Minor Press Win, But Offers Promise
Paterson Rescinds Pay Raises for Staff
The Internet's Changing of the Gutenberg Guard
We are beginning to see a new type of press power develop in New York. Gone are the old days when one newspapers controlled local news and politics. The Internet has changed all that. The new players are the bloggers and the online newspaper 24 hour websites. These new players are changing the flow and effect of the news.
Paterson's flip flop on pay raises for his staff and the senate's support for adding new charter schools are the new press's first victories. While less people are reading the papers, because of the Internet news is reaching more people. Yes the governor is weak and out the door, but his reversal on pay raises for his staff yesterday show the promise of this new Internet driven press. It seems we are going back to the old days of journalism where once a good story was published other media outlets joined the hunt as well. This happy combination produced many full-strength media pile-ons and visible shivers in City Hall and Albany. There is no doubt the the clown show in Albany and the city's economic melt down is adding fuel to the changes the Internet is causing.
Bloggers like Liz Benjamin who now does the YNN blog and Azi Paybarah (Politicker), Henry Stern (NY Civic), Rafael Martínez Alequín (Your Free Press) and True News have by their comprehensive coverage of politics on the Internet forced the other media outlets to cover the news they post on their blogs. If you read today's papers and blogs you get the feeling they are all trying to cover the same stories of their competitors. You do not have to pick up the Village Voice to read Tom Robbins or Wayne Barrett stories about corruption in the city.
TV local news has long been know to use the morning papers as the basis of their news coverage. Shrinking Newspaper Coverage Means Less Real TV News More Sexy Reporters (True News) Now TV news writers are using the Internet also. Today with cutback in the news media and the growth in blogging everyone is reading everyone else stories and copying them. Which means that a story about the governor giving his staff raise while her tries to furlough 100,000 state workers is dozens of Internet sites in minutes and soon thereafter all over the old media, newspaper, TV and radio.
This new media is just beginning. More and more readers are getting their news from the Internet each day. The old media see themselves in competition with the Internet bloggers who are not as controlled as the old media by the pols flacks and lobbyists. This is not champagne time, it just a faint sign of hope of what could be. Corporate owners of the news media, lobbyist and flacks of hacks still have to much power over our news. During the next couple of years and more and more reader get their news from the Internet, the old media will lose more of their ability to control news content, they have already lost control of news flow.
To build a true independent local press we need an army of neighborhood bloggers with the attitude of Queens Crap. Right now local blogs are mostly politically naive and not very good journalist, who prefer to cover their cats and local store openings then how Albany dysfunctionalism hurts their readers. If local bloggers all over the city start covering the news like Queens Crap, the pols will be hiding under their desks as the public finally throws the bums out.
Paterson Flip flopsFurlough Fever: Paterson Flip Flops, Assemblyman Furloughs His Staff Facing a tidal wave of bad press, Gov. Paterson reversed course Wednesday on pay raises for five aides. * That Was Fast! Paterson Rescinds Staff Raises After Outrage * Paterson rescinds staff raises (Crains NY) * The three faces of David Paterson (as per the Post): Good, Evil and “Dumb.” (NYP Ed) *Judge blocks Paterson's furlough plan (NYP) *U.S. Judge Blocks State Worker Furloughs (NYT)* David, David, David The tail of three Davids (NYP ED) * White House slashes NY anti-terrorism funds amid buzz Obama will meet with NYPD Times Square heroes (DN) * Judge Blocks Furlough Plan (WSJ) * Judge blocks Gov push for furloughs on state workers * The governor would not commit to LG Richard Ravitch’s threat that the death of the furlough plan would lead to layoffs * “The guy is missing in action,” Assemblyman Al Stirpe said of Paterson after participating in a legislative sit-in at the governor’s office. * "Judge Kahn also ordered Mr. Paterson to include raises that state workers were supposed to get as part of their contract in future emergency bills that are keeping state government operating until a new budget is adopted." * Gov: Raise Flap ‘A Canard’
Rearranging Deck Chairs On the Titanic
Aqueduct racino bidders back at starting gate Governor seeks to reopen process as probe continues over the original selection of Aqueduct Entertainment Group; losing bidders seen frustrated.
New York Economic Melt Down 9/11 health programs face cash crunch * Bloomberg's budget ax will prune key library branches * Students beg City Hall to save abuse prevention program * Sound of silence drowns out protest to 12.9% water hike * Pfizer may owe NYC $24M on job cutsDrug maker's plan to sell its Manhattan office tower and shift employees outside the city could trigger payment if job * CUNY Adjuncts On The Chopping Block (NY1) * Judge Asks For More Time To Rule On MTA Layoffs (NY1) * The Obama administration has been so slow to fund 9/11 health programs that some clinics may soon run out of money * Are night and weekend MTA service disruptions really necessary?
Joseph Mercurio Would you send money to a state with a governor who cannot get his budget passed?
