Posted on 02/14/2006 1:19:42 PM PST by hipaatwo
We got the quail-hunting accident story the way dedicated journalists have tracked down news for years - through strong, consistent old-fashioned reporting.
February 14, 2006
pictureThe next time someone argues that newspaper journalists are dinosaurs headed for extinction, I'll remind them of Vice President Dick Cheney's shooting accident on the Armstrong Ranch.
Radio stations and cable news channels didn't break that news; neither did local television news stations. You didn't see it first on national news Web sites or blogs or on the Sunday morning political talk shows.
Our own Caller-Times reporters were first with the story that Cheney had accidentally shot Austin attorney Harry Whittington during a quail hunt in Kenedy County.
We broke the national story at 1:48 p.m. Sunday with an e-mail alert and a story on our Web site Caller.com, 48 minutes before the Associated Press moved anything on the story and a full hour before CNN issued an e-mail alert.
We got the story the way dedicated journalists have tracked down news for years - through strong, consistent building of sources and good, old-fashioned reporting.
As on most weekends, we operated with a skeleton crew this past Sunday, with most staffers scheduled for work in the afternoon.
Because of the Armstrong family's long-standing professional relationship with reporter Jaime Powell, Katharine Armstrong called Powell around 8 a.m. Sunday and left voice mail messages to return the call. Powell, who was in Austin, did not immediately receive the messages.
(Excerpt) Read more at caller.com ...
Username no@fo.com
Password 12345
FYI
Uh..I thought they got the scoop 'cause they were the ones who were called.
We practiced journalism the old fashioned way -- We sat at our desks by the phone doing nothing until someone called us out of the blue and told us about a story.
Congratulations. Really. I mean it. You did your job.
You were the first to report a story that no one cares about with the exception of the old media who are pissed that Cheney didn't run to them, fall down, bow a few times and then fill them in on every detail while weeping.
Again, congratulations. Although, being first doesn't reeeeeeaaaallllly mean that much. I mean, if I read it on Drudge 2 hours after you had it, I say "big whoop". But, go ahead, pat yourself on the back. I know such occasions are rare these days.
Hmmmm ... now wouldn't that also be concidered FIRST THING IN THE MORNING????
The crybabys in the WH breifing were whining that the story didn't come to them gift wrapped.
This stuff writes itself sometimes.
" Maybe it's the pride in my staff talking, but I believe the White House press corps is whining just a bit because this news came first through a local daily newspaper's Web site and not following a mass press briefing thousands of miles away from the accident. "
And what was David Gregory doing during this time????
So the MSM is in a durgeon because they were scooped by a local reporter.
They answered the friggin' telephone, as I understand the situation.
Little local paper BEAT THE NATIONAL PRESS to a story!!!
BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
This might mean the NEXT TIME Dick Cheney goes on a hunting trip in the middle of nowhere, the crybaby fly-over country hating national press is going to have to go along for the ride!!!! They'll be bored to tears just like they are every summer in Crawford!!!!
BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
In view of Mr. Gregory's behavior today, does anyone have a link on how to get in touch with his boss at NBC???? There are a few things that I'd like to get off my chest.
The WH reporters are turning off even people who dislike Cheney. I talked to one today. He says they're making a mountain out of a molehill. Maybe Cheney is staying quiet because he knows the real condition of Mr. Worthington and is watching the media slowly croak and become more irellevant.
Gee, ya think the White House press corps is a little self-important and smug? Well, only if you want to believe the facts.
Oops, I stand corrected. A machine answered the phone. They checked their friggin' answering machine.
They answered the friggin' telephone, as I understand the situation.
Exactly!! I thought this story was Scrappleface!
They answered the phone because they were called because they were TRUSTED to get the story right and not SPIN it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.