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April 15, 2006
Chattanooga Mayor Littlefield Bans Reporter
No doubt you've heard.
I don't know how many of you have met Mr. Weber, or paid attention to his writing. I started looking forward to his work after a Sunday cover story on lobbyists and campaign contributions really woke me up. I wish I knew the date on that article.
So, "key staff" felt accused and abraded by an investigative reporter. Huh. I'll be.
I admit that I've never had Mike Weber hunting me down for a story, but in my encounters with him, in person and in print, he has come across as nothing but professional. Passionate, yes; tenacious? Probably. Those come with the job, you'd hope.
And what's this about Brooklyn, Mayor Littlefield? I hope you weren't suggesting that the Scenic City somehow rates below another swell burg by your "[m]y guess is that it really didn’t work for Mr. Weber in Brooklyn and that is why he is here in Chattanooga" remark. What are we, a journalist penal colony? I'd say Chattanooga, Tennessee stands neck and jaw beside any of the other fine cities out there, but no one's paying me to say that. (Ahem. Your Honor.)
UPDATE 1: 10,000 monkeys typed out a few good lines about this, and there's a very interesting parallel linked in the post. The mayor of Jackson, MS has recently banned several news personnel, including former TFP writer Kathleen Baydala.
UPDATE 2: The mayor was on WGOW this morning, and had this to say about Michael Weber: "He's a northerner who thinks we're all stupid." Is it just me, or does this make Littlefield seem uncomfortably like caricatures of small-town government in the South, as found in, say, My Cousin Vinny? I'm starting to become really uncomfortable with the mayor's tone and his barely submerged verbal signals.
Furthermore, back on the "it's part of your job to promote the city" front, it's not generally wise to make obliquely negative implications about other regions like that. You really don't want to discourage potential job-creators from relocating here by causing them to perceive an hostile environment. But wait -- I remember now, all the jobs are coming from China and Korea, so we can talk trash to them uppity Yankees if we want to. Right?
UPDATE 3: I found a pretty good piece on this story in Editor & Publisher yesterday, then moments later discovered that the Pulse bloggers (and alice) had scooped me on it. The credited author, senior editor Joe Strupp, recalls a targeted ban enacted by Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich against two Baltimore Sun employees, but does not mention the recent Clarion-Ledger incident or other noteworthy events in Jackson, Miss. I sent Mr. Strupp an e-mail thanking him for bringing attention to the Weber story in his outlet.
UPDATE 4: The Pulse has an online exclusive by city editor Aaron Mesh. Next week's regular edition will no doubt contain further coverage and commentary. I guess I can speak for the Civic Forum column, which will definitely weigh in.
While you're waiting for that, contact the Chattanooga Times Free Press and the Mayor's office to let each know that we're paying close attention to this matter.
Government | By joe lance | 11:18 AM