Listener Comments to NCPR

Anonymous - No, not misleading and inaccurate, part of a complicated picture.

There are all kinds of interesting pieces to this puzzle.

Another one? Property values skyrocketed in the Park over the last decade, a capitalization of this rural area worth (by some estimates) billions of dollars.

The influx of second homeowners and retirees may be a bad thing on some levels (aging population) but it doesn't have to be (see South Florida).

Was the economic decline of the North Country the product of the APA's creation?

Did the mines in Moriah, Lyon Mountain and Tahawus close because of the APA? The facts don't seem to support that.

Did the APA reshape the logging industry so that it cuts the same number of trees with far fewer workers?

Does the Agency make it easier for folks inside the Park to drive to retail stores outside the blue line (Plattsburgh, Glens Falls, etc.), making it harder to sustain a retail economy in our small towns?

I'm not suggesting that the Park Agency and its zoning regulations don't have an economic impact. I'm certain that they do.

But as I've urged here before, I'd like to see more data on this, more comparisons.

Again, obviously we have some very troubling things happening to our economy in the Park.

But some of those things don't look materially different to me than the economically troubling things happening in Malone or Rouses Point or Whitehall.

--Brian, NCPR

In suggesting that "objectivity" may be beyond us in this post modern world, Jon says "Like everyone on here before me, objectivity is the ideal, but making it a reality may be impossible by definition. All we can hope for are many different angles and approaches."

It's true that many journalists don't use the word "objective" anymore, acknowledging our post modern world. But most journalists have not given up the hope of reporting without subjective influences. And contemporary codes of journalistic ethics -- even while avoiding the old-fashioned word -- do their best to set out the markers that define our best efforts. Here are a couple I'm most familiar with, and that NCPR hews to:

http://www.prndi.org/ethics.html
(from Public Radio news Directors, Inc. It's short and sweet -- more of a statement of ethics.)

And:
http://www.cpb.org/stations/reports/cpb_pubradio_ethicsGuideII.pdf

(from NPR, PRNDI, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Not so short.)

And sorry that I couldn't figure out how to put a hot link in the comment box.

Brian:

Once again you're selected use of numbers is misleading and inaccurate. You are actually comparing Adirondack counties to the Bronx? Okay....

Let's see what happens when someone looks at all the facts instead of carefully manipulated references. From 2000 to 2006 population is down in 9 out of the 12 counties that comprise the park. Saratoga County alone accounts for 71% of the population growth. The 70 municipalities wholly within the park experienced a population increase of 21% between 1950 and 2006. The 9 villages in the park, the region's densest areas and the closest to an urban landscape, have experienced a decline of 8,927 residents during the same period! A decline of 27%! While Bronx County, clearly an urban county (I'll compare to it but I think it is silly) has had a decline of 6% during the same period (1950 to 2006). Again supporting my initial premise, New York State is bad. The park is worse.

In terms to your reference that the park population is steady. Once again, lets delve in further shall we? To do so lets look further into the make-up of this steady population in terms of its age. The median age has accelerated by 9 years from 1980 to 2000 and now is in excess of 41 years. In 1980, the 0-17 age segment of the population was at 27,608 by 2000 that number dropped to 19,328 a decline of 8,280 persons or 30%. This directly correlates to young adults or the parents of young children they have left as well. The damaging aspect of these figures is that these are the most productive members of the population and the children are the productive generation of tomorrow and both these age groups have left and are leaving. While at the same time the population of 65 and over has grown from 13,287 in 1980 to 19,328 in 2000 an increase of 6,041 or 45%. The vast majority of this segment of the population are retired and are receiving benefits through social security, medicaid, and medicare. They are, for the most part, not working, not earning a wage and basically demanding more in services than they are putting in. That is fine, they earned it and are entitled. But ideally this expense is to be offset by wage earners among the younger ages in order to cover the expense and supply services. They are simply leaving and are doing so in a big way. So the population may look steady and therefore healthy but a closer look reveals the accurate picture and this picture is not at all healthy. The socio-economic characteristics are falling into dangerous levels of inequity. Once again the levels are bad statewide, they are worse in the park. And in consideration of the APRAP data there is a definite acceleration in the demographic patterns from 1970 forward. And what year did the Park Act become law? Interesting, huh?

