The Unmitigated Bullshit of SF Chronicle EIC, Audrey Cooper

SF Chronicle EIC, Audrey Cooper

In Today's SF Chronicle, EIC, Audrey Cooper, spouts some of the most hilarious bullshit this side of the Onion which is a shame because the subject matter is rather serious. Like freedom of the press; protection of sources; reporting the truth; even reporting that includes lurid details and politically inconvenient facts surrounding sympathetic figures; the case of video journalist, Bryan Carmody and the death of former Public Defender, Jeff Adachi.

Scandalous stuff.

In her article, Cooper seems to defend Carmody, begrudgingly, because he is a stringer; a news freelancer if you will. Never mind it was Carmody who obtained the police report on Adachi's death; the same report Cooper's paper had obtained and didn't bother to do any follow-up coverage which is curious because in the report we know there are several controversial and mysterious facts in it.

That it took a video blogger (something Cooper thinks is akin to crooked used car dealers in the south) to search for the truth speaks volumes about Cooper, her paper's lack of real reporting, and the idea of a region as big as the Bay Area and San Francisco lack of real, honest-to-goodness newspaper reporting.

For days, this blogger, (not a real journalist, according to Cooper) railed on and on about why such little coverage on Adachi's death? I even called Phil Matier, the Chron and KCBS "insider" why he hadn't written any more details about Adachi and the night he passed. Matier laughed.  And this, mind you, was before the Carmoody incident in which SF cops broke into his house and office. Maybe they wanted to know who leaked the report to Carmoody; maybe they were concerned about details in the report; details the Chronicle chose not to publish; why? Have you ever heard of the word, "soft?" Look it up.

Cooper is downright divine today (Wednesday) but for all the wrong reasons. Figure it out. She's hellbent on applauding the Chronicle's decision to keep quiet but at the same time defending Mr. Carmody. Fine, we agree. To a point.

Yet Cooper's piece is unintentionally hilarious because she seems to inadvertently say in so many words--"look, trust us more than this blogger guy because he's not really a valid newsman; be more skeptical of this guy; he doesn't have many sources; we at the Chronicle have the most sources in the Bay Area."

 I'm not quoting Cooper but I'm paraphrasing what she's saying, OK, maybe interpreting. You get my drift. I call it unmitigated bullshit. I have several other adjectives but I don't want to take away the emphasis of my point.


He is at the center of an American journalism story that has opened the forum for debate. He brought a new respect for bloggers. I applaud that notion even if Cooper and her serious cadre of journalists don't. Sure, maybe there was no story. I tend to doubt that because it's hard to imagine why some uniformed guys in blue used a sledgehammer to break into Carmody's house. They had to have a reason.

Seems sort of curious to me. But not the SF Chronicle and Madame Cooper. Maybe she should hire Carmody. But then again, he's not a real journalist.

Bizarre.

SF Chronicle Suspends Warriors' Beat Writer Over Apparent Copy-And-Paste 'Article'; Chron EIC: 'We Take This Matter Very Seriously'; KNBR Ignores Story

 There's some trouble at the Sports Department at the SF Chronicle.

Warriors' beat reporter, Rusty Simmons, has been suspended for apparently blogging a news story which was copy-and-pasted.

From CJR:

"Rusty Simmons wrote the piece after the Warriors issued a press release announcing their purchase of land from the tech company Salesforce in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood, where the team plans to build a new arena. The piece was posted to SFGate, the Chronicle’s website, on Monday morning, and stayed there until 5:45pm, when it was replaced by a much shorter version of the story. The new story had no byline and an editor’s note that read: “A previous version of this story was a lightly edited press release issued by the Golden State Warriors. The story is now written by a Chronicle staffer.”

Attempts to get reaction from Chronicle editor-in-chief, Audrey Cooper, were unsuccessful but Deadspin  managed to dig further and uncover some more disturbing elements to the story.

As expected the morning knuckleheads on KNBR didn't say a word about the Simmons suspension--I'm not surprised, as Simmons is a regular guest on the Bleeder--{also appearing on the Radnich-Krueger show}; this seems more on Chronicle management than on Simmons, who has covered the team since 2009.

Simmons told Deadspin that he can't talk now because of his suspension but said he'd talk afterward. My best guess is that someone is going to get the boom here --probably not Simmons--because as shaky as the Chron is, their new EIC is not very happy.

Bummer.




