Op-Ed - News Reporting In The State Of Iowa - Pathetic

Enginerd · 07-19-2008, 07:01 PM

That was an excellent post Jeremy.

It's pretty simple, if you purchase the Des Moines Register you support it. If the Register started getting cancellations coupled with an explanation they would change their ways. I think Squawks are more likley to do that than Clones and thus the result. I have and will read a free copy of the Register but I have not bought one since I attend ISU and I haven't clicked their website since a Keelor column years ago.

ISUAlum2002 · 07-19-2008, 07:21 PM

Originally Posted by clonefarmer

Where's Tom Witosky?

I can only assume that he's still working on the D-1 Scheduling story, since he never, EVER came on the radio to defend himself and the inaccuracies in his reporting after interview requests that were answered with responses of "we're still investigating."

Jeremy · 07-19-2008, 09:21 PM

Update - As of 8:15pm on Saturday, the Des Moines Register STILL has NOTHING on their website about this. The Chicago Tribune has a detailed story already up and yet the DM Rag has nothing. What a waste of energy to even have their building occupied if this is the standard of journalism they keep. The I.C.P.C. has been working on this story and interviewing people all the way up to Chet Culver for over 24 hours, and yet the DMR still can't figure out they should be working on providing some sort of coverage.

usedcarguy · 07-19-2008, 09:26 PM

Originally Posted by chrishull14

Why hasn't ESPN "Outside the lines" dug into this? This seems like it has 20/20 or 48 hours written all over it.

Believe me, they will. It's only a matter of time.

usedcarguy · 07-19-2008, 09:36 PM

Originally Posted by Jeremy

Update - As of 8:15pm on Saturday, the Des Moines Register STILL has NOTHING on their website about this. The Chicago Tribune has a detailed story already up and yet the DM Rag has nothing. What a waste of energy to even have their building occupied if this is the standard of journalism they keep. The I.C.P.S. has been working on this story and interviewing people all the way up to Chet Culver for over 24 hours, and yet the DMR still can't figure out they should be working on providing some sort of coverage.

This week, EVERYTHING takes a back seat to RAGBRAI.

What's going on with the Register today is a microcosm of the newspaper industry in general. Back when they could sell enough ads to be very profitable, they could afford lots of writers who kept an eye on things and they paid enough to get decent talent. When the corporate bean counters took over, the focus became expenses rather than coverage or quality writing. With a crappier product, ad sales continue to decline. It's a spiraling trainwreck. Today, they can't even proof read basic typos in the print edition.

As for the ICPC, they at least have some level of competition from the C.R. Gazette. The Register has no competition.

zdorr40 · 07-19-2008, 09:46 PM

The Fox News of Iowa sports... absolutely pathetic.

Whin4Cy · 07-19-2008, 10:04 PM

In reading the letter, I am just at a loss that this would happen in this day and age. Basically, every business I have ever worked at has had a Business Conduct and Sexual Harrassment training explaining what you are suppose to do and how serious it is handled. I just cannot believe that the University of Iowa would drop the ball so badly on this. I feel so badly for the victim to have had to put up with so much crap while the U of I ignored her. This will be a very bad black eye and really messy bloody nose on the school and will be very tough for Hawkeye Athletic department to shake until the parties involved are gone.

The bad part about this is, it will reflect on all IOWA schools in general. Even though it happen over in Iowa City....doesn't matter. Most people will associate it with the all state schools, including ISU and UNI. And that, makes me very sad as an Iowan.

ketelmeister · 07-19-2008, 10:05 PM

Top billing in Sunday Edition of Register would make up for their lack of coverage of the biggest story in Iowa sports of the year.

scottie33 · 07-19-2008, 10:07 PM

All Iowa new's channels has it covered already, the des moines rag has NOTHING!

mjones34 · 07-19-2008, 10:11 PM

All they seem to be showing on their website is ragbrai and state tourney stuff. And of course all the juice crap we have to look at.

I don't subscribe to the rag, but I will get one tomorrow just to see if they do anything about this.

IcSyU · 07-19-2008, 10:12 PM

Originally Posted by mjones34

All they seem to be showing on their website is ragbrai and state tourney stuff. And of course all the juice crap we have to look at.

I don't subscribe to the rag, but I will get one tomorrow just to see if they do anything about this.

I'll do you a favor and post tomorrow morning if there is anything worth knowing about. The Rag isn't even worthy of being toilet paper.

keepngoal · 07-19-2008, 10:24 PM

From the DSMRAG to the Scout Message boards.. they are two of the same.

LINK: Scout.com: kf and the assualt case...

quotes:

ok my question is everyone is worried kf will sumhow be in trouble because the victims mom is upset with the way it was handled....so is kirk the police now or what because last i knew, the players were kicked off the team and hes just a football coach. what else can he do....spank them?

i can see the university being in trouble, but ferentz being in trouble is dumb unless he did somwething outragious which i do not see him doing

not my spelling.