This question the ultimate problem of the post modern. Gone are the old days when we actually believed that we as a species could somehow fully comprehend the universe through the lens of religion or its close cousin, science.
Is anyone objective? I doubt it.
Like everyone on here before me, objectivity is the ideal, but making it a reality may be impossible by definition.
All we can hope for are many different angles and approaches.
As for me, I enjoy watching Fox News and then going to Al Jazeera online. They will cover the same event, but its almost hard to tell if they were at the same meeting.
I will say, NCPR does better than most in staying down the middle on any given topic.

Paul -

You're right that our coverage of the Lows Lake lawsuit has been very thin (we used some AP copy).

That story came at a time when we were working on other things.

Sometimes our very small staff shapes coverage more than we like to admit.

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your POV) the lawsuit will continue and this is a semi-perennial issue.

So we'll have a chance to wade back in and do some interesting coverage before the dust settles.

--Brian, NCPR

I agree with PG, I also think that the reverse is true. That there are many stories from other media outlets that you will not hear on NPR or NCPR. Compare any two media outlets WebPages and that is clear. I think that is a good thing also. But here is a local example that I thought was strange. NCPR has been quite good in trying to cover Adirondack issues, the "Lows Lake" story was one good example. After the decision not to classify a portion of the lake as Wilderness there was an outcry from environmental groups. As we now know this led to a lawsuit being filed against the DEC and the APA. In what was clearly an effort to fend off the suit the DEC commissioner sent a letter to president of the Adirondack Mt. Club. In the letter he explained that despite the decision made by the APA and signed by the governor the DEC was going to ?manage the lake as a Wilderness?. You can look at the letter for all the details. The facts were simple. A big controversial story was over. The culmination (a that point) was the APA decision. The DEC commissioner had just sent a letter to an environmental group telling them that despite the decision of the APA his agency would manage the land, not according to that decision, but according to the way that the environmental group was hoping things had turned out. Now this story to others and me seemed like huge deal. It seemed like a big enough deal for two groups to sue the DEC and the APA so I don?t think I am crazy thinking this is a big story (their interest was different than mine). NCPR (as best I could tell) chose not to cover this part of the story for some reason. Does that show bias? Again, I am not sure. They covered the rest of the story all along why not these simple facts. If you covered the facts regarding this story I apologize in advance. I couldn?t find anything. In fact if you did cover this feel free to delete my post. The facts of this story are very troubling if you are watching this from the outside. What prevents the DEC from managing any piece of land as THEY see fit regardless of state law. Even an environmental group should take pause. Some day the DEC may have a commissioner that thinks that some Wilderness land should be managed as an Intensive Use area. I am a little off point but I wanted to try and think of an example where bias could be expressed in a decision not to cover a story.

The sense that I get speaking to Republicans is that NY-20 is generally viewed as less conservative than NY-23. Which would arguably make it less fertile territory for Doug Hoffman.

-Brian, NCPR

Why doesn't Hoffman run in the 20th district?

People are so quick to blame regulation and taxes for our North Country problems. How is one to explain similar issues in Northern Vt. or Northern New Hampshire? The long arm of Albany? Yes, we have a private sector future, but it isn't to be found in pursuing the suburban ideal or material extravagance. We can create a more regional economic sector based on producing more wood and grass energy and more of our own foodstuffs. Coupled with other sectors, we will be just fine.

To have a passion for what one does is absolutely required- or don't bother.
To be passionate, at some point you must take one perspective over another.
When reporting it is imperitive to give all the facts- naked and to the bone, honestly and objectively.
After that i think it is acceptable to most if you flesh it out, displaying your position, your opinion. That is what gives each individual reporter his or her style.
Brian i think you're just fine, whether i agree with your position or not- you give the facts honestly, without which i would not be able to decide if i agree or not.
What is best about NPR is they expand the realm of the news, beyond the traditional network's topics.
NPR reports about many things you will never see on network news, and if it does make it to network news, NPR often beats them by weeks.

I remember as an example when the nuns were kidnapped in Central America (years ago). i heard it on NPR and waited to see how ABC, CBS, NBC, would handle it. Wanted to see pictures etc...
I waited for about a week!