"Well, Mr. President, maybe when you come to the city for a political fund-raiser today you can explain how you can allow cuts in funding to protect those of us who live, work and raise our kids in the terrorists' bull's-eye." (Daily, DN)
Bad Timing ObamaThe Terrorist Number 1 Targets Gets 11% of the Feds Terrors funds
Cuts Terror Funds as he Comes to NY to Thank First Responders
Security Funds Slashed The Obama administration plans to cut port and subway security funds to the New York City area by more than $50 million, a reduction that infuriates lawmakers who say the recent attempt to bomb Times Square shows the area needs more help, not less (WSJ) * Obama to cut anti-terror funding even after Times Sq. bombing attempt (NYP) * Anti-terror funding cuts: President Obama is making New York City less safe * Rep. King: Anti-Terror Cuts A 'Slap In The Face' (WCBS TV) * Federal funds slashed for MTA, Port Authority security * Obama Expected in NY to Praise Cops for Times Square Bust (WNBCTV) * Talk about bad timing: President Obama is due in NYC today – just as news broke about his administration’s decision to cut anti-terror funding for the city’s mass transit system and port security * Schumer on Administration's Security Cuts: 'They Just Don't Get It' *** UPDATE FBI Raids Massachusetts Home In Times Square Bomb Probe * F.B.I. Raids in Northeast Are Linked to Bomb Case
Lui King of BrooklynBloggers Nonsense Rice Takes Brooklyn Kathleen Rice got the endorse of the Brooklyn county organization and Vito Lopez. So did David Yassky who is from Brooklyn for Comptroller who was beaten in the county of Kings by John Liu in the democratic primary (The Daily Politics) * Vito’s Bad Days Go Unreported
Wall Street Scandal Prosecutors' Probe of Wall Street WidensFederal prosecutors, working with securities regulators, are conducting a preliminary criminal probe into whether several Wall Street banks misled investors on their roles in mortgage-bond deals (WSJ) * Prosecutors Ask if 8 Banks Duped Rating Agencies (NYT) * Cuomo Is Said to Question Banks’ Influence on Ratings - NYTimes.com * Morgan Stanley shares drop on reported probe (Crain NY) * AG Andrew Cuomo is investigating eight banks to see if they misled rating agencies to inflate the grades of mortgage securities in the years before the collapse of the housing market.
Obama Show Me the Wall Street Money
Obama to Wall Street 'fat cats': Show me the money!The President is slated to headline a $50,000-per-couple fund-raiser at New York's St. Regis tonight * After beating up Wall Street 'fat cats,' President Obama ready to take their money in NY fund-raiser (DN)
St. Vincent's closing threatens medical malpractice lawsuits
Election 2010 Cuomo is a bully just like Spitzer, gov hopeful Lazio says (DN)
Who is Elena Kagan?Growing Up, Kagan Tested Boundaries of Her Faith (NYT) * A picture of Elena Kagan playing softball has further fanned the “is she gay?” speculation.
Inside City Hall City Reviews Park PCB Claims * Raise the bar on teachers: New instructor-evaluation plan must be only a start(DN ED) * In Mayor's Budget, $104 M. for a Javits Center Plan That No Longer Exists
Manhattan doormen demanding bribes from taxis
Andrew Stein had the political power to force the Charter Commission to keep the Public Advocate position.Does Bloomberg how the power to get rid of it?
Mayor Bloomberg suggested the Charter Revision Commission consider doing away with the post of public advocate * Bloomberg’s budget cut funding for the public advocate’s office by 11 percent, which comes on top of last year’s 40 percent reduction * Bloomberg Blasts Gotbaum Service Mayor Bloomberg lambasted former Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum for overspending and promised to find a "reasonable compromise" to complaints that he's starving the city watchdog of cash
Law and Order Travel big cops to $35M AMEX scam * New York Minorities More Likely to Be Frisked (NYT) * 2 Downed Cyclists, 2 Videos, 2 Officers, 2 Outcomes (NYT) * Construction Site Owner Is Acquitted in Day Laborer’s Death (NYT) * NYPD commander sued for sex discrimination: I lied * Sex abuse charges in two city schools (DN) * 'Lab rat' case is a rush job * VIDEO: Cops Seeking Suspect in Brooklyn Shooting (WINS)
Terrorism To Defendant, a U.S. Success Story; to Prosecutors, a Money Broker to Iran (NYT) * Pakistan and Times Sq. Investing in schools abroad could be a significant way to fight terrorism in the homeland. (NYT Ed) * Sunshine superman: NukePublish Post-mad North Korea reaches for the stars (DN Ed)* Man Flies From JFK With Guns, Knives And Swords * Incredible Weapons Cache Eludes JFK Screeners (WCBS TV) * Iran family secret comes out in wa$h
Finally Tickle Me ReplacementPaterson sets election date to replace Massa
The New Poor In a Job Market Realignment, Some Left Behind (NYT)
Media and New Tech Glenn Beck Joins SIRIUS XM's 'Patriot Channel' * Gay Group Demands Newsweek Apology
Pension Funds Can't Seem to Swear Off New York
