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To our readers
- Filed under: Uncategorized
- Date: Jan 24,2008
On Wednesday, Ohio.com launched its Politics.Ohio.com with the goal of providing the most comprehensive site for news and commentary about Ohio elections and politics. Because of the passion involved in politics, we knew that this would be an experiment in progress and we would hit some bumps.
We hit one on the first day.
We signed up Ben Keeler and Kyle Kutuchief — two politically active bloggers who are good friends and hail from different parties — to provide commentary on our site. They were asked to be transparent by using their names and disclosing their political persuasions – unlike many Ohio bloggers. We also asked that they take care not use our site to further their personal political interests.
In his effort at full disclosure, Keeler explained that he is a candidate for the Summit County Republican Party's central committee on the slate that would unseat Chairman Alex Arshinkoff. He also explained why.
We're concerned that the explanation as to why – while meant in good faith – left this perception: Ohio.com is paying a blogger who is using the Web site to promote a change in party leadership.
Alex Arshinkoff called and shared the same concern.
We believe that discourse is imperative for an informed electorate. Freedom of speech and the exchange of ideas are an integral part of our democracy.
We want to find a way to engage that process.
Meanwhile, the blogging will be on hold as we discuss how to promote community dialogue while maintaining the impartiality that readers expect of us.
We're interested in your comments.
28 Responses for "To our readers"
As disclosed from the sites inception, you made it clear that the ABJ and Ohio.com did not support any endorsements made by either Ben or Kyle.
Isn't one of the intended outsomes of political blogging, aside from simply discussing the topic, to advance one's political agenda?
Furthermore, how can you expect impartiality from political bloggers who are already disclosing their party affiliations? Inherently, they should each be impartially biased to the party of their affiliation.
Given this, isn't Ben's affiliation or own upcoming election a moot topic?
This idea that Ohio.com and the ABJ supprted for one day was a fantastic one which increased my interest in both the site and the paper greatly. For the paper and site to change its position on this topic seemingly at the whim of Alex Arshinkoff is irresponsible and poorly thought out at best, and reprehensible at worst.
I would certainly hope that by day's end Ohio.com and the ABJ have correctly surmised that the blogging should continue and restore the site at the helm of Ben and Kyle.
When Ben ends the post with:
(This is assumed, and should be assumed for all posts here in the future - the Beacon Journal / Ohio.com does not necessarily endorse my positions. In this case, with this particular story being such a hot topic around the area, I felt I needed to make that clear. I stand with Kevin. It does not mean the ABJ / Ohio.com does.)
So it would appear obvious to anyone who actually took the time to read the post that ohio.com is not paying the blogger to promote his platform but to stimulate political discourse.
Maybe if Alex would have spent more time worrying about how to win an election in summit county against the democrats then he wouldn't have to be in this position in the first place.
Dear ABJ,
Suspension after one day - that has to be some kind of record! Unfortunately politics are not impartial as you suggest. This country was created on a platform of priciples, one of which is free speech.
If Mr. Arshinkoff was like any other normal citizen he would have posted his comments on this blog and created some good dialogue. Unfortunately he chose another medium for commuicating his opinion, one that I would consider rather childish. I'd be curious to know if Alex himself actually called or if he had one of his "people" call?
In any event, you have created a good thing here. Something people of any age, race, or political belief can visit, read, and comment at their leisure. Remember, no one made Mr. Arshinkoff read this blog, he chose to read it himself. Keep up the good work ABJ, you need it. In the unfortunate event that you decide to terminate this blog, it could be worse than the loss of Terry Pluto.
I am disappointed in your website. It appears Chairman Arshinkoff was offended, and thus politics.ohio.com bowed to his desire to get rid of the writer's posting. The chairman could easily have posted a comment, just like I am doing, outlining his objections, and presenting a case for himself.
A blog is just that: a blog. It is intended to have a viewpoint. Whether or not one is in agreement with the sentiments, it should be allowed to stand. You do a disservice to your readers by not allowing them to analyze the content and make up their own minds.
Mr. Arshinkoff, you just lost my vote.
