Friday, September 6, 2019

Don't Blink


Dear Reader,

I’m old enough to remember — way back into the early 1990s — when the Hartford Courant was our morning paper, and the Middletown Press hit the streets around 3 or 4 every afternoon.  Both had offices on Main Street, and they each had several reporters devoted to covering the business of the town - one reporter for the education beat, one for the arts community, a few at city hall, etc.   Anyone in public life could expect the attendance of those writers at any meeting, along with local radio and maybe even a few glamorous tv reporters from out of town.  If you were in office, having a regular chat with a reporter was just part of the job, whether they wrote nice things about you or not.  Although the Courant had bigger resources, there was nothing like the hush that would descend on Main Street when the mid-afternoon Press arrived.  That’s how you got the spin on what local officials didn’t like about the morning reporting, and you’d know what meetings you should go to that night - not to mention the gossipy joys of the city briefs.  

All of that media was sometimes a pain in the neck when trying to get things done, because there was constant scrutiny.  On the other hand, it was actually possible for citizens to have some idea what was going on in town.  I’m sure previous city leaders didn’t love having reporters around all the time - but they also respected that the papers were their connection to the public.

When the viability of our community-owned newspapers collapsed, what I noticed most was this:  Middletown was “less”.

What do I mean by that?  Let’s consider, for example, the Arts.  Having full-time arts reporters at those papers meant our performing groups had regular coverage, helping drum up audiences, and creating a record of artistic output and public reviews that bolstered the spirits of those who created our community theatricals, choirs and art events.  Plainly speaking, it was more fun.  Sure, we still have arts and culture groups now, but the echo chamber of separate email lists and facebook feeds makes it harder to connect with new audiences, and harder for you and me to find out what’s happening in town.

The stakes may be higher when you consider government.  These days, people in local public life don’t expect to have reporters following their every move.  Yes, there is coverage, and there are FOI rules, but it’s different.  The new normal is that generally the city puts out the news via press releases and announcements — and the papers, such as they are, follow.  Despite a few dedicated public servants who still work at those publications, they just don’t have the resources to deeply research or question how things work in the city.  

That’s why, sometime around 2008, after Ed McKeon and I had yet another conversation about the lack of press in town, he actually went home and set up the Middletown Eye blog on his computer.  The idea was, if the newspapers aren’t coming back, maybe we should just write about the meetings and events we are already attending. It was an attempt to bring back a sense of community that was dwindling, and to have a hand in our own destiny as a town.  

As far as I can remember, the Eye did not start with any pretense of lack of bias.  Along with the other people who began to write for the Eye (including Stephen Devoto), we are, generally, people who are quite passionate and opinionated about Middletown and the direction it should go - each in our own way.  I’m sure that’s reflected in everything we write.  Some authors like to just submit “information” articles, and others are more obvious in showing their perspective, but ultimately, the Eye is a volunteer effort.  Each person writes about what interests them.  Some writers take pride in applying their considerable research skills when writing their articles - others are more off the cuff (that would be me).  Generally, we share what we learn from our own civic engagement.  It’s no substitute for you actually attending all those meetings and events yourself, but hopefully it helps you stay somewhat informed.  

I started this post by waxing about the old days of morning and afternoon newspapers in town.  The thing is - those were businesses, with dozens of people on staff.

Writing for the Eye, to be blunt, is work.  Over the years, some writers (including myself) found it was easier to just do our volunteering and community work, without the added burden of always writing it up for the Eye. 

But as other writers stepped back, Stephen and Ed continued to put in the work to keep us informed, and personally, I’m grateful.  They are, I would guess, exhausted, but they have kept it going and I truly hope that this particularly nasty election season won’t bring the whole thing crashing down.

So..if this blog has been of use to you at any point since 2008… the next time you find yourself criticizing something Ed or Stephen wrote on the EYE, consider writing your own articles about your own work in the community or information that you have.   Share the burden of giving our community a platform for information, opinion, and vision for the future (and even nostalgia).   To misquote Gandhi, be the change you wish to see.

I miss the expertise of the old newspapers, but I’m grateful to Ed & Stephen & all the other writers - including Jen Mahr - whose work has kept this Eye open.   Without it, Middletown might have quieter elections, but it might also be harder to see where we’re going.

2 comments:

Steven LaRosa said...