They do look alike. And while I'm no Barclay supporter (yet), he certainly is more versed on the issues that face voters in the district. Hoffman doesn't seem to have any original thought or ideas regarding the issues we face here. He simply spouts talking points but can't seem to expound on them. Maybe he's improved but watching and listening to him in the last election he seemed nothing more than the male version of Sarah Palin. That is to say clueless on many levels.

Hi Sandy--

I can't return your earlier deleted comment because I don't have an email address for you, and I can't find one on your website. But the text in question was a single sentence where you stated that a named individual had "suborned perjury" in a specific legal case.

In moderating this and other conversations at The In Box, I am often made uncomfortable by the lack of civility (shown to you as well as others) in anonymous trash-talk comments. But I have tried to be diligent in removing comments that make legally-actionable statements, and try to consistently push back against the nastier tendencies among those posting here. I invite you or anyone to cite specific comments that rise to the level of libel, (which is not the same as being mean-spirited, snarky and obnoxious) whether posted anonymously, or under a name, and I will remove them.

Dale Hobson
NCPR web manager

This will be an interesting GOP primary, I can't imagine Doug holding up against other GOP candidate wannabe's. Anyone else notice Hoffman and Barclay look like one another?

Brian, I think that you are an objective reporter. I think you see ?bias? more likely affect WHAT you choose to cover as opposed to HOW a story is covered. It has a lot to do with perspective. Brian I think you have said yourself that you are a ?greenie? (isn?t that what you called it?). Given that I am not surprised that you would want to cover stories like the one you did for NPR on the effects of a dam being built by Hydro-Quebec on the native Canadians in the area. It was a very good story. I am sure you had all the facts spot on. That story was clearly written to highlight the fact that the area was going to be sunk under tons of water and those people lives were about to change drastically. Am I imagining it, or from that story couldn?t I tell that you might have been biased in thinking that maybe this dam might be a bad idea? So you are not directly trying to persuade someone to oppose a project like that, but it really seems that could easily be an indirect effect. I was being persuaded. I didn?t want those wolves I could hear getting drowned. Does that mean that you have covered the story a certain way and the HOW as well as the WHAT was making it less than purely objective? I don?t really know. Tell us what you were thinking on that story. Did you feel a bias?

Regarding Sandy Lewis's comments a few moments ago, most of this is a retread.

So I'll just say again that NCPR welcomes feedback about any factual errors we've made.

If Mr. Lewis identifies anything in our coverage that was erroneous, we'd like to hear about it.

--Brian, NCPR

I enjoy the news coverage provided by NPR. It is as close to unbiased coverage as you going to get. I have no use for the "news" as provided by the likes of CBS, ABC or NBC. News from NPR on the radio and from PBS on the radio.

Dale Hobson - return the text of the send to which you object - - please indicate that to which you object.... asap. I have time, now. Thank you.

The In Box - the blog of NCPR, accepts anonymous slander. A host web operator is liable for comment supported - offered anonymously. Thus, inaccurate statements, repetitious, anonymous slander, support of APA officialdom in slanderous vernacular, combines. Lewis stuff is published under Lewis. At sblewis.com and sblewis.net the journalist can find what we have. Email is public. Fact is documents. We have not declined an interview. Rather, we have offered disclosure. With Brian Mann and NCPR, however, we see intent to abuse truth. Purposefully selective cuts in edited on the air takes are spun by Brian Mann. We support good government with pointed, criticism and fact, and work to help. When government itself is criminal, as we see in our nation, it's the citizen's job to jolt - the court and the Fourth Estate are first stops - the ballot box is second. When the Fourth Estate is funded by anonymous donors with property interests driving intent - the Fourth Estate relinquishes its standing for advocacy. With manifest weakness in daily and weekly news outlets, NPR and other 501(c)(3) advocacy groups fill the vacuum. Our freedoms turn on a free press. No 501(c)(3) supported anonymously can claim independence. No firewall is deaf. No board is formed that neglects the donor. Freedom comes with disclosure. We have disclosed. Last, we share the concerns that formed APA. We shared them with Peter S. Paine Jr., and Rockefeller, among others. But our allegiance to the Constitution and unlawful takings supersedes. We are devoted organic farmers, environmentalists, and - we hope - ethical. Our case with Judge Meyer and our comment re Brian Mann express the same things. We are here now - and may be gone tomorrow. But we care. Care enough to oppose where Stockholm Syndrome has smothered ethic in those called to save us. This APA is corrupted. The APA we want will not be. We want an honest APA. APA's Lewis vendetta will teach one and all. see sblewis.com and listen to FRED DICKER. He is right. 100%.