Come on!
Tell me that the Beacon Journal did not back down to Alex! It's better that a writer — blogger or otherwise — reveal his true connections/assocations, rather than cover it up. That way, the readers can understand the slant that the writer is coming from, as opposed to readers believing that the writers have no preferneces/bents/etc. of their own.
I'm no fan of Kevin Coughlin (FAR from it), but it's shameful that the Akron Beacon Journal backed down just because Arshinkoff has "an objection" (key words for he threatened a lawsuit).
The Plain Dealer, as well as several other larger newspapers around Ohio and the country (including the New York Times), have been running blogs for a while now — and it was nice to know that the Beacon Journal was finally moving into the 21st century and adopting this new medium of communications.
However, this latest act — which amounts to poliitical censorship by editors and publishers who are scared to take on an entrenched (yet pathetic) political leader — shows that the Beacon lacks the ability to stand behind its decisions.
The staff/editors at the Beacon Journal should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for their unwillingness to stand up for free speech.
Please do us all a favor — next time your newspaper sues (or is sued) over a confidential source or wanting to claim "freedom of the press," DON'T — your newspaper obviously has no clue what the true meaning of teh term "free speech" really is.
Let's do a rundown of Arshinkoff's unraveling this week.
He's trampled on the right of due process at the Board of Elections by using the board hearings for political theatre and throwing out candidate petitions that he knows are opposed to him.
He's denied his neighbors a chance to vote on his leadership by declining to run for re-election as a central committee member in his precinct.
He's using procedural tricks to try to avoid an up or down vote on his chairmanship.
Now, he's trampling freedom of speech? And the ABJ folded? This move should be reversed pronto.
Next time record the call and post it on Ohio.com so oeveryone can he this guy's bluster and threats.
Although I have never meet the man from all I have read and heard about Mr. Arshinkoff it does not surprise me he would attempt to silence free speech. An Emperor's mandate is sanctioned by heaven and it not the place of the subjects to question their rule. The response by the ABJ is a surprise. I have to assume Mr. Keeler did not inform you of his position in the Summit Rep. Party fight because you would have expected to hear from Mr. Arshinkoff. Perhaps he should have informed you of his position but he had the journalistic integrity to inform his readers of his position. Am I to assume that the ABJ's policy is to take no position on issues nor endorse any candidates? Apparently I missed your announcement of the new policy. I enjoy the local sports section and religiously read the editorial section to get a better understanding of the liberal view of local and state issues. However I may have to rethink my position concerning the ABJ. How can I continue to subscribe to a newspaper that does not defend free speech?
First of all, it has to be pointed out that you guys should have seen this coming. Six-year-old girls like Alex Arshinkoff have very delicate sensibilities. Why don't you just pre-emptively cancel his subscription and let him worry what's in the Hudson Hub?
Second, did you really take all this time to conceive, plan, design, staff and launch "the best site in providing robust and newsworthy information," just so you could shut it down the first time some GOP stooge gets a bee in his bonnet?
Heaven forbid we hear about politics from someone involved in politics. If you let a Republican talk about things that matter to Republicans, who knows what waits down that slippery slope?
Next thing you know, your community calendar will be nothing but press releases sent by the people holding the events!
And volunteers for presidential candidates will be writing letters to the editor asking people to vote for them!
And columnists will be telling stories about their own families and trying to convince everyone to join their religion!
How about this: If Knight-Ridder won't let you hire enough employees to cover the news the way it's supposed to be done, get the job done another way.
Stop the navel-gazing.
Stop treating us like idiots.
Give us something to read.
Dear ABJ,
What Are You Going To Do About It?
As anyone reading this blog could see, that in no way did it ever say that the blogger was being paid by the ABJ to promote himself in any way, and to cave in to pressure after one day is ridiculous. Please get this blog up and running so these individuals can get back to the job that you are paying them to do, which is to inspire discussion amongst friends and strangers and promote the healthy debate of issues concerning the country and the great state of Ohio. Also to my fellow KPR and TCS readers and contributers, only 5 comments left so far? Come on people and voice your opinion and pledge your support for Ben and Kyle and get this site back up and running strong!
