March 29, 200916 yr This was not what I was looking for after a great night at the Film Fest and some bar hopping afterward. While I have mixed emotions about the article as a whole, that particular paragraph made me incensed. Just fired this off to Mr. Guillen; he and the rest of the PeeDee need to realize that they cannot get away with such outright fabrications without being served notice: Mr. Guillen- "If the plan works, downtown Cleveland might one day teem with people again. Just a decade ago, the city was filled during the daytime with downtown workers and visitors, but the declining economy and departure of major employers has left the downtown core barren." Please, please, please tell me that you can in some way quantify this statement. I have read your articles re: the Medical Mart with great interest over the past year, and while I have often disagreed with the overall tone of many of them, I respected your reporting. However, this statement is truly beyond the pale, seemingly inserted for no other reason but to fan the ignorant and baseless flames of suburbanites (who have likely not set foot in downtown for decades) that our urban core has suddenly become some destitute wasteland. This reeks of sensationalist editorializing, which may serve a purpose in the proper venue. But in what is supposed to be fact-driven reporting of the news, such falsehoods are of no service to your reputation, that of your paper, or for the community as a whole. Best regards, BrtshRceGr
March 29, 200916 yr BrtshRceGr, I am impressed that you care so much about an issue like this that you would write about it.
March 29, 200916 yr I was equally upset about that paragraph. For the first time in years I posted on Cleveland.dumb pointing out how blatantly false and negative that paragraph is. This is so typical of the PD. Who at the PD is responsible for inserting statements like that into every article? Why must they always insert some type of prapaganda convincing people that downtown is a terrible place? I remember reading an article a couple weeks ago by Phillip Morris (who I generally like) about how we have to take back the downtown. The intent of the article was OK, but he had to start one of the paragraphs with the line "Garbage blew through the deserted streets of downtown Cleveland". Boy, that paints a positive picture. As I have stated in other posts, my wife and I live downtown and love it. It is safe, clean, and beautiful, but you would never know that if you get your information from the PD. I am so tired of this type of propaganda that I am at a loss as what can be done to combat it. Does anyone have any ideas as to what can be done? Can we coordinate with the mayor or some councilman? Are there specific people at the PD we could meet with? Can we sue the PD for slander? I am only have joking with that last question. As a downtown resident I am totally frustrated with the way my home and neighborhood are being portrayed and I resent the fact that somehow I need to defend and explain why I love living downtown. (Now that was a run on sentence!)
March 29, 200916 yr I just sent an email about that paragrpah before I saw this thread. I am so fed up with lines like that in PD articles. We have over 10,000 residents downtown and something like 100,000 workers. In addition to that hotels and suburbanites coming downtown for bars etc. That doesn't seem barren to me.
March 29, 200916 yr This really ticks me off. Where is the objectivity? Does the PD realize the damage they are doing?
March 29, 200916 yr BrtshRceGr, I am impressed that you care so much about an issue like this that you would write about it. He isn't the only person who emailed. I did as well. It's an outright lie. We should all be upset.
March 29, 200916 yr BrtshRceGr, I am impressed that you care so much about an issue like this that you would write about it. He isn't the only person who emailed. I did as well. It's an outright lie. We should all be upset. We certainly should be upset. I sent an email as well.
March 29, 200916 yr Here's my letter: Mr. Guillen, I am writing this in response to your recent article which was posted on Cleveland.com in regards to Chris Kennedy's comments on the convention center site selection. The comment you made which I would like to address is as follows: "If the plan works, downtown Cleveland might one day teem with people again. Just a decade ago, the city was filled during the daytime with downtown workers and visitors, but the declining economy and departure of major employers has left the downtown core barren." It disgusts me, personally, to see negative attacks on this city in the many editorials which come from The Plain Dealer. Your comment is a complete falsehood, as our downtown core is not barren; in fact, your comment will only add to some suburbanites negative viewpoint towards our city. Editorial comments such as the one you made are the primary reason why I have made the personal decision to no longer support this news publication. As much of a positive tool that The Plain Dealer can be in regards to this region's renaissance, this news publication time and again throws negative slants against our regions core. In fact, this paper continually perpetuates the negative attitude that many in this region have towards the City of Cleveland, including our most precious asset: our young adults who continually move to "greener pastures" because of this negativity. This paper has officially lost another reader. I will try my hardest to make sure that the many individuals I know who actually care about Cleveland's issues do the same. Kindest regards, Oldmanladyluck
March 29, 200916 yr BrtshRceGr, I am impressed that you care so much about an issue like this that you would write about it. It gets to the point that you just can't take it anymore. I've tried to turn the other cheek with the outright editorializing the Plain Dealer takes in reporting many issues, not least the Medical Mart. But they need to know that they will be held to account by those of us who care enough and are passionate enough not to be deceived by their agenda. I'm glad to hear that others have emailed as well, and JeffreyT was the one that really prompted me. I CC'd Publisher Terry Egger, Editor Susan Goldberg, and Reader Representative Ted Diadiun on that email, and I would suggest anyone else who's gonna write Guillen to do so as well: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected].