Very nice job on the explanation of why the Eye was started. It is appreciated by many who read it. In my opinion however the founders have lost sight of what they originally intended this to be. The partisan reporting and opinions of both of the founding gentleman have worsened since the ‘progressive” takeover of the Democratic Town Committee. I will be the first to say I did not see eye to eye with Mayor Drew on his politics. But it seems to me as an outsider that they allowed their personal disdain for him to cloud their judgement and they became the same political insider they have accused others of being. The article on the FOI issue clearly shows their lack of good judgment and reporting on facts not personal belief. The Mayors action on this issue shows exactly what he wanted the request to give him. There is no real reason to falsely accuse in an article that should have been researched first.

All of the Democratic mayoral candidates share one thing. They seem to be very passionate about Middletown. I personally know 3 of them and I can tell you what I’ve read here during this campaign is nothing short of pure hatred. I’m sure there are people who may disagree with some of their political ideology, but the personal attacks are stunning. Mary Bartolotta has worked diligently for people since becoming a councilwoman. To see her called a racist and a bigot over Facebook postings is disheartening. Bill Russo has dedicated his adult life to working for the citizens of Middletown. He may not be what people like, but the labels he has been given are not at all what this man is. Geen Thazhampallath May have worked for and been a republican but the fact he has dedicated his life to working for the citizens of this City speaks volumes about the man. I do not know Ben Florsheim nor Valeka Clark, but by their mere appearance in the race, it shows their passion for Middletown.

The Eye has taken it upon themselves to allow their judgement to be clouded. The divisiveness has been clear and I’m completely amazed at what I’ve read. After the primary is decided and a candidate is chosen to represent the democrats I am sure the same disdain will be focused on Seb Guiliano. Each one of these candidates, whether it be a republican, Democrat, or independent should be thanked for stepping up to the plate to serve Middletown. They are good people who have served and tried their very best to work for all of us.

I suggest since both are candidates for political office, that they refrain from attacking any candidates. I know what I see, and personally I don’t want either one representing my family or my property interests in Middletown.

Stephen H. Devoto said...

Mr. LaRosa, your praise of the article is immediately followed by evidence that suggest you did not read it. Your further accusations are absurdly off-base. You may be disappointed, even angry at the discourse of this political season (we are), but you are directing your anger in the wrong direction.

1. Alexander (one of the 2 founders) writes, "As far as I can remember, the Eye did not start with any pretense of lack of bias." And yet you claim that we have "lost sight of what they originally intended this to be." Huh?
2. The EYE never called Bartolotta a racist or bigot.
3. The EYE has never labeled Russo anything but the Director of Public Works. We have revealed actions by his campaign that may make you uncomfortable, but we have not labeled him.
4. The EYE has never labeled Thazhampallath a former Republican (and I don't understand why you consider this an epithet).
5. Clouded judgement? Unless any judgement different from yours is "clouded", I do not understand. Do the authors of Eye pieces have opinions? Of course. And no writing can be done without bias, the very selection of what topics to write about is biased. See #1.
6. Divisiveness? That you and others disagree with those opinions is very different from divisiveness. It may be that you and others wish we did not publicize information that makes an elected or appointed official look bad, but that is very different from "divisive".
7. Disdain? I supposed that might also be in the eye of the beholder. We report on the actions of individuals in government, if the actions are negative, those individuals do not look good. You may call that disdain, I do not. I share your profound respect for (almost) all who run for office or otherwise try to improve our community. That includes Ed and (almost) all the other candidates, whether I agree with them or not. I have lost this respect for fewer than 5 people who have ever served in our government, and none of those are in the news right now.
8. Both are candidates? You don't know what you're talking about. McKeon is a candidate. The other founder of The Eye is not. Devoto is not.

Frankly, it is uncomfortable being an elective official, or running for office, and writing about municipal government. As a Commissioner, I don't write about Planning and Zoning issues. Ed did not write about Board of Ed issues when he was an elected member. We still attend other meetings and write about them. We still write about elections. We still write about the schools. We still write about the functioning of the staff in city hall. Every time I write, I know that I risk offending somebody I write about. That risk is outweighed by my hope that an informed community leads to better government decisions, that are then carried out more effectively.

Finally, I will repeat Alexander's plea to you and everybody watching: join us! Help the community by bringing your perspective to the events and government actions. Be the Eye sports correspondent, or the restaurant critic. Or cover P&Z meetings, school concerts, an art show, or the Public Safety Commission. You and I are so lucky to live in a city we love. The Eye has always welcomed new voices. If you do not like what is being written in The Eye, change it!

And if you really think it's a disaster, for your own sake please stop reading. And please start your own blog.