Ohio.com's disclaimer is perfectly clear that they do not endorse any statement by Mr. Keeler or Mr. Kutuchief. Granted, Mr. Keeler is actively participating in the Coughlin campaign. Are the readers to infer from the censorship of Mr. Keeler that nobody with a column in the ABJ is active in politics at the local, state, or national level? The editorials I used to read in the ABJ were written by those without any agenda or motivation? Given the highly politicized nature of the media, to say nothing of the editorial board, strikes me as rather unlikely.
Mr. Arshinkoff, like the posters above have pointed out, is free to refute or correct any claim made on this website. By having the website come to a halt, one can easily infer that he lacks either the capacity or the grounds to support his position. Is Mr. Arshinkoff's grip so tenuous that he has to resort to enforcing his seemingly dictatorial will on an experimental website that openly discloses any agendas or affiliations of the posters? Perhaps Mr. Arshinkoff should remember that the debate and discussion of ideas is a cornerstone of any functioning democracy and the mere fact he does not like the ideas is no grounds to cry foul. Also, he should examine how he arrived at this political battle: heavy-handed management, poor electoral results, and a disregard for those who do not toe his exact line.
Alex doesn't do anything to defend our candidates when the paper misstates the facts or in general shows their liberal bias but dare say anything about him and all hell breaks loose. Alex cares about one thing Alex. As the paper reported he is spending more money protecting himself $350,000 than he and his cronies budgeted for all public offices last year, $281,500. Nice to know what your priorities are.
It appears the ABJ has taken "free speech" out of its rightful place just as Mr. Arshinkoff has done with his own party and even some of his appointed employees to government offices. While he surrounds himself with opulence from county worker's donations which he has taken by threats of loss of jobs, many workers now can hardly afford to survive. I trust that Mr. Arshinkoff is soundly defeated this time around. I know he has lost my vote while thinking he has it.
Too bad. I don't feed any man's egomanical appetite while while some hardly can feel their children because of him.
Wait a minute … this is the same Alex who decides that rules don't apply to him and placed a massive political sign in an area where there are rules about what size the sign can be?
And then scurries behind the ACLU to help him out of the legal jam?
[...] To our readers - Ohio Politics On Wednesday, Ohio.com launched its Politics.Ohio.com with the goal of providing the most comprehensive site for news and commentary about Ohio elections and politics. Because of the passion involved in politics, we knew that this would be an experiment in progress and we would hit some bumps. [...]
This moves shows a real lack of spine on behalf of the Akron Beacon Journal. I think as long as if Keeler was willing to avoid promoting his candidacy, this arrangement should have been fine. Candidates and those affiliated with politics write letters to the editor all the time which are published in papers. Keeler disclosed his activity, he should've been treated no differently.
This is a classic example of old media's inability to adapt to a world of increased communication and accountability. Commenter Brian put it well above: "Heaven forbid we hear about politics from someone involved in politics."
In this situation, Ben working to have Arshnikoff unseated is not significantly different from a newspaper endorsing a candidate. At the very least, ABJ/Ohio.com must explain why it is different enough for them to justify pulling the plug on Ben and Kyle.
Anyone that ABJ/Ohio.com would hire as a blogger would undoubtedly have her/his own political affiliations and support one candidate over another in any given race. They're better off with Ben out there disclosing who he is working for than having someone in his place who would keep his affiliations secret. Otherwise we're left to wonder just what agenda this hypothetical replacement would have, a problem that affects much of the content that appears in newspapers and a primary factor contributing to why newspapers are losing their market share.
If the ABJ/Ohio.com is concerned with independence, an easy and invigorating solution is to allow Arshnikoff to submit his own responses on the site. Let them appear as main posts rather than as comments. This would provide exacly the kind of dialogue that the site should want to create, and would only allow for readers to make a more informed choice at the ballot box.
I am incredibly disappointed in your decision to suspend posting.
I'm not going to waste anyone's time reiterating what my fellow commenters have eloquently stated in defense of this site, because each of those who have lobbied against your decision thus far make excellent points.