March 29, 200916 yr BrtshRceGr, I am impressed that you care so much about an issue like this that you would write about it. It gets to the point that you just can't take it anymore. I've tried to turn the other cheek with the outright editorializing the Plain Dealer takes in reporting many issues, not least the Medical Mart. But they need to know that they will be held to account by those of us who care enough and are passionate enough not to be deceived by their agenda. I'm glad to hear that others have emailed as well, and JeffreyT was the one that really prompted me. I CC'd Publisher Terry Egger, Editor Susan Goldberg, and Reader Representative Ted Diadiun on that email, and I would suggest anyone else who's gonna write Guillen to do so as well: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. I too copied those folks along with the Mayor, Ciperman and the County Commissioners.
March 29, 200916 yr Okay, so besides the obvious negativity, this guy really thinks downtown was better off a decade ago? Really??? Yes, Tower City still had good stores, but that's it - the flats were already in their rapid decline. What about all the people that have moved downtown in the past few years? What about E. 4th and the continuously evolving warehouse district? So much of Cleveland has changed within the past 10 years, that I don't even know how one could compare the Cleveland of today to the Cleveland of a decade ago!
March 29, 200916 yr Okay, so besides the obvious negativity, this guy really thinks downtown was better off a decade ago? Really??? Yes, Tower City still had good stores, but that's it - the flats were already in their rapid decline. What about all the people that have moved downtown in the past few years? What about E. 4th and the continuously evolving warehouse district? So much of Cleveland has changed within the past 10 years, that I don't even know how one could compare the Cleveland of today to the Cleveland of a decade ago! All good points, and ones I wish I would have included in my email! DoctaBroc, if you have not already, may i suggest that your drop Guillen, et. al, an email including these excellent retorts?
March 29, 200916 yr Okay, so besides the obvious negativity, this guy really thinks downtown was better off a decade ago? Really??? Yes, Tower City still had good stores, but that's it - the flats were already in their rapid decline. What about all the people that have moved downtown in the past few years? What about E. 4th and the continuously evolving warehouse district? So much of Cleveland has changed within the past 10 years, that I don't even know how one could compare the Cleveland of today to the Cleveland of a decade ago! I was thinking the same thing. Haven't the number of downtown residents increased?
March 29, 200916 yr I wrote as well. I find it ironic that the article begins by talking about the adverse effects the negativity in the local media has on business, which the PeeDee then in turn does their best to further validate by using disparaging remarks about downtown in the remaining paragraphs. :?
March 30, 200916 yr My email: As a downtown resident and worker of the past two years, it continues to angers me every time I open the paper, or increasingly log on, and have to witness more petty shots being taken at my beloved hometown. The fact that these stinging barbs unfortunately originate from an influential source of information for the local community, makes it that much worse. This morning there were two specific quotes that stood out in your article on the Medical Mart's Chris Kennedy. One: "The medical mart project is Cleveland's biggest hope for a rebirth." Two: "If the plan works, downtown Cleveland might one day teem with people again. Just a decade ago, the city was filled during the daytime with downtown workers and visitors, but the declining economy and departure of major employers has left the downtown core barren." Please tell me you have some sort of research, facts or otherwise, to support these statements. The first of which boldly implies that the city is in fact dead. These reflect your OPINIONS, and wrong ones at that. They belong on the Op Ed page, not Page 1 nor the homepage of Cleveland.com, the latter of which was still true as of this writing. I also find it highly ironic that the article begins by talking about the adverse effects the negativity in the local media has on business, but which the PD then in turn does their best to further validate by using disparaging remarks about downtown in the remaining paragraphs. All this accomplishes is to once again reinforce for Joe Suburbanite the myth, and it is that, a myth, that downtown Cleveland is some barren wasteland devoid of any semblance of economic vitality, sense of community or continued growth. I invite you to visit sometime, because clearly you and your PD brethren have not spent too much time outside of your cubicles at 1801 Superior.
