"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."- Little Johnson
Oh, I've already thought this out, I'm going to have to battle it out with the most entrenched types in this valley, and it will probably not be pretty.
However, I'm not worried about it, because unlike these people, I have always had the valley, the healthcare services, and community in mind, with an ultimate goal of making things better.
Let's start with my run with the local newspaper. I took on the water company when they wanted a 75% increase. I dogged them for months while it went through the PUC for approval. I even spoke at the meeting with the PUC and ended up featured in the newspaper. (The reporter didn't know who I was back then)
I'm about this community and it's future, which is up in the air right now, as we all know here, and could get worse.
We are a primarily senior community which means, unfortunately, that there are many predators about looking to get away with many untoward things.
In another case, a scam was going around here, it was called "Skye Travel Club" and they were asking for credit cards and other ID types of material from people over the phone.
Although, there had not been a scammed person actually reported, I saw the danger of this continuing as there would be victims eventually.
I tracked these people to the edge of the Texas border into Australia. Not on my watch, is my motto.
Verizon took heavy shots from me too as the phone service has been so poor that people can't even make phone calls without being dropped or having strange alien noises on the line. (Still not fixed by the way.)
But then they did say it would cost millions to fix and that is why it isn't so. Of course, that was supposed to be off the record, but it seems we get short changed constantly up here in the valley by corporations and anyone else looking for an easy buck.
However, there is also the responsibility of not getting people too upset with the use of media here.
When the South Fork School District had a problem with uranium in the water the story could have been written many ways. The school district, being cooperative with me, and the idea that people are most generally leaning toward the fearful side, I wrote the story in a more gentle tone.
And funny enough, even more so, when the district began a study to unionize or unify the districts, there were teachers crying, people arguing, an almost mass hysteria.
Now as a reporter what would you have done? Used this hysteria for your own interests or try to make it understandable so that people can work through the issue with information?
I chose to make it what it was: just a study. Relax.
Did I help sell a monumental amount of newspapers by doing that? Nope. But I did serve my community and hopefully its best interests.
Now to those who did not serve our community, I say, we are now embarking on something the likes of which may have never been seen here before: a media war.
(And not the kind where we are competing for ratings and advertisements: no this is about accountability)
It's the types of media that make this clash interesting as well as the geographical anomoly which exists: A printed newspaper (thanks for ruining the environment too) with an additional website; a local radio station with three different channels and a brand spanking new website; and me a blogger on dial up with an eight year old computer. (If I was a bettin' man, I'd go with the long shot here though)
Technology in communication differentiates this fight, yes, but what also makes it different is me: I'm just different. I'm your wildest of cards.
(I believe in walking the walk, not just talking the talk.)
But all I have is this little, tiny blog to work with, oh what will I do?
Oh, I've already thought this out, I'm going to have to battle it out with the most entrenched types in this valley, and it will probably not be pretty.
However, I'm not worried about it, because unlike these people, I have always had the valley, the healthcare services, and community in mind, with an ultimate goal of making things better.
Let's start with my run with the local newspaper. I took on the water company when they wanted a 75% increase. I dogged them for months while it went through the PUC for approval. I even spoke at the meeting with the PUC and ended up featured in the newspaper. (The reporter didn't know who I was back then)
I'm about this community and it's future, which is up in the air right now, as we all know here, and could get worse.
We are a primarily senior community which means, unfortunately, that there are many predators about looking to get away with many untoward things.
In another case, a scam was going around here, it was called "Skye Travel Club" and they were asking for credit cards and other ID types of material from people over the phone.
Although, there had not been a scammed person actually reported, I saw the danger of this continuing as there would be victims eventually.
I tracked these people to the edge of the Texas border into Australia. Not on my watch, is my motto.
Verizon took heavy shots from me too as the phone service has been so poor that people can't even make phone calls without being dropped or having strange alien noises on the line. (Still not fixed by the way.)
But then they did say it would cost millions to fix and that is why it isn't so. Of course, that was supposed to be off the record, but it seems we get short changed constantly up here in the valley by corporations and anyone else looking for an easy buck.
However, there is also the responsibility of not getting people too upset with the use of media here.
When the South Fork School District had a problem with uranium in the water the story could have been written many ways. The school district, being cooperative with me, and the idea that people are most generally leaning toward the fearful side, I wrote the story in a more gentle tone.
And funny enough, even more so, when the district began a study to unionize or unify the districts, there were teachers crying, people arguing, an almost mass hysteria.
Now as a reporter what would you have done? Used this hysteria for your own interests or try to make it understandable so that people can work through the issue with information?
I chose to make it what it was: just a study. Relax.
Did I help sell a monumental amount of newspapers by doing that? Nope. But I did serve my community and hopefully its best interests.
Now to those who did not serve our community, I say, we are now embarking on something the likes of which may have never been seen here before: a media war.
(And not the kind where we are competing for ratings and advertisements: no this is about accountability)
It's the types of media that make this clash interesting as well as the geographical anomoly which exists: A printed newspaper (thanks for ruining the environment too) with an additional website; a local radio station with three different channels and a brand spanking new website; and me a blogger on dial up with an eight year old computer. (If I was a bettin' man, I'd go with the long shot here though)
Technology in communication differentiates this fight, yes, but what also makes it different is me: I'm just different. I'm your wildest of cards.
(I believe in walking the walk, not just talking the talk.)
But all I have is this little, tiny blog to work with, oh what will I do?
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