(Boston) Globe writer barred from covering Newton (another double-standard unmasked)

Metrowest Daily News ^ | 8/13/03 | Andrews

[pabianice]

NEWTON, MA -- A Boston Globe Correspondent who has written hundreds of articles about Newton for the newspaper is no longer allowed to write about the city due to "an apparent conflict of interest" (think Jayson Blaire -- Ed.)

Newton conservatives say they have been complaining for three years that writer Gail Spector's work for the Globe's West Weekly section has been biased.

But the paper did not take action until last week when editors say they learned that Spector, a Newton Highlands resident and the mother of children attending Newton's Countryside Elementary School, has served on the Countryside School Council, a state mandated advisory board, since 2000.

During the same period, Spector wrote about 300 articles for the Globe about Newton's schools, government and other topics. A search of an electronic database shows that Spector mentioned Countryside in a dozen of her Globe articles.

Ellen Clegg, Globe regional weeklies editor, confirmed in a statement that Spector will no longer cover Newton.

"Gail Spector has covered school news in Newton as an independent contractor, or freelance writer, for Globe West for three years," Clegg said. "It emerged recently that she held a position with the school council at her children's school during those three years.

"This is a violation of Globe policy, which calls for staff reporters and freelance contributors to avoid situations that could create an appearance of conflict of interest. As a result (Spector) will no longer cover Newton for the Boston Globe."

Clegg said that all Globe staff and freelance writers, including Spector, are made aware of this policy upon hiring.

Spector was taken off the Newton beat after copies of old Countryside Elementary directories were faxed to the Globe by Newton Taxpayers President Brian Camenker.

Camenker and former NTA president Len Mead both said this week that they and other members of NTA have been complaining about Spector's Globe coverage of the school system for three years. The chief complaint, they said, was that her articles gave more representation to the School Committee and administration's side.

"(Spector) is the only reporter I have ever complained about at the Globe, because I sense that she carries her biases on social issues into her news stories," Camenker said.

When contacted for comment, Spector said, "I stand by my reputation as a fair reporter. Beyond that, I have nothing to say."

[Pyro7480]

I don't know about you, but Newton is a close runner-up to Ithaca as the city of evil.

[ClearCase_guy]

"I stand by my reputation as a fair reporter."

When I worked at a newspaper (15 years ago) this was a common statement. It basically means, "I try to paint the bad guys as bad guys. Everyone knows they're bad guys, and I try to represent that in my articles as openly as possible. To represent the Bad Guys as not-bad would be to enagage in a coverup, and it would be unfair the Good Guys. I'm a fair reporter, so I make sure the Good Guys are treated well."

[jmcclain19]

This isn't a bias thing, its a no politics allowed rule with Reporters.

Although the editors will happily push their own agenda on reporter's stories, they certainly won't let any of them take part in Politics. I had to watch the 98 cycle from the observation side, switch from the Metro Desk to the Sports Desk so I could do volunteer work during the 2000 Campaign cycle, and left for another job before the 2002 cycle rather than sit it out.

Its a rule reporters all know, they violate it at their peril.

[staytrue]

She should continue to cover Newton but should have a disclaimer in every article she writes about Newton. If this keeps up, the most knowledgeable people won't be able to write anything about things they know and only write about things they don't know.

[lentulusgracchus]

Although the editors will happily push their own agenda on reporter's stories, they certainly won't let any of them take part in Politics.

Then how do you account for guys like Jonathan Alter, who once wrote a column openly appealing to other journalists to hold down the number of press campaigns, so that the campaigns in hand could obtain better purchase with the public?

And Alter is the guy who ran columns telling the Republicans in 1995 -- around Labor Day -- that they just had to nominate Bob Dole, in order to benefit from Dole's perceived heaviosity and to avoid the taint of Newt Gingrich's stain of partisanship. But six will get you one Alter already knew about the polling information The Rapist and the Toe-Sucker had in April and May, taken from the "C"-market polling and focus-group message testing they'd done "under the radar" (i.e. so as not to arouse Republicans) using The Rapist's Chinese reptile money, that told them that Bob Dole was The Rapist's dream matchup among groups of swing voters.

In other words, Alter is another Sidney Blumenthal IMHO, except that he's working secretly on the outside.

Comments?

[justshutupandtakeit]

There was no need for a conspiracy to get the nomination for Dole, it was going to happen because he had no credible opposition. This was a foregone conclusion just like whatever mope wins the RAT nomination is going to be handed his hat by Bush. Besides who in hell gives a crap about WHAT Alter thinks, certainly no Republicans?

[lentulusgracchus]

I was inviting a pro journo to comment on Alter's slitheriness, and how to square his continued participation in reportage with professional ethics. I used the 1996 campaign example of what he's been doing with his reporting, which wasn't reporting.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Newton is a close runner-up to Ithaca as the city of evil

As long as you recognize that Ithaca is still number one.... ;-)

As an aside, I would note that, while I am not aware of any thing like this happening at the local rags, there are frequent examples of stories about leftist insanity at the local colleges (Cornell and IC) getting spiked by the editors because they don't want to offend the campus elite, including studies revealing widespread faculity liberal bias and a story about Ithaca College sponsoring an illegal "Human Shield" pre-war trip to Iraq by a faculty member.

[Soaring Feather]

Ithaca is the #1 City of Evil
bump

[Criminal Number 18F]

If this keeps up, the most knowledgeable people won't be able to write anything about things they know

I understand the principle you're articulating, but I'm also gruesomely familiar with the years of one-sided drivel out of Gail Spector.

Newton was where they held a youth seminar that was sponsored by a gay group and taught stuff I can't even mention here. Spector is a big supporter of that, and actually tried to get Camenker thrown in jail for taping the state workers as they gave instruction on how to perform [stuff so sick that Clinton wouldn't even mention it].

For more information on the background, I recommend the feisty conservative weekly, Mass News.

The first assignments you get as a reporter are things like school committee hearings. Covering them is not rocket science, and Spector's membership of a branch of the committee does not make her a better reporter. That's nonsense!

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F