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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Commentary: The News-Gazoo Sucks Up To Wal-Mart Some More |
Current rating: 0 |
by Paul R.
Email: paul (nospam) mediageek.org (unverified!) |
01 Oct 2001
Modified: 09:46:19 PM |
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The lead story on the News-Gazette website for Sunday Sept. 30 is an all-out puff piece of crony-journalism entitled "New Wal-Mart bringing smiles to Savoy." |
Not a critical word can be found in this article, aside from a brief mention of the parking-lot streetcleaner that sounds like airplane to some residents. No, all is well in Savoy now that they finally are put on the map with an actual Wal-Mart. According to the News-Gazette's Mike Monson, nobody could be happier.
This is what they call in journalism school, 'objectivity,' or 'getting both sides of the story.' Right?
As I've noted before (http://urbana.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=1639) the News-Gazette seems to have a very short memory, not even remembering their own coverage of Savoy residents' mixed feelings about the superstore when it was under construction. Or are we led to believe that now that the retail god has landed, everyone is thrilled?
Oh, yes, they must be, for why else would this be the leading story of the day? Everyone's shitting themselves silly over the new Wal-Mart, film at 11!
Yes, readers are important, but if you're a big local business--actually, an enormous national retailer--you're even more important at the News-Gazette. All the news that's fit to fabricate. |
See also:
http://www.newsgazette.com/story.cfm?Number=10223
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News-Gazette Cuts Own Throat |
by Mike Lehman
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
01 Oct 2001
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It's interesting that the N-G has made such a enormous effort to pitch Walmart. Walmart usually advertises by direct mail and only on rare occasions in the newspaper. The opening of this store will no doubt drive numerous paying N-G advertisers out of business, causing the paper to lose income it would otherwise receive. And the usual impact of Walmart openings, which only creates two jobs for every three it destroys in those businesses who will go under, will lessen the spending power of the consumers who read the N-G and who ultimately pay for the ads by their spending at businesses that take them out. And Walmart will further gain business from people who would otherwise shop in Champaign, but now will shop and pay taxes to Savoy, cutting into Champaign's tax base.
I see no up side for this for the N-G, except a blind devotion to the god of the "free" market. Such fanaticism is good at flying airliners into skyscrapers, but less well adapted to serving the public.
Darwin's answer?
The News-Gazette will be driven out of business and replaced by a new Walmart national paper, with a special Champaign County insert.
You can't say they won't deserve it. |