March 30, 200916 yr I emailed the Downtown Cleveland Alliance to see if they are responding to this and was told that the PD usually doesn't publish their letters to the editor. I understand the PD can't publish all of them but to regularly ignore letters from an important community group is unacceptable.
March 30, 200916 yr Okay, so besides the obvious negativity, this guy really thinks downtown was better off a decade ago? Really??? Yes, Tower City still had good stores, but that's it - the flats were already in their rapid decline. What about all the people that have moved downtown in the past few years? What about E. 4th and the continuously evolving warehouse district? So much of Cleveland has changed within the past 10 years, that I don't even know how one could compare the Cleveland of today to the Cleveland of a decade ago! All good points, and ones I wish I would have included in my email! DoctaBroc, if you have not already, may i suggest that your drop Guillen, et. al, an email including these excellent retorts? I'll compose my thoughts at lunch today... EDIT: Has this dude replied to anyone's e-mails?
March 30, 200916 yr Give em heck! I am not sure what the current numbers are but if they are still favorable don't forget to include the vacancy rates for Class A office space downtown to show that even though we suffered some huge losses in the last 10 years that downtown has managed to attract smaller organizations to fill the space and we are nearly fully occupied.
March 30, 200916 yr EDIT: Has this dude replied to anyone's e-mails? Not to mine yet. Ditto. I should have put a read receipt on it! Dangit!!
March 30, 200916 yr The DCA emailed a copy of the response they are sending in the PD... “If the plan works, downtown Cleveland might one day teem with people again. Just a decade ago, the city was filled during the daytime with downtown workers and visitors, but the declining economy and departure of major employers has left the downtown core barren.” – Plain Dealer, Sunday March 29th To the Editor, Sunday’s article about the Medical Mart project implied that the city desperately needs this project since Downtown is essentially desolate and abandoned. Comments like “Just a decade ago, the city was filled during the daytime…” and “departure of major employers has left the downtown core barren” would leave any reader with the impression that no one works or lives in Downtown Cleveland anymore and the sidewalks are empty during the day. These statements are baseless and simply untrue. Downtown is home to over 100,000 employees, nearly 10,000 residents and experiences over 8 million visits each year. Over $800 million dollars in new construction and historic re-hab is either currently underway (The Avenue District and 668 Euclid) or waiting for the economy to rebound (The Ameritrust Complex and 11 other historic buildings along Euclid Avenue). Cleveland needs this project because it adds to the investments that are currently being made, not because our city’s core is “barren”. The medical mart and convention center is a wise investment for MMPI and the citizens of Cuyahoga County because it builds on our assets. Tearing down the image of our city in order to make a point about the value of the Medical Mart is both careless and unnecessary. Joseph A. Marinucci President & CEO Downtown Cleveland Alliance
March 30, 200916 yr Well at least he had the guts to respond. I'm shocked the PD's EIC has not repremanded the writer, editor and copy editor (and researcher, although it looks if there was not one) of this article and made a public apology to all readers! I also find it strange that not one of the other media outlets has called the PD on the carpet for this. To the Cleveland Media lurkers: It appears Mr. Kennedy was right, huh?
March 30, 200916 yr I'd be very surprised if those were Joe's words. He lives in the city, in a kind of rough neighborhood, and I've always found his reporting to be thorough and accurate. He's someone I respect. I don't know him well, and certainly I know nothing about the reporting or writing of this story, but I was surprised to read that. A word of advice: No letters that I've seen posted here point out the fact error. I would write a direct letter concisely explaining why the sentence is inaccurate with actual cited figures. Any respectable journalist, when confronted with a verifiable fact error, will lobby his editors for a correction to be run as a matter of credibility. Put the passion in paragraph two.
March 30, 200916 yr I'd be very surprised if those were Joe's words. He lives in the city, in a kind of rough neighborhood, and I've always found his reporting to be thorough and accurate. He's someone I respect. I don't know him well, and certainly I know nothing about the reporting or writing of this story, but I was surprised to read that. A word of advice: No letters that I've seen posted here point out the fact error. I would write a direct letter concisely explaining why the sentence is inaccurate with actual cited figures. Any respectable journalist, when confronted with a verifiable fact error, will lobby his editors for a correction to be run as a matter of credibility. Put the passion in paragraph two. If this is the case, that leaves the following people to blame: Joe's editor The Editor-In-Chief Since Joe hasn't answered my email, who do you think or how do you think that information was "inserted" into the article/story?