The question I've posed all over the boards today that no one has provided a good answer to is simply this...Why didn't the victim, her family, her friends, or someone working in the ER call the police? The victim's family apparently, at their request, met with University officials the morning after the alleged event, but didn't think that meeting with, or even contacting, the police was necessary. Now they are going public and badmouthing the University 9 months after the fact?
Sorry, but this doesn't add up for me. If there are concerns and unanswered questions about the University's involvement in this issue, there should be similar concerns and unanswered questions about the actions (or lack thereof) of the victim's family.

from the sounds of it the victim didnt say nething about the assault till a later time, as in she never even went to the er....but idk

I hope the ppl posting this crap are still popping pimples (no offense cysmydog

)

-keep

JonDMiller · 07-19-2008, 10:43 PM

From what I can gather, the DMR planned to have a rather extensive story on this for tomorrow's paper, the Sunday paper, the biggest circulation they have. The ICPC doesn't have a Sunday only paper...they team with the DMR for that.

One thing I am noticing related to thiis story in Iowa City, and it's a big story and one that deserves all of the attention it is getting, is something that I think is reflective of our general society today as it relates to politics.

I suspect there will be a rather sizable segment of Iowa fans that will witness the reactions, posts and vehemence in those reactions and posts from some Cyclone fans, including at least one of the moderators of one of the largest ISU sites that exists, with regards to this story in Iowa.

And I suspect that whenever the shoe drops on ISU at some point in the future regarding player behaivior, etc, and being that we are dealing with teenagers and very young 'adults', its a matter of when, not if, the reaction from the Iowa side will be just as strong and vehement, and in my opinion, ugly.

So when that day comes, I guess I would say don't be surprised.

As for the angst with the DMR, that is fine, as I don't have a dog in that fight. But until the victim or their family was willing to go on the record with their side of the story, there was little that any newsgathering organization could do, without risking significant lawsuits.

For whatever reason, the victims chose to speak with the Iowa City Press Citizen, even though most people that I know of in media outlets in this state are not neccessarily surprised at what was contained in the letter from the victim's mother. It's just that the news organizations could not print/mention anything until they had permission from those persons.

Cy Hard · 07-19-2008, 10:49 PM

Glass house comment? I would like to think that in a case like this, all ISU fans would react the same as they are in this case. This isn't a Iowa football thing, it's a State of Iowa thing, making accusations about the university as a whole and detrimental to all of the state. Until the day does come that an ISU student athlete evers does something like this, leave the deflecting comments out of it. I've applauded your comments on this subject until this Jon.

Jeremy · 07-19-2008, 10:54 PM

Originally Posted by JonDMiller

From what I can gather, the DMR planned to have a rather extensive story on this for tomorrow's paper, the Sunday paper, the biggest circulation they have. The ICPC doesn't have a Sunday only paper...they team with the DMR for that.

One thing I am noticing related to thiis story in Iowa City, and it's a big story and one that deserves all of the attention it is getting, is something that I think is reflective of our general society today as it relates to politics.

I suspect there will be a rather sizable segment of Iowa fans that will witness the reactions, posts and vehemence in those reactions and posts from some Cyclone fans, including at least one of the moderators of one of the largest ISU sites that exists, with regards to this story in Iowa.

And I suspect that whenever the shoe drops on ISU at some point in the future regarding player behaivior, etc, and being that we are dealing with teenagers and very young 'adults', its a matter of when, not if, the reaction from the Iowa side will be just as strong and vehement, and in my opinion, ugly.

So when that day comes, I guess I would say don't be surprised.

As for the angst with the DMR, that is fine, as I don't have a dog in that fight. But until the victim or their family was willing to go on the record with their side of the story, there was little that any newsgathering organization could do, without risking significant lawsuits.

For whatever reason, the victims chose to speak with the Iowa City Press Citizen, even though most people that I know of in media outlets in this state are not neccessarily surprised at what was contained in the letter from the victim's mother. It's just that the news organizations could not print/mention anything until they had permission from those persons.

I think there are certainly some comments that are just Hawk hatred but I think the incredible vast majority of the comments are as concerned citizens more than anything. I know that you said the comments of a moderator of the largest ISU site, which I'm assuming is me, and I can honestly say that nothing I have said has anything to do with this taking place against Iowa and not ISU. If this same thing had happened in Ames, my comments would be exactly the same - I think the same could be said for about 99.5% of the comments here.

As far as the DMRag, I guess it's a difference of opinion. They have shown in the past that they will report a lot of accusations without having multiple sources but yet this time I've had emails eluding to a lot of what came out today and some of the sources have been anything but questionable. I think they surely could and should have dug harder and deeper for more confirmation without needing this exact letter.