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Doesn't the Herald owe more than an apology?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Twoback, May 14, 2008.

Page 3 of 21
  1. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    The field needs MORE LIKE YOU?!? The field needs more rampant, apology-spewing, egomanical fanboi loosers?

    Once again: Thank God you left the field.
     
    BYH, May 14, 2008
    #25
  2. Fenian_Bastard

    Fenian_Bastard Guest

    This has taken an unsurprisingly ugly turn.
     
    Fenian_Bastard, May 14, 2008
    #26
  3. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    Don't blame me. I voted for Kodos.
     
    BYH, May 14, 2008
    #27
  4. wickedwritah

    wickedwritah Guest

    Tomase is not a hack. I don't know him personally but have dealt with him professionally on a few occasions, most dating back 10 years or more when we were running in similar circles.

    That said, I'm pretty disappointed in the way some talented people handled this. I was out of town that day, but I seem to remember the story running on the front. If that's the case, I can only wonder how much the other half of the newsroom was pushing this to get on the front, and at what point it left Hank H.'s hands.
     
    wickedwritah, May 14, 2008
    #28
  5. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    It may have changed in recent months but we used to have to get a senior editor's approval. Someone above my level. Reporter had to tell me who and why they had to remain anonymous and I had to pitch it to the brass. Had to have two.
    Before that, department head could make the call. For some of my veterans, their word was good enough. They'd earned that trust. For some of the newer reporters, they had to tell me and explain to the source that they may be hearing from me.
    First thing you always have to ask is why the source is doing this? What's in it for them? Is there an ax being ground? Rarely are they doing it just to be nice to you.
    Anonymous sources should be used with EXTREME caution and I can't emphasize that enough. And you'd better fucking be right.
     
    Moderator1, May 14, 2008
    #29
  6. Marsellus Wallace

    Marsellus Wallace New Member

    I think that's definitely the biggest question we need to know the answer to. Did Tomase drive to get this story in the paper? Or did his editors push him to write it? The rumors of videotaping the walkthrough were a couple years old, if not more. They've been common knowledge through a lot of circles, and I'd love to know if the Herald was being the typical Herald and tried to cash in by assuming these rumors were fact.
     
    Marsellus Wallace, May 14, 2008
    #30
  7. wickedwritah

    wickedwritah Guest

    It's not like the Herald's news editors have made good judgments in the past: See running photos of a (nearly?) dead Victoria Snellgrove on the cover in '04 or, going way back, the Chuck Stewart shots.
     
    wickedwritah, May 14, 2008
    #31
  8. wickedwritah

    wickedwritah Guest

    Interesting. How often do editors vet anonymous sources on their own? Not saying this is the wrong move -- more inclined to say it's the right one.
     
    wickedwritah, May 14, 2008
    #32
  9. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    Well, my newbies didn't have many sources so it didn't come up a whole lot.
    But if their sources are wrong and we are then wrong, my ass is first in line to go. Damn straight I'm going to need some convincing.
     
    Moderator1, May 14, 2008
    #33
  10. forever_town

    forever_town Well-Known Member

    Yo, hold the fuck up!

    Sounds like you're the one being the fanboi here. John Tomase fucked up egregiously. This isn't spelling Tom Brady's name wrong or saying he went to Michigan State. This isn't saying he threw for 51 touchdowns if he threw 50. This is one of the cardinal sins of journalism that Tomase committed here.

    I can't speak to his body of work as a reporter since I don't read the Herald and I have no reason to since I don't live in or near Boston. But what you're doing smells eerily similar to being his apologist. That's the last thing we should be doing here.
     
    forever_town, May 14, 2008
    #34
  11. bostonbred

    bostonbred Guest

    I actually think the Herald did the correct thing in admitting their mistake publically and in bold fashion, even if it was only to avoid a fat lawsuit by Kraft and co. They know they fucked up. Still, Tomase and a few others need to be made examples of. Nobody around here will ever take Tomase seriously again. It'd be better for him to find another market to work in.
     
    bostonbred, May 14, 2008
    #35
  12. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    1.) Even if Tomase made all this shit up--and no one outside of idiot Patriots fanbois thinks that--he'd still have more talent than bostonbred.

    2.) There's far more to this story than just Tomase's reportage. That's made plenty clear by Wicked and others.
     
    BYH, May 14, 2008
    #36
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