March 30, 200916 yr I'd be very surprised if those were Joe's words. He lives in the city, in a kind of rough neighborhood, and I've always found his reporting to be thorough and accurate. He's someone I respect. I don't know him well, and certainly I know nothing about the reporting or writing of this story, but I was surprised to read that. A word of advice: No letters that I've seen posted here point out the fact error. I would write a direct letter concisely explaining why the sentence is inaccurate with actual cited figures. Any respectable journalist, when confronted with a verifiable fact error, will lobby his editors for a correction to be run as a matter of credibility. Put the passion in paragraph two. If this is the case, that leaves the following people to blame: Joe's editor The Editor-In-Chief Since Joe hasn't answered my email, who do you think or how do you think that information was "inserted" into the article/story? I know nothing more than anyone else does here. Heck, maybe he did write it. In any case, his byline is on it so he takes the heat regardless. I do know that when you work at a newspaper, every story goes through many, many hands. There's more than one editor that reads every story, plus copy editors. An unclear sentence can easily be "clarified' by another hand, only to insert a fact error. I've had very few corrections in my career, and while some were totally my-fault bonehead mistakes, quite a few were inserted by a well-meaning editor. (And those, in some cases, can be attributed to me for not writing clearly or concisely at the outset.)
March 30, 200916 yr Well at least he had the guts to respond. I'm shocked the PD's EIC has not repremanded the writer, editor and copy editor (and researcher, although it looks if there was not one) of this article and made a public apology to all readers! I also find it strange that not one of the other media outlets has called the PD on the carpet for this. To the Cleveland Media lurkers: It appears Mr. Kennedy was right, huh? And by the way: Let's give a little perspective. It's one paragraph buried on a jump page. (Only 10 percent of readers who start a story jump inside.) Asking for a public apology is a tad dramatic. Asking for a correction if there is a fact error is totally reasonable.
March 30, 200916 yr Well at least he had the guts to respond. I'm shocked the PD's EIC has not repremanded the writer, editor and copy editor (and researcher, although it looks if there was not one) of this article and made a public apology to all readers! I also find it strange that not one of the other media outlets has called the PD on the carpet for this. To the Cleveland Media lurkers: It appears Mr. Kennedy was right, huh? And by the way: Let's give a little perspective. It's one paragraph buried on a jump page. (Only 10 percent of readers who start a story jump inside.) Asking for a public apology is a tad dramatic. Asking for a correction if there is a fact error is totally reasonable. I don't feel it's dramatic based on the overwhelming negative perception of Downtown and Cleveland in general. It's needed. We needed that verbal kick in the @ss. ;)
March 30, 200916 yr It is ironic that an article about an "out of towner" complaining about how out of whack negative the local media is, has a paragraph with an out of whack negative rip on the city.
April 15, 200916 yr I had the pleasure of sitting across from Alfonso D'Emilia last night at the Cultural Garden Foundation Annual dinner. I am not sure what kind of a writer he was, but he is an absolutely amazing guy.
April 20, 200916 yr This is at 11am today Got a beef with The Plain Dealer? Wonder why it covered a particular the story the way it did? Do you have story ideas or suggestions how to make the paper better? Plain Dealer Reader Representative Ted Diadiun is on cleveland.com to chat live with you from The Plain Dealer newsroom about these topics and more in a live weekly video chat every Monday at 11 a.m. Submit your questions in the comments area below and log on to watch and chat with the Reader Rep! If you are interested in becoming part of The Plain Dealer Reader Advisory Network, sign up here.
April 20, 200916 yr I know it's on cleveland.com, punch. What is the specific link? I'm not seeing it on the homepage.
April 20, 200916 yr I posted (punchin) the link is http://blog.cleveland.com/readerrep/ It was up on the page until about 20 after, near the most commented stories. I guess it is every monday Here is a link to the video, 15 minutes of them talking about how they want to hear from readers, but not responding to any questions via the net. http://videos.cleveland.com/plain-dealer/2009/04/reader_rep_chat.html
April 20, 200916 yr I posted (punchin) the link is http://blog.cleveland.com/readerrep/ It was up on the page until about 20 after, near the most commented stories. I guess it is every monday Here is a link to the video, 15 minutes of them talking about how they want to hear from readers, but not responding to any questions via the net. http://videos.cleveland.com/plain-dealer/2009/04/reader_rep_chat.html I saw your post. did you see mine. Seems like they deleted them but when I watched the 15 video they didn't address a thing. ETA: I found the proper link. The Plain Dealer sure is good about buryign stuff ::) http://www.cleveland.com/news-videos/index.ssf/2009/04/reader_rep_ted_diadiun_takes_y_2.html#comments
April 20, 200916 yr Lets keep on him, if they continue to ignore all of us, it will prove the fix is in
April 20, 200916 yr Lets keep on him, if they continue to ignore all of us, it will prove the fix is in I even emailed my post! Nothing!