So instead, let's focus on why it is to your utmost benefit to allow this site to continue:
Fact: Your medium is suffering. Goldman Sachs predicts a 7.9% drop in revenue against printed newspapers this year, compounding a 1.8% decline in 2006. (source: MediaPost, 1/10/08) Circulation across printed newspapers continues to decline year-over-year as younger generations expect instant gratification and look to more immediate, cost-effective forms of media as sources of news.
But this news isn't tragic. The Newspaper Association of America reported an online audience boom in 2007:
Unique audience for newspaper Web sites: +9% (4Q'07)
Average users/month: 62.8 million
Average time spent on site: 44 minutes
(sources: Nielsen Online, MediaPost 1/25/08)
As the official online home of the Akron Beacon Journal, you have a lot to gain by allowing existing readers (and potential readers) to read, digest, and engage in political discourse. Why? This site is the future of your medium. It may not be the cash cow of your business now, but keeping your audience engaged - particularly during a pivotal election year - will ensure that you are looked upon as an authoritative news source.
Ultimately, Mr. Keeler and Mr. Kutuchief attract visitors. Visitors allow for impressite site metrics. Site vitality attracts advertisers, and advertiser revenue will ensure that the Akron Beacon Journal remains a well-oiled machine.
Beyond all of the statistics and points I've articulated above, I have known both of these bloggers for many years and can attest to their passion for politics and their devotion to reporting their views with as much fairness, accuracy, and disclosure as possible. They know facts, they know platforms, and most importantly, they know how to engage even the least politically-interested person in intelligent discussion - a person who may be a future ABJ or ABJ.com reader. You know, the person who will ultimately control the vitality of your business.
In short, you have suspended two incredibly smart political bloggers who have their finger on the pulse of Northeast Ohio's political landscape. Shame on you.
As Peter Pattakos mentioned above, if Mr. Arshinkoff takes issue with this particular site, by all means - allow him to control his own destiny by posting his responses in a proactive manner instead of childishly (and foolishly) using baseless methods of coercion in an attempt to advance his own interests.
You have got to be kidding me!! Just when I thought that the Beacon had finally turned the corner and was opening its eyes to allow all sides of the political front to be heard, you go and do an about face after 24 hours. Unbelievable! What message are you sending here? You have put in print that you knew upfront,Ben was running for a seat on the Republican Party's central committee. You hire him after his honest and full discloseure, then one phone call from Arshinkoff, and you fold. You talk about wanting transparency with the "bloggers". While your actions here are certainly transparent! It appears to the community as though you are fearful of Arshinkoff….you even put that in print as well. If only Alex had as much power with the his own party. Please, this is ridiculous. You are to be a paper for "the people"…..not one person. Nancy Diller-Shively
"We believe that discourse is imperative for an informed electorate. Freedom of speech and the exchange of ideas are an integral part of our democracy."
ABJ - you said it yourselves. You shouldn't censor your own beliefs. Ben's discussion of his views lead to the free flow of ideas, and educated discussion about an issue that is very real for Republicans in Summit County.
Mr. Arshinkoff is an adult and should act the part. If he can't take a little criticism, he probably shouldnt be in politics anyway.
Get back to what you believe and get on with the blogging…
ABJ, I only have one request:
Don't blame your cowardice on Ben's honest effort at full disclosure.
Let me get this straight, you say:
"We also asked that they take care not to use our site to further their personal political interests."
As far as I can gather from your "About This Site" blurb, you hired these guys specifically because their involvement in local politics made them perfect candidates to 'represent their respective parties' and 'to open up a new corridor in opinions, perspectives and conversations' with their 'insight, analysis and commentary' on local and state politics.
And you expected them to do this without discussing their "personal political interests?"
[Head spins 180 degrees]
Squelching this blog at the first hint of establishment blow-back would be a terribly embarrassing black eye for the ABJ. I cannot think of a better way of alienating bloggers and ensuring that the ABJ misses the new media bus.
