Editor-In-Chief
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - There's something wildly hilarious when reading a string of mildly-serious stories in a newspaper that long-ago ceded its right to raise Hell. The local daily here is a prime example. It gets its hair in a frizz from time to time, only its history of doing little creeps up on its sudden angst.
"Elections Administrator Roger Ortiz has failed to return numerous telephone calls from The Brownsville Herald as to what action he will take on the recount of ballots in the election for county judge."
It would be something to ask Ortiz about, him being a public servant, but the relationship between The Herald and local government, from City Hall to the county operation, is such that these people largely ignore the newspaper. Numerous phone calls? Numerous phone calls, they wrote!!!
Their newsroom complaint rings damned hollow. Phone calls? Phone calls! Why not get your lovely butts over to Roger's office and camp out there until the man has to talk to you. Yell at him if you have to. Numerous phone calls. Oh, boy.
It reminds me of the editor of an Arkansas newspaper who arrived at a newspapering convention to crow about his reporting staff's investigative work on a bad neighborhood in his town. But he blew it when he said, "When my reporters made a drive-through the ghetto..." A drive-through? Yeah, same thing as numerous phone calls. The press expecting officialdom to be at its immediate disposal just because it says so and demands it is....yeah, laughable. Roger Ortiz likely knows The Herald is the least of his problems.
In a Macho world such as is lived in Brownsville, the newspaper holds no higher standing than the first-day mailman. The Herald should blame itself for the rude dismissal it gets from the town's leadership. Now, if it could rustle-up some crackerjack investigative reporting that would clear-up a few of the local governmental messes, well...then it could be as demanding as it seems to want to be in this case.
Two skirts chasing me for comment would get short shrift, absolutely.
The problem in Brownsville is not Roger Ortiz, although he may be part of it. At present, he's just the latest public servant to get a bit of the spotlight. It'll pass for Jolly Roger, as it has eventually passed for all the others who came before him and who also declined to take the newspaper reporter's telephone calls.
This recount is a mess, and it will play out a bit longer, but let's see how what The Herald offers in the way of journalism that comes from going to the scene of the mess and not from the eyes of an air-conditioned bystander...
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7 comments:
Okay Patrick, let's revisit the woodshed once again. "Two skirts chasing me for comment...", is just absolutely sexist and you know it (and I imagine you were chuckling as you wrote it, knowing it would irritate someone). If they were doing their jobs as reporters, someone would be calling them pitbull bitches but this should have nothing to do with gender. There are just as many male reporters who are as gentle as lambs and can only summon outrage at the discovery of rampant bacteria. Yes you are right in that tracking down the story requires in-your-face assertiveness, but that is more dependent by drive and personality and not clothing. M
M:...No, I wasn't laughing, but Jerry McHale surely was. Ha ha ha. My "skirt" characterization applies to both male & female reporters plying their trade in the under-achieving RGVofTexas. And my hope is that you captured the deeper point made by the vignette. Excuse me; I'm eating my morning croissant at my desk... - Editor
Mr. Editor, lets quit sugar coating this incident. Who cares about the skirt thing. The fact of the matter is, is that Roger Ortiz shows contempt to the local media. He knows they won't do anything. In 10 days it will be over, and good night Irene.
I agree the reporting in the Valley is the pits, as the saying goes.
Channel 5 like channel 4, like the Valley Morning Star, are no more than low end journalism.
Go knock on the door, he is a public servant he has an obligation to answer questions. Who the hell does that 98 pound weakling thinks he is??
Anon, control yourself, we all know Carlos Ortiz will be fired. Hinojosa, will recommend one of his fluussys and he will control the Commission, after Carlos Cascos is ushered out the door. Cameron County, I thought George Bush had left the whitehouse. We are worse here in the Valley. Puros peladitos chuecos. Puro Salvage operations.
You said bro, Cameron County, the city of Harlingen, and Brownsville, and San Benito, are municipalities, with no vision. They are like horses with blinders. Yep, salvation operations alright.
Myleadernews is reporting, someone wrote a statement saying some crazy pastor was heard speaking to Ortiz about 10 votes. The pastor is from Harlingen.
What is wrong with "that" screwed up town. Beat up buildings, no sale taxes, one commissioner that can't see straight, two blogs fighting each other like gangsters.
And now they are players in one of the most screwed election. Yep, that is Harlingen for you.
Laura Martinez was employed by the Valley Morning star, she use to do the police and dept. blodder. A long time ago.
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