April 20, 200916 yr I have written our "reader representative" somewhere in the neighborhood of 30-40 times, if you count the times I CC him on responses to reporters. I have never once received a response.
April 20, 200916 yr I have written our "reader representative" somewhere in the neighborhood of 30-40 times, if you count the times I CC him on responses to reporters. I have never once received a response. That is exactly why I started my post with.... How to make the paper better? Is the management at the PLAIN DEALER ready and prepared to respond WITH ACTION to that question? They didn't asnwer one question, even in the video link. Why say you're coming on at 11 AM but use a tape delay and upload that at 11:30AM??
April 23, 200916 yr Ted Henry, longtime local anchor, to retire Posted by mbona April 23, 2009 16:14PM Ted Henry Longtime WEWS Channel 5 anchor Ted Henry is retiring after 38 years at the station, it was announced Thursday afternoon.
April 27, 200916 yr PD circulation down 11.7% year over year: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003966608 Top 25 Papers by Daily Circ, in New FAS-FAX By E&P Staff Published: April 27, 2009 8:20 AM ET NEW YORK Here are the top 25 daily newspapers ranked by circulation for the six months ending March 2009, according to ABC. The percent change compares daily circulation for the same period ending in March 2008. Please note daily averages are Monday-through-Friday. Please note that the time period reflected for The Denver Post has no comparable prior period; when the Rocky Mountain News folded on Feb. 28, subscribers were sent copies of the Denver Post. See our separate main story on overall circ results, here. USA TODAY -- 2,113,725 – (-7.46%) THE WALL STREET JOURNAL -- 2,082,189 -- 0.61% THE NEW YORK TIMES -- 1,039,031 -- (-3.55%) LOS ANGELES TIMES -- 723,181 -- (-6.55%) THE WASHINGTON POST -- 665,383 -- (-1.16%) DAILY NEWS (NEW YORK) -- 602,857 -- (-14.26%) NEW YORK POST -- 558,140 -- (-20.55%) CHICAGO TRIBUNE -- 501,202 -- (-7.47%) HOUSTON CHRONICLE -- 425,138 -- (-13.96%) THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC -- 389,701 -- (-5.72%) THE DENVER POST (02/28/2009 to 03/31/2009) -- 371,728 -- N/A NEWSDAY -- 368,194 -- (-3.01%) THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS -- 331,907 -- (-9.88%) STAR-TRIBUNE, MINNEAPOLIS -- 320,076 -- (-0.71%) CHICAGO SUN-TIMES -- 312,141 -- (-0.04%) SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE -- 312,118 -- (-15.72%) THE BOSTON GLOBE -- 302,638 -- (-13.68%) THE PLAIN DEALER, CLEVELAND -- 291,630 -- (-11.70%) DETROIT FREE PRESS -- 290,730 -- (-5.90%) THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER -- 288,298 -- (-13.72%) THE STAR-LEDGER, NEWARK, N.J. -- 287,082 -- (-16.82%) ST. PETERSBURG (FLA.) TIMES -- 283,093 -- (-10.42%) THE OREGONIAN, PORTLAND -- 268,512 -- (-11.76%) THE ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION -- 261,828 -- (-19.91%) SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE -- 261,253 -- (-9.53%)
April 27, 200916 yr I'm surprised they are -20%. Again, our so called "largest" and more popular markets are suffering the same if not more. The Plain Dealers parent company could turn this fish wrap of a paper around, if they wanted to.
April 29, 200916 yr http://www.cleveland.com/tv/index.ssf/2009/04/brian_and_joe_trivisonno_sidek.html Brian and Joe, Trivisonno sidekicks Marty 'Big Daddy' Allen and Paul Rado lose radio jobs by Julie E. Washington/Plain Dealer Reporter Tuesday April 28, 2009, 1:10 PM
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