But, but, but, the people will have no say in the Conservative Party's nomination. Isn't this the rational for dear Doug's running back in November on the Conservative line? Because the people had no say in the Republican party nominee? I assume Doug will come forward any day now and decline the Conservative party endorsement. What a hypocrite.

Sandy Lewis at 10:48 am.

Our policy required me to remove your comment because you made a specific criminal allegation against a named individual, where the allegation has not been subject to court resolution. This was a small portion of a longer post. Please feel free to resubmit, but don't include content that exposes NCPR (or yourself) to possible libel action.

Dale Hobson, web manager
North Country Public Radio

so much for the Tea Partier's claim that they were against backroom deals and wanted 'the people' to decide.

Dale, thanks I can take it. And Anon 2pm... You would be surprised how many different things you can do with just 2 computers!
These arguments about whether or not the North Country is worse off than other parts of rural America seems to keep coming up. So it?s tough all over. That doesn?t change the fact that this part of NY has unique assets and unique problems.
Again I think that tourism is the key to economic progress for the NC. Opposition to the real estate development that is required to foster a tourism economy is the issue (or part of the issue). Sure it may be a problem elsewhere and it IS a problem here. What slows that process down? The economy for one thing, that is a universal problem right now as well. But also regulations that slow development, and also opposition to that development from groups that have a different agenda are all part of what is slowing economic development in the area. Crushingly high taxes are a whole different subject!
Economic development, in the ADK?s particularly, is going to change the ?character? of the landscape to some extent. I don?t think that many environmental groups would argue when I say that they want to see either no change from the status quo, or change that makes the character of the area wilder than it is now. That is why you see almost universal opposition to any development projects that are large enough to make it into the ?spotlight?. Despite what some groups claim, that attitude is basically inconsistent with what we need to do to make the area more ?people? friendly. It is only then will we start to see some of the economic opportunities come to the area. Like I said in an earlier post I agree with many (maybe even many environmental groups) that tourism will be a key to future economic success in the ADK?s. But tourism cannot be a mantra that some groups try to hide behind as an excuse for saying that other economic sectors are non-viable. Then those same groups quickly oppose any development even if it is tied to tourism. If these groups message is real (?Augmented by vibrant local communities?) then they need to stop opposing everything that looks like development. Once everyone starts to agree on a course forward then we can work together to get it done. If some people think that the best course forward is staying here at the STOP sign or backing up in traffic then you are part of the problem.

Objectivity should continue to be the ideal of honest reporting.

Yes, we all have our biases, points of view of which we may not be aware, and those biases will to some extent color what an editor considers newsworthy and which facts a reporter finds relevant.

That is why objectivity is an ideal, a goal pursued even if never fully realized.

A father had a young son who was chronically late for everything: getting out of bed, appearing for breakfast, getting dressed, etc. It drove his parents nuts. The kid loved to fish, and one morning did get up early to go fishing. As dawn was trying to break, and they were inhaling some breakfast,the father looked out the window and saw a bird pulling up a worm. He thought, Aha, a teaching moment.
He pointed the bird/worm out to his son and asked, What does that tell you? The kid replied, Don't be an early worm.

Facts are events plus interpretation.

I want a reporter to give us the facts as best he can and let me accept them or re-interpret them as I chose.

Brian:

I think it is credit to you and to NCPR that you wonder about and care about these issues. So thank you for that. I think it is true that as humans, were are biased by our backgrounds and experiences, among many things, and the best we can do is acknowledge that bias and try to see through it and around it.

Can we be truly objective? Can being ?objective? be defined? I?m not sure, but it is most definitely something I?d like to see kept in the mix, as you say.

Anonymous 7:51 am -

Your basic premise that the economy is "worse inside the Park" doesn't appear to be accurate.

You say, "The numbers are startling. Unemployment [in the Park] is ALWAYS the HIGHEST in the state."

That's not accurate.

Essex County, which lies entirely inside the blue line, is currently at 10.3%.

That compares with 13.1% in the Bronx.

