone about as far as they can get.
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(Portion of comment deleted by blog administrator)
How many changed titles to editor letters and changed content of editor letters done by the PI staff have there been? Over the past 15 years way too many to count. Then there's the outright untruths in the flamer articles and no coverage at all of at least 40% of the news there is out here. It's a rag that's lost most of its subscribers and a lot of what respect it had ever since Jenna came to town. And that is just the facts. It's going to take elected officials that care enough about this town to get their public relations on track. Elected officials are not going to do that until authorities make them. The way authorities like Sheriff and police chief make them is to sit them all down and have a Come to Jesus that people living in shadows, people suffering retaliation and intimidation as a result of power being abused and in some cases crimes being committed from no control over core problems is unacceptable and must stop. Period, end of story. This kind of thing like a simple editor letter is a symptom and chain of evidence. Even Dalessandri and his boys could follow the bread crumbs and dimes. It's a real and true cop-out that authority isn't looking these politicians in the eyes and asking some tough, hard questions. This isn't the kind of town we want and we won't be run out of it. The majority out here is staying the course and will be around long after sheriff and chief and politicians are long gone. What needs to be answered that's long overdue is where are just the facts? Get off the innuendo and pay attention to your gut feelings that you've got something wrong that needs fixing.
After some muscle gets us all empowered with those politicians what needs to happen in this valley is for more of the mid-tier business and respected community members to stop chickening out in trying to run for office and power boards. Every single time you let a bully push you back we all lose. I'm no bigot and when I say there's a certain level of skill, social credit and leadership ability that comes with being in the kind of level that could take office, that's just fact. There needs to be a quarterback and running backs on a team or no goals are going to happen. Glenwood Springs has a lot of women especially that are just sitting back and once in awhile dipping a hand in the water that need to pony up and run for offices. Mary Noone. Mary Rippy. Cindy Svatos. Randi Lowenthal. We need more Mike Gambas and Todd Leahys. We need a full housecleaning on a lot of levels. Even if it's a re-up or run for one term to get momentum changed we need it. This recession and all the problems we have from crime to policies demands the best all of us can give. Same goes for Carbondale, Basalt and Aspen. But first it needs muscle.
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