By ELIOT ELCOMEDOR
Media Critic of The Tribune
BROWNSVILLE, TX - Since he ventured into the world of news Blogging, former newspaperman Juan Montoya has seemingly found nothing but heartache. Steadily over the past few months, he has been hacked like free meat for what critics say is a "posturing" not often seen from serious Journalists. Montoya, operator of http://www.elrrunrrun.blogspot.com/, has come out firing this political season in support of local political muffin Ernie Hernandez, a candidate whose record of public service is seen in some quarters as being, well, lacking.
In his reporting, Montoya has used his Blog to royally assail Hernandez's opponent, the lawyer Ruben Pena, in a manner that would make his readers believe Hernandez is head-over-heels better than Pena. He may or may not be that, but the postings seen on Montoya's Blog take the appearance of serious Journalism. It is not. Being overly-generous, we would call it "advocacy" Journalism, which is in some places respected, although it readily acknowledges taking sides. Montoya never admits he is vigorously supporting Hernandez because of his politics, leaving readers the clear impression that he is doing it solely for the advertising dollar he gets in exchange for the rushing stream of glowing, fawning write-ups.
The criticism lobbed at him is not kind.
Writes fellow city resident Bobby Wightman-Cervantes in his Blog, http://www.brownsvillevoice.blogspot.com/, "As to Montoya's pathetic response to the complaints he is a hired hand of Hernandez - I defy Montoya to post any specific findings (not accusations) against Peña. This is the standard he used as to why he is not publishing anything against Hernandez. As to Hernandez, I know what I know - he looked me in the face and said he would not hire politiqueras to work the mail ballots and then he did - he lied to my face."
Montoya, a former reporter for The Brownsville Herald and a few other obscure newspapers, presses onward like the prideful bandolon player in a less-than-stellar Mariachi, breathlessly filling space on his Blog with an occasional "neighborhood" piece, presumably to buttress his pro-Hernandez postings. It has apparently failed him.
Adds Wightman-Cervantes in a note critical of Montoya on another front, the case of a political candidate seeking a run while battling the remnants of a felony conviction abroad: "Montoya's journalism skills are seriously in doubt - he claims Rubio's mandamus remains pending before the Texas Supreme Court. Anyone with minimum skills can go to the Texas Supreme Court web page and see it was denied on April 1, 2010."
For Montoya, the criticism is biting.
Journalists live and die on their reputation. Montoya has fended-off charges that he has taken "shrimp plates" in exchange for writings on behalf of other would-be candidates by challenging his accusers to pony-up their evidence. Indeed, he seems to grow indignant with every demand for transparency. His replies near the angst-before-fury stage, approximating in tone the hollow words of one Richard M. Nixon during his days, when he wished all to do with Watergate would merely dissipate.
Montoya should address the accusations one-by-one, admit his Journalism transgressions and move on with his work, some of which we admire...
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6 comments:
Man, you have just started Armagetton. May God save us now.
Hey, everyone's a critic. No one is exempted, and neither is the ever changing blog of (insert latest name)Tribune.com. As I recall there is no love lost between Monsieur Bobby Wightman-Cervantes,Esquire and a man only known by DPM(por sus siglas en inglés).
El Bobby appears to hate every Brownsville blogger with an "odio jarocho". I get all moisty eyed when I recall the days when Bobby sang the praises of the princess, Melissa Zamora. The times they are a-changin'.
Mr. Colossio
ANON (1.) It's Armageddon, but we get your drift. ANON (2.) Perhaps we should explain our world tour with our Tribune name. A Blogger keeps asking why The Brownsville Herald does not sue us for using the Brownsville Herald-Tribune assignation. We merely want to show him that we're more than that which he imagines. As for Mssr. Wightman-Cervantes, well, we have been at odds in the past, but he's right on Mssr. Montoya's more-recent Daycare Journalism (he babysits candidate Ernie Hernandez). With the possible exception of a scandal-related happenstance to do with her service on the city commission, we have been ordered not to broach Ms. Zamora's name on this Blog from here on out, so we won't... - Editor
Ordered? By who?
Just for the record, this blog is unique and too professional at times.
Sometimes, similiar to el rrun rrunn,you get better feed back here, than other blogs.
Besides, when you get feed at el roci, is nothing but profanities, when simply expressing an opinion, mr.dpm is running a good clean option for bloggers, good job.
ANON, we like to think we do the job and do it well. Something New & Different, however, always scares those wishing to keep things as they are. They like the familiar noise, so they howl and scream and yell and bitch at us for really dumb reasons... - Editor
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