Schoharie, Broome and Niagara Counties are all at 9.3% - higher than in many Park counties.

www.labor.state.ny.us/stats/Pressreleases/prtbur.txt

You talk about people being 'more willing to move than fight.'

But the Adirondack population has held roughly steady in recent decades, according to the APRAP report, while most of Upstate New York's population has plummeted.

Look at this chart and you'll see that most Adirondack counties outperformed NYS as a whole in population growth.

www.empirecenter.org/pb/2009/10/empirestateexodus102709.cfm

I think a continuing debate about the costs and benefits of APA-style zoning and environmental regulation is necessary.

But some of the claims by opponents of the Park just don't seem factually supportable.

That may just reflect a lack of data.

As I said in an earlier post, it's possible that a thorough study would find that things are worse here.

I haven't seen that information yet.

--Brian, NCPR

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The Q should replace the second hour of Tom Ashbrook. I changed stations at 10am because I can't stand his show but do recognize that others may like him. Replace his second hour, or both.

Hope Is Much More Than a Four Letter Word is a new inspirational children's book catered to promoting the hope that lies within every child and adult. The book is presently available at www.bookhope.com, Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobles and other sites and stores.

Please spread the word and note that our President - Barack Obama has a copy of the book and his family loves it!

Listening to the news today.MLK birthday. I would like to know what an African American is?
Why don't we call everyone by their background? Irish American? Scottish American? Russian American?
Sharon
Massena

Anon 1/15 8:09. Sorry about that. We broke some links yesterday implememnting a site security update. We should have this working by noon today. Dale Hobson, NCPR Online

Stories from 01/04/2010 not coming up in Archive. Trying to get recipe from Chef George for Welsh Rarebit which I heard with Martha Foley...

Says 'Could not connect' when clicking on URL

I thoroughly enjoyed Martha Gallagher this morning on 8 o'clock hour. I am among her strong north country fan base. Will be sorry to miss the fun in Lake Placid Friday night. Have a great time!

dear lord- get that screeching off the radio. The Meissner live singer is horrible!!! - 8:38 am New Year's day

anon 11/21: NCPR is unlikely to follow up this story because we do regional news, not national and international news. Our national network, NPR, does have this recent story on its radar, discussing it in the NPR News blog in this post.

Climate Skeptics See 'Smoking Gun' in Researchers' Leaked E-Mails

Is NCPR going to check out the evidence that experts had purposely mislead people about global warming, or does this not get reported on because it doesn't fit the model?

Is it "you report, we decide" or is it "we decide what we report"?

The Moth was only available as a 6-program pilot series. We broadcast each of them twice, but until the series secures funding for full-time production, we had to move on to something else. We believe they will receive that funding, and when they produce more episodes, we are more than happy to give them space in our line-up. Few new programs in recent years have generated the kind of uniformly positive feedback we got about The Moth. We just can't broadcast what hasn't been produced.

What happened to "The Moth"???!!!? 1 o'clock hump day use to make my week!!!! See if I contribute to this station during your next pledge now!

Your series on this year's TAUNY award recipients is great! I enjoyed today's feature on dowser/diviner/witcher Ed Peterson. When I hired Al Brigham of Watson to drill a well here in Stillwater, he asked if I believed in witching. I said I was paying him to get me water, and whether I believed in witching or not, didn't make any difference. His son Jason witched a spot with a cherry stick. I was sure he was turning the forked stick in his hands, until he showed me how to do it. "Hold it like this, close your eyes, and ask the Lord to open your mind and show you where the water is." Darned if that stick didn't turn by itself in my hands! We have a well 28 feet deep, that yields 12-15 gal/min. Yes, I believe in dowsing.

I love "The Moth Radio Hour"!

It's a great addition, please keep it.

FANTASTIC - I was just told about of this website and being a native of NNY but now living in Virginia, it's a great way to keep in touch with my "roots".

Am I the only one who finds Tom Ashbrook unbearable? Great topics and guests whom he constantly interrupts because he can't resist his own voice - throwing out absurd strings of suggestions that sound like bait and that go on and on about how listeners can respond to the discussion. I wish him only good health and happiness, but it's a pleasure when another host substitutes for him - and allows a real discussion to proceed unimpeded. I was just listening to an interesting story about the ship of Chinese immigrants that ran aground at Far Rockaway and wound up shouting "Just Shut Up!" at Tom on my radio.

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