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Star Political Reporter, Carla Marinucci Leaving Chronicle To Join Politico

 Carla Marinucci, the star political reporter, is leaving the Chronicle and is headed to Politico.

Marinucci will write the "California Playbook" --essentially what she's been writing for the Chron, but now, the political media Internet heavyweight, Politico.

Marinucci leaves a void at the SF daily. Her state political reporting has been a mainstay in the Bay Area for over two decades.

This is the second big byline departure for the Chron--crime reporter, Henry Lee, recently left to become same for KTVU.

Former Chronicle/KGO-TV Reporter/Anchor Cecilia Vega Hits Bigtime; Named Weekend Co-Anchor of World News Tonight

 I'm a big fan of Cecilia Vega--you may remember she was a reporter for the SF Chronicle--then marched out of newspapers direct to KGO-TV before becoming a legitimate newswoman superstar and got a gig at ABC News in LA.

Now, she's really hit the career jackpot.

Vega and Tom Llamas are the new weekend anchors for ABC's "World News Tonight" broadcasts.

ABC made the announcement today. (Monday) They've been doing fill-in duty on the broadcasts since the previous weekend anchor, David Muir, took over on weekdays last September.

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An Open Letter To Audrey Cooper, The New EIC Of The SF Chronicle

 Dear Audrey Cooper:

You're the new Editor-in-Chief of the SF Chronicle and you've been all over the place talking about a missive to make the Chron, its website, SFGate and all other platforms more entertaining, more compelling, more profitable. Makes sense, but there's more serious issues here.

I have a plan that should be at the top of your to-do list.

FIX!, immediately, the Gate. I mean, seriously, it is a royal pain in the tuchas to navigate.

And that's the easy part.

Look, I love getting Bay Area news, Ms. Cooper but I can't access the new site. It's like pulling hairs. I've had an easier time getting through Russian crossword puzzles with 12-letter words with no vowels. A Rubik's cube is easier to navigate --why the heck is SF Gate so damn horrid? In the old days, you clicked on links and you were able to read the story--now that chore is tantamount to climbing Mt. Tam with flip flops. Every time I try to go there, my computer freezes. It's relentless. I gave up. I can't subject myself to the torture and that really sucks because, Ms. Cooper, I really like the Chronicle. Hell, I even buy the print edition! That's loyalty.

So, please, give me and others the news and information we seek. Right now, you have an immense clusterphuck on your plate and you need to take care of business. Like now. Yesterday. I'm not alone. A lot of your partners are just as frustrated as I am. Now please, go do your thing.

Thanks in advance.

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Rich Lieberman

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New SF Gate is still a Massive Pain in the Ass To Navigate

Massive tech glitches still plague the Chronicle's new-look website, SFGate.com, which continues to mystify the Hearst, (corporate owner), big suits who've invested millions in the re-brand and are reportedly steamed over its persistent problems.

To wit:

Visiting the site can be a harrowing experience; once there, some operating systems, (like mine), immediately freeze. On some computers, it takes over five minutes for SF Gate to load and be workable. What was once an easy, albeit archaic method to sign on now is fraught with tech issues like the simple act of navigating stories. That process has now become an adventure and requires loads of patience. The Bay Area Gate consumers seem pretty irritated too.

This is embarrassing for Hearst which is trying desperately to make The Gate profitable and a means to go after the all-encompassing digital advertising. This humongous technical cluster blank is certainly not helping matters.

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Ann Killion of the SF Chronicle Steps In It

 Ann Killion is a sports columnist for the Chronicle-- who stepped into it heavily on Saturday.

Killion curiously tries to be cute here on Twitter. (Since deleted). The "rapist" she refers to is Florida State QB, Jameis Winston. Later, Killion tweeted out, "alleged rapist."


Killion will be given a pass by her sheep Bay Area brethren sporting media but Twitter world may not be so forgiving.


Meanwhile, the Chron is getting lots of pub.


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KCBS Suits Not Entirely Thrilled That Willie Brown Did KGO Ronn Owens Show; Sussman In Line For Pay Cut; Happy KTVU; Roye And Tolbert Winning Radio Combo On Warriors PBP; Hot KGO Traffic Chick Only Dates 'Christian' Guys; Friday Notes; I'm Back

 WILLIE BROWN is regularly heard on KCBS every Friday morning during the AM news with Phil Matier of the Chronicle and KPIX.

It's about three minutes of political shop talk and SF/Sacramento/Washington nuggets.

Recently, Willie had a good one involving Hillary Clinton.

