What really happened to Joey Kennedy at the Birmingham News

Some of you know that Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Joey Kennedy was fired by Alabama Media Group, who bought out the Birmingham News and replaced it with the dreck that is al.com. He has finally written about the circumstances of his being let go and mourns the death of journalism in Birmingham.

http://b-metro.com/spotlight/25850/

 

It would have been better if he had included the circumstances of his being let go.

 

He did. That's obvious.

Sad stuff. Good stuff.

 

He said someone threatened to post inaccurate information on social media and he in return threatened to post accurate information.

Or maybe, as in my case, you had a source who was going to put out a different and inaccurate view of a subject on social media, and you might “threaten” to tell the real story if she did so.

I know nothing of the story in question, nor of whose information is accurate and inaccurate. I also don't know why the "real story" would be told only in retaliation and not as part of the normal news operation.

I guess you had to be there, and I wasn't.

 

Joey was and is a HUGE animal rights advocate.

http://www.alanimals.com/wp/author/joey/

This is apparently the story that got him in trouble:

GBHS takes over animal control for Jefferson County from BJC, but transition is a bit bumpy

(Though I don't doubt the REAL reason he was cut loose was that he was an older guy making a lot of money).

 

For his last several months, maybe close to a year, the ONLY stories he wrote were about animals. Some hard-hitting stuff, a lot of cute pet/famous critters/pig-with-three-ears type filler. It was a glaring waste of talent, to the point he was commonly nicknamed Pet Detective. It was never clear whether he chose that beat or whether he was exiled, but I have my suspicion.

 

Hmmm .....
This gave me pause. ....

 

Did Joey also demand tenure for first-year UAB assistant professors of American Studies? Would go along great with that steaming pile about "journalism, my way."

 

A team is an "it," not a "they." You'd think a journalist good enough to win the Pulitzer would know that.

 

No wonder they fired his ass.

 

Yeah, I don't think declaring your lack of objectivity and using information you've uncovered as a threat against sources is what I'd call doing your job in an exemplary way.

And I don't think that was considered good journalism in days past -- unless he's talking about, say, the 1890s.

 

In reality, we all lack objectivity to some degree, but try to remain objective in our reporting.

As for threatening sources, what does that mean? If I am trying to get a quote from an AD and he won't talk, I am definitely going to say that we are going to run a story on the coach being accused of sex with a dead deer and would like to get his side in the story.

What "threats" would you make beyond that?