The Pam Cook/KTVU Memo Gets Picked up By The Desk; A Quick State of 415 Media; Personal Reflection; Wednesday Wash Open; UPDATE

Matthew Keys from The Desk wrote a piece about the Pam Cook/KTVU memo that I highlighted.

You should read it.

The past few days have been sort of rough and sort of enlightening too. I'm happy, for the most part, that Keys took the time and wrote a nice and very accurate story that includes me and my site, 415 Media. It is well-written and factual and illustrates the mighty and powerful up against lesser foes. The good guys versus the bad guys. That may be stretching the point but I think you get my drift.

I don't have any axe to grind with Pam Cook in particular and KTVU in general. I find fault in some of their reporting and activity and I will call them out in response just as I will call anyone out. It's a facet of my blog that I'm mostly proud of. Because between the commentary and opinion; OK, occasionally making fun of people too; men and women journalists in our Bay Area media; there is a point and purpose here. You may or may have not noticed and I should keep you aware of what I deem important and in truth, the main reason I write this blog and ask for your support.

So much of what we consume as media purveyors is out and out decrepit and abysmal and we need to hold those responsible accountable. They have a very vast network to operate their electronic machinery; much of it they take for granted and seem to think the average viewer and listener is sheep and lemmings. I may be over-generalizing but it's true.  Some old-school journalists (and new-school too) do a good job and offer outstanding reportage and I'm there to applaud them but the vast majority, unfortunately, offer mediocre-at-best content and I will call them out too. As long as you allow me.

Which gets me back to Pam Cook and KTVU. Some of you surmised that Cook's memo, (which I obtained and published) was "great publicity" and "you couldn't have been more vindicated" by its subject matter.

Funny, because I didn't take it that way. Pam Cook has the right to rip me and insinuate that I'm deplorable, etc. And KTVU, bullies they are, has a right to go after me if they think I'm a threat to their brand, whatever that is today. At one time, it was gold standard news delivery, today, I don't know anymore, there's a lot of questions.

I don't claim to be one-hundred percent spotless; never have. This is a blog. I know its place and acknowledge its highlights and lowlights. There is no attempt here to either glorify or deify my existence on the web. It is what is is if I can borrow a cliché. Most of you who come here want and expect the content that you get and have been very supportive. Cool. That's why I'm here.

So as long as you continue to support me and this blog I will hopefully continue to have the will; both personally and professionally and with financial resources that you have supported my work, will be here, still, and read 415 Media. Even under the most difficult and arduous of circumstances.

Because in the end that's what this is all about. It's really that simple.

*NOW more than ever, I need your contributions and donations to fight back the tyrants doing anything in their power to take this site down and compromise its existence as a watchdog for Bay Area media consumers.

PLEASE, DONATE to 415 MEDIA now. 

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Pam Cook Sends Out Memo to KTVU Staff on Me and I Respond

Pam Cook

PAM COOK, who knew KTVU had an official state spokesperson of what is deemed taste and what is not.

Madame Cook sent this memo out to staff  {Monday) morning.

Let's have you all see it and address things after...

Dear Colleagues,

I do not know who is feeding information to Rich Lieberman, but I do know that you are giving private, personal, and company information to someone who conducts himself in a deplorable manner.

He continually degrades women, asking his followers to rate female journalists in terms of their looks, and sexuality.

He tries to dig up dirt on all of us, and ‘reports’ his findings without concern about true facts, or care for how the information may affect someone’s personal or professional life.

It is cyber bullying.

Out of respect for our coworkers, and our profession, as journalists, we need to put an end to this.

I do not know, and cannot begin to understand, your reasons for giving information to someone who’s sole purpose is to exploit us, and undermine the professional work we do, every day.

It is important to bring up mistakes and problems in our workplace, but in a professional, productive manner.

I was raised to bring up problems.

But not to be part of the problem; be part of the solution.

Thank you,

Pam Cook

*Oh, Pam, the queen of etiquette...I Respond:

Pam, it wasn't me that screwed up placing Fake Chinese pilot's names on the air or not checking and re-checking their authenticity. YOU guys did it. You're a BIG, bad, TV station and you DEGRADED an entire Asian community, I DID NOT.

Pam, It's YOU GUYS that chose to publish one of literally THOUSANDS of pictures of Ms. Nia Wilson but you chose THAT ONE? Who is THAT AFFECTING now? Maybe the family of Ms. Wilson? Is that digging up dirt or does it just pertain to certain individuals and TV stations but the rest is fair game?

Pam, how am I "exploiting" you? You had no problem with this piece, how ironic.

By calling you guys out and attempting to place you accountable for your actions? Maybe having the audacity to respond, and to comment on some of your various cast of characters who are, in their own right, acting foolish on social media and displaying questionable judgement?  Did that cross your radar, Pam, or did you not get the memo? That's deplorable, Pam, if you ask me.

By commenting and questioning the activity of placing over 50 cameras in and around the KTVU building, was I being a "cyber bully" for being critical and questioning a practice I consider and believe to be concerns for employee privacy at KTVU?

Pam, you say you were "raised to bring up problems not 'be a part of problems--be a part of the solution'", eh?

Well, Pam, I'd suggest you, FIRST, take a look at your own house and observe your problems before you start looking at some bloggers' "problems."

And do a little practice what you preaching, Pam, because there's a whole lot more.

But thanks Pam, for the wonderful publicity and thanks for trusting me.

Loren 'Angry Diva' Gets The Axe; NBC Bay Area Source: 'She Was 'Very Difficult' To Work For'; Inside Story; KGO-TV Memo Draws Chuckles From Staff; TGIF Starter

 Make no mistake, Christina Loren was one of NBC Bay Area 's most popular on-air personalities--and she surely knew it. But at the end of the May sweeps on Thursday, Loren was reminded that even a big-time air talent is not immune to getting the axe --and that's what Loren got most unexpectedly: her walking papers.


Loren, from a variety of insiders wasn't given a pink slip due to normal budgetary trimming--in fact, NBC paid her to leave! From multiple sources close to the matter, seems Loren was "difficult to work with."


A KNTV production staffer who spoke on condition of anonymity: "She was nice but she could be very difficult at times --it got to a point where she became an 'angry diva.'"


Another station source: "I like Christine a lot but you have to treat the people you work for with respect. She could be tough."


Loren indeed was very popular in the morning doing weather reports; she also did a ton of PR appearances for the station. This isn't going to break KNTV obviously but I'm pretty certain the decision to bounce the ultra-popular Loren probably was a combo-San Jose/NY move.


We'll be digging more. Stay tuned.


*Over at 900 Front, KGO-TV the talk amongst staffers was a memo distributed to staff from management: "Move around the camera more!" Among other things. Let's just say the initial chuckling has been off the chart.


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