Cut to last Monday during the Ronn Owens show on KGO: Your guest, Willie Brown talking.

My CBS insiders said a few high suits had a hissy fit when they learned Brown did the Owens show although it's well known in SF media circles that Brown and Owens have been friends for over 30 years and in fact, Brown used to be Ronn's attorney.

Nonetheless, execs at 855 Battery were ticked off; the Chronicle could care less--they continue to bleed red ink. Another indication of budget mindedness? The Chron didn't send its own Cal beat writer down to cover the Bears-USC game in LA. Embarrassing. In the print edition, an AP-bylined story was used. Like I said, embarrassing.

FRIDAY ROUND-UP

*Brian Sussman and his dorky KSFO morning zoo bizarro is in for a surprise at the end of the year; "Suss" can expect a 50% pay cut which, given Cumulus' flat business situation, isn't surprising. He won't be the only one.

*Here's proof positive that the alleged FM sports station in town has a Program Director that doesn't know what the hell he's doing. Nice concept: Offend Hispanic community with show that nobody will listen to anyway, kind of like "The Game." He must have pictures.

*Take this with a grain of salt but from a good KTVU source, the natives are relatively happy since the Fox takeover. It's early of course.

*Best NBA play-by-play radio team hands down: Our illustrious Warriors tandem of Tim Roye and Tom Tolbert. Hard to believe they've only been together barley a year. Chemistry? Check. Knowledge? Check. Sense of humor? Check. Tolbert gets a little too giddy every now and then but he and Roye make the broadcast a pleasure to listen to. That would be good.

*A big thanks to all of you that contributed to this website --overwhelmed. By the way, it takes a helluva lot of time and energy to keep this running 24/7. Being that I'm the one-man show that writes, sells ads, makes sure the crappy tech elements are in place, yeah, it's nice to keep it going. Huzzah to all.

*That extremely hot and gorgeous traffic lady on KGO Radio in the afternoon, (she's also at KRON) is single. But she only dates very religious Christian guys--yeah, must be tens of thousands here. Good luck.

*Overused words/slogans that are a pain in the ass: haters, selfies, just sayin', I'll take my answer on the air, And, oh, by the way?.

*If you, like me, like something, enjoy reading someone like a columnist or writer, just because it's on the Internet, it's not against the law to pay to read that person's work. We've managed to create a new generation that thinks and believes that everything is FREE. Wonderful society.

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SFGate Again Unveils New Appearance Which Looks Crappy And Is A Pain In The Ass To Navigate; Thursday First Take

 Once again...and again...and again...SFGate has rolled out their new on-line website and once again, and again, navigating it and its assorted pages is tantamount to a hike up Mount Tam in your skivvies --who the hell is in charge over there? Are any of the Hearst executives aware the new format looks like shit and takes forever to finally get to your desired destination?

I give up.

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SF Chronicle Introduces a New, Sharper-Looking SF Gate Website

 The Chronicle rolled out a new, cleaner, sharper SFGate-- its web portal, and it looks pretty good from this observer.

The new look, which debuted early Saturday morning has new graphics, a bolder type face and a considerably better-looking, more modernized layout with a lot more color too.

SF Gate was due for an overhaul and it appears, early on, the Hearst people, (who own the Chronicle), got it right.

The Gate is among the top-10 most-visited newspaper web sites in the country--the real question, and this is the 64 million dollar question among most on-line and off-line newspapers--can SF Gate eventually turn a profit?

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Chronicle Runs Story on Prostitution Web Site Shutdown; Reporter Byline is Vivian Ho

 Herb Caen would have had a field day with this.


The SF Chronicle posted a lengthy, thousand-word or so piece Monday on a website closure affecting lots of prostitute's purses.


It was penned by reporter, Vivian Ho. (Insert joke.)


No disrespect to Ms. Ho, a fine reporter, but clearly, there's a bit of Onionesque in this story.


I know, I'm such a Dick!










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Michael Bauer Really, Really Can't Stand the Balboa Cafe

 And here I thought he always loved neighborhood joints.


Except for this.


Ouch.


















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Chronicle Fires Longtime Sportswriter, John Crumpacker; Financial Issues at Fifth and Mission

 The Chronicle is having many issues we're told, once again, with some longtime staffers, mainly reporters, feeling the effects of continued financial problems facing the Hearst-owned SF daily.


To say there's a lot of angst in the newsroom would be an understatement.


One significant transaction has a whole lot of rank and file both fuming and worrying en masse.


