I'm A Broadcast Journalist, Damn It!

Before yesterday's Kim Velez ballot access hearing in Lehigh County, I screwed up quite a bit. First, I went to the Government Center, completely forgetting that there's no courtroom there. Almost as soon as I made it through the metal detector,  I was on my way out. I went through a second metal detector at the courthouse, only to learn that the hearing was at the old courthouse. I finally made it and was sitting inside a beautiful, ornate courtroom for a good ten minutes, marveling at the architecture, until I realized I couldn't hear a damn word anyone was saying. So when I saw The Morning Call's Emily Opilo sneak into the jury box, I followed suit. That's when the real trouble began.

A well-dressed tipstaff approached to tell me to take a hike.

"But I'm a an award-winning broadcast journalist," I lied.

He seemed to know he was dealing with a bottom-feeding blogger because we look a lot like the guys who regularly appear in front of judges, usually in shackles.

"Where are your credentials?" he demanded.

"I left them in the car," I lied.

I tried telling him that I'm an award-winning broadcast journalist, but he was getting ready to nail me with a cattle prod when Judge Michelle Varricchio walked into the courtroom.

He was so busy arguing with me, he forgot the "All rise" chant and "God save the King" and all that crap.

Then, before she heard any cases, this dude went over to the judge and tattled on me. She cast a disgusted look in my direction, but decided for whatever reason not to press my non-pressiness.

I had credentials made after the hearing. Let's see that bastard try to kick me out now.

Journalism 101 with Eric Chiles

Last night, a group of unsuspecting Northampton Community College students made the mistake of attending a 2 1/2 hour journalism class despite the good weather. Their reward was something even more horrifying and sinister than swine flu.

Me.

Just last week, I really screwed up a story about LC Exec Don Cunningham. He was pretty good about it. I only have to wash his car for the next year. That's better than Capitol Ideas' John Micek, who also screwed up, although not nearly so badly as me. He has toilet detail. More readers.

Eric Chiles, a former member of the Morning Call's editorial board, knows all this. He asked me to speak to his Journalism 101 class anyway. Teaching common journalism errors, he thought of me immediately. So I spent about an hour dealing with "Just how dumb are you?" and "Your fly is open, jackass." When it was all over, I got a coffee mug. Eric is very thoughtful.

After I was done, the class allowed me to remain for Eric's lecture. I probably should have attended a few of those before I started blogging. But I learned some things, and want to share them with you. He paints a dark forecast.

1) The Morning Call reports its most recent circulation figures in a factually accurate article that contains a very misleading headline. The headline screams, "Morning Call readership rises by 9.2 percent." The reality? "The paper's daily print circulation, a measure of people paying for the newspaper, dropped 8.9 percent to 99,111 compared with a year ago. Total Sunday print circulation, which is typically the most profitable day for newspaper advertising, dropped 7.2 percent to 130,693."

2) The daily circulation is under 100,000 for the first time in 38 years.

3) Coverage of important local issues, like the Bethlehem City Council race, is wanting. "I'm still waiting to find out who Eric Evans is. I see yard signs all over the place, but don't know who he is." (The Morning Call did cover Evans' announcement in a blog.)

4) Newspapers are going away. Chiles predicts that, like news carriers and ad salesmen, reporters will soon be converted into independent contractors.

5) Newspapers are going away. The Internet is taking over. He believes citizen journalists will pick up the slack, assuming the role of Colonial era citizens who published pamphlets that bashed the King.

6) Editors will be replaced by algorithms in search engines.

Calling All Citizen Journalists!

In the wake of tragic layoffs at The Morning Call, it's time to consider citizen journalism. Blogs are inexpensive and powerful publishing tools - the poor man's press. I've set up an experimental blog, Northampton County Spotlight, to cover the eastern end of the Lehigh Valley. It includes links to every municipal and school district web page. In addition, every news-oriented Northampton County blog is linked.

Now all I need are people willing to post brief reports.

In Williams Township, citizens are battling the Chrin landfill expansion. Hellertown pedestrians worry about getting killed while crossing the street. Pen Argyl cops hand out tickets to old homeless ladies who are talking to benches. Upper Mount Bethel residents are always fighting over something - that's their entertainment.

People are interested in these hot, local stories. They want to know what's going on, even if they don't read a paper.

Who is going to tell these stories? Many of you could inform us about your community. If you'd like to try, please drop me a line at BOHare5948@aol.com. I'll send you an invitation so you can start blogging at Northampton County Spotlight. Your politics are irrelevant to me.

Here's a link to a few online journalism tips. One of these days, I'm going to read them, too.