We've become so desperate to bend over backwards on what's "fair" that we've forgotten the central issue in politics is the exchange of ideas — and to let the chips fall where they may.
The Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com went through this exercise recently when it took down it's political blog exchange when it was revealed one of the bloggers supported candidates with their wallet; now the Beacon Journal and Ohio.com are in the middle of it.
The ABJ's efforts should be commended; building a website to encourage political debate is a good thing. Providing commentary from a variety of backgrounds and viewpoints is exactly the point, and those who opine shouldn't be disqualified from doing so because they take their politics personally, even to the point of working as candidates.
If Ben Keeler feels strongly enough to take not only an editorial stand on the web but also to put his time, money and effort into that passion — and is honest and transparent to his readers — isn't that the greater good of the political debate?
There's a big irony here in that Keeler and the Ohio.com blog are placed on hiatus because Alex complained to the editors behind the scene while the blogger in question was open about his stand.
The political debate in Akron isn't helped by shutting down the conversation between opposing parties. The editors at the Beacon Journal should realize the chairman of the county party, his supporters and his opponents should (and can) speak up for themselves, just as Keeler does.
Consider this political free speech math: you can't add to the debate by subtracting voices.
Then go for RADIO - Beacon Journal reporters could get on the air, are professionally trained to interview folks, talking to the neighborhoods who may not have a newspaper subscription
but who listen to the radio while driving cars, or at home willing to call in
Have a real talk show for new CANDIDATES; locals running for office, and have this radio talk/call in for the CANDIDATES to run ALL AROUND the STATE OF OHIO! Why not? The Beacon Journal be in charge or have some mgmt. company take the reigns on getting funding, I myself have an FRN Number: 0017341991, from the FCC, bid on air-space and get going! We need to hear new voices and TV is so expensive I think it would be very worthwhile, to get candidates solving problems on-air, telling the neighborhoods what they would do if given a chance — solving problems HAS GOT TO BEGIN — not just with the FAMILIES of NOMINATEES or POLITICIANS so we can have NEW BLOOD here in OHIO — all through Ohio would help get progressive candidates INVOLVED, due to talk-radio already being dominated by CONVSERVATIVE TALK SHOW HOSTS –
Bloggers, like talk radio hosts, have opinions about candidates and political leaders. Rush Limbaugh has the largest audience in radio. He dislikes John McCain (or at least his politics) and makes no bones about it on his show. If John McCain or his people called the EIB and whined, Rush and Co. would tell them to go pound salt.
Arshinkoff bullies everyone. That's what he is… nothing but a big bully. I can't believe the ABJ would back down from him of all people.
Unless you work directly for him, I can't for the life of me figure out what makes people shimmy and shake when he yells anymore. He doesn't have any juice anymore. He is more of a liability to anyone than an asset. There are more anti-Arhinkoff elected Republicans in Summit County than their are those who remain in his grasps…. and it's only a matter of time until they are either anti-Alex or no longer an elected Republican.
If Ben is a good Republican blogger…. and he is, then cut these guys loose. It's an exciting political year. Please do not take away this forum to get into the meat and bones of local politics because Ben just so happens to prefer Coughlin over Arshinkoff.
Good luck finding a conservative Republican blogger with any talent who would say a good thing about Arshinkoff.
I cannot believe that you would let this little boy "Schoolyard Bully" shove you around. This so called man as far as I am concerned will be toast in a little over a month and he is very despirate, and I am not kidding. With his right hand man showing all kinds of bias at the BOE having his own ballot circulated there (I know for a fact) letting an employee still work there while the Ohio equal rights commission demands answers, throwing people off the ballot while his own people have violated the same criteria, Threats that there WILL BE A TOTAL CLEANING OF THE HOUSE AT THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS OF NON ALEX LOYALISTS and you let this little thug tell you what to do? You are better than this and I know it.
What a joke? Ben did the right thing fully disclosing his intentions and Big bad Alex has to object over the phone, it sounds of despiration to me. It will be sad to see Alex go though, as a dem we could always county on beating him.
Thanks for sharing
G*d bless the Akron Beacon Journal for doing the right thing here.
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