John Crumpacker, a sports reporter who covered Cal football and basketball was fired last week, that's fired, like with cause, only a source close to Crumpacker, who'd been at the paper for 37 years, told me the real reason he was 86ed with cause was because by doing so the Chronicle wouldn't have to pay him a normal severance package, you know, like money?


The Crumpacker imbroglio has been met with reverberations around the entire newsroom; the feeling being, if they do that to him what might they do with me?


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The Future of the San Francisco Chronicle; Up in the Air? Friday Opener

 I was talking to a columnist in town not so long ago and he predicted, matter of fact, that the Bay Area would become a one-newspaper town. He didn't say what paper but from all indications it would not be the SF Chronicle. (He didn't work for the Chron).


Which got me to thinking: What about the future of the paper? Without the vast financial pockets of the Hearst Corporation, (which owns the paper), would the Chronicle even be around now? Probably not and this isn't a sudden phenomenon in the newspaper business. Most newspapers are dying and the only ones that are surviving are behemoths like the Wall Street Journal and only marginally, the NY Times. And both of those survive mostly from their pay wall web sites, which are one of the few that are profitable.


The Chronicle and more specifically, SF Gate. com (its website), has tried the pay wall route in various forms but it never worked. The Gate is immensely popular, (even with the largely soft news and  image-friendly real estate porn), but according to most industry people, has never turned a profit. Matter of fact I heard the Chronicle loses several millions of dollars a year.


As a consumer of news myself I buy the paper. I still like the feel of actual newsprint but I also read SF Gate too. I couldn't imagine San Francisco without the Chronicle but then again if it continues to lose the millions it reportedly does, how can Hearst keep it going? There has to come a point.


Do you all still read newspapers or is it Internet only? Or like me, both. I'm interested in your response.


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Sports Radio Big Business; Bruce; Lowell Cohn; Susan Slusser; Owens Producer Out; KRON's Dumb Decision to Leave Fire; Friday Media Starter

 The transaction involving Damon Bruce's switch from KNBR to The Game and the firing of "The Rise Guys" misses the larger issue. Sports-talk radio, however inane and superfluous and largely superficial is big business even in the less-than passionate Bay Area. Of course the Giants and the 49ers and to a lesser degree, the Raiders and A's too have a very loyal fan base even when their teams aren't winning. And of course when they win that passion is even more pronounced and you can measure that enthusiasm by listening to the local talk shows.


*By the way, I agree with Lowell Cohn on the Bruce signing by The Game, (95. 7 FM). Bruce is a desperation move at best. He will be competing against Tom Tolbert, a guy I don't always care for but overall is knowledgeable and provides much-needed laughter and levity to the radio sports dial even if there's 5000 commercial spots to trudge through.


In addition, Tolbert has 50,000 watts, an immensely more favorable dial position and oh yes, the 49ers, Giants, and Warriors to work with. The Game has a crappy signal, a figurehead PD, (maybe the worst ever in Bay Area history), who has the gig in name only and a company that might be switching formats if the sports model doesn't begin getting more than a 1 rating.


Yes, Entercom desperately wants and appreciates being in the Bay Area, as they should. And yes, although the overall "beauty contest" ratings don't ring the cash register, they do give an honest gauge of who's moving the needle and The Game hasn't moved the needle in three-plus years.


* I asked Chronicle A's beat writer, Susan Slusser, about having to, probably, eventually talk with Bruce, whose bizarre anti-women rant made national headlines.  Slusser appears on The Game: "I have a contract and intend to honor it." She also mentioned how Bruce always complained about her not being able to be on his show. "Sports isn't always female friendly and that's nothing new."


*Ronn Owens's latest producer, on the job for only a few months, was reassigned to another position in the KGO zoo. Draw your own conclusion.


*Funny, check this out: you'd think with the 8 million ads they run on the Cumulus stations here that they'd be swimming in Account Execs--only they keep advertising, endlessly, for salespeople. Again, draw your own conclusion.


*KRON's bread and butter is news, even in its infomercial-central, marginalized world, therefore splitting from the China Basin fire, for thirty minutes in favor of a nauseous "ET", was a piss-poor move.


*Barely two weeks away from the magical Amy G: Larry Baer's gift to the world.


*Kate Scott: Well, she's not Amy G.


*On most noon local TV news they don't do sports yet weather is ALWAYS featured. What does that tell you about what the consultants think of you? Better yet, yes, noon news is TV News Siberia, unless of course you're KTVU and oh .....


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