Category: Media Watch

We’ve all seen those full-page Humana ads in both dailies that remind members that they can choose from 370 primary care physicians–and all 370 are listed alphabetically. Moreover, Humana members can even choose their favorite Patel or Shah. There are 21 Dr. Patels and 13 Dr. Shahs.

Ever notice how the presumption of innocence is maintained–especially by media in their meticulous use of “allege” or “allegedly” for murder suspects–but it doesn’t seem to apply to those accused of child-sex abuse? The charges are too despicable and monstrous–and the word “innocent,” which is really a moral not a legal term–seems outrageously inappropriate.

* “It is not heroism to fight against your own people.”–Turkish  Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan commenting on political repression in Syria under President Bashar Assad.

* “Rare is the Arab politician today who would specifically endorse secularism; the word itself in Arabic is virtually a synonym for atheism.”–Anthony Shadid, New York Times Beirut bureau chief.

* “The situation America faces in Afghanistan is similar to the one it faced in Vietnam during the Nixon presidency: a desire to leave and turn over the war to our local allies, combined with the realization that our allies may still lose, and the loss will be viewed as a U.S. defeat anyway.”–Thomas Ricks, Foreign Policy magazine.

* “Is a vote for the Republican Party in 2012 a vote for war?”–Pat Buchanan, Creators Syndicate.

* “Our long-term strength will depend less on our aircraft carriers than on the robustness of our kindergartens, less on financing spy satellites than on financing Pell grants.”–Nicholas Kristof, New York Times.

* “…Ambassadors for not just the Navy, but for the entire American military across this country and around the world. We get way more than our money’s worth for what they do.”–U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus on the value of the Blue Angels flying teams in the context of U.S. defense cuts.

* “The problems that we’ve had since the inception of the credit derivatives market have never been solved in any meaningful way. How many times do we want to live through this?”–Janet Tavakoli, president of Tavakoli Structured Finance.

* “If the government wants to guarantee mortgages for certain low-income people, O.K., but I wouldn’t do much of it. A public agency intervening in the mortgage market in a limited way doesn’t bother me. But if you want to subsidize the mortgage market, do it more directly than hiding it in a quasi-private institution.”–Former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul A. Volcker.

* “What I want to do is something to undo what I did.”–Convicted influence-peddler Jack Abramoff on his tell-all memoir, Capitol Punishment.

* “I don’t see how the party that says it’s the party of the family is going to adopt an immigration policy which destroys families which have been here a quarter of a century.”–GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich.

* “Why are so many independents and even Democrats who voted for Obama sitting on their hands? Obama owns the bully pulpit of the presidency, and he’s losing to Grover Norquist?”–Thomas Friedman, New York Times.

* “I’ll be surprised if he’s (President Barack Obama) not re-elected.”–Former President Bill Clinton.

* “Movement conservatives have created a box of orthodoxy so small that even the most conservative candidates must engage in undignified contortions just to fit in.”–Michael Gerson, Washington Post.

* “The most efficient health care systems are integrated systems like the VHA; next best are single-payer systems like Medicare; the more privatized the system, the worse it performs.”–Paul Krugman, New York Times.

* “Grover Norquist’s tax pledge isn’t really about policy; it’s a chastity belt Republican politicians wear to show that they haven’t been defiled by the Washington culture.”–David Brooks, New York Times.

* “I don’t think there’s really a plausible case that either of these two justices should feel the need to recuse themselves.”–University of Notre Dame law professor Richard Ganett on speculation that Justice Elena Kagan and Justice Clarence Thomas might recuse themselves from the health care case.

* “The car used to be the signal of adulthood, of freedom. … Now the signal into adulthood for teenagers is the smartphone.”–Sheryl Connelly, Ford Motor Co.’s manager of global consumer trends and futuring.

* “I don’t think it’s easy to hang any label on (U.S. Sen.) Bill Nelson. Liberals call him too conservative, and conservatives call him too liberal.”–Florida Democratic strategist Steve Schale.

* “If Urban Meyer does wind up taking the Ohio State job, then that man is a miracle worker … because in just one year he has cured himself of a serious stress-related illness and watched all of his kids grow up.”–Israel Gutierrez, Miami Herald.

* “We’re not going to allow what’s happening in other cities to happen here. If one tent goes up, another one will.”–Tampa Police Department spokeswoman Andrea Davis.

* “If (Syrian President) Bashar (Assad) has them interest of his own country, he would step down.”–Jordan’s King Abdullah.

* “It’s a work in progress. But we have a plan, we’ve seen results, and we have the courage to continue.”–Brazilian Jose Mariano Beltrame, head of Rio state security, on winning the fight against violent drug gangs that have ruled Rio’s shantytown favelas for decades.

* “About as many left the country after 1917,”–Sergei Stepashin of the Russian Audit Chamber commenting on the exodus of Russians–approximately 1.25 million–in the past decade.

* “Let there be no doubt: In the Asia Pacific in the 21st century, the United States of America is all in.”–President Barack Obama

* “If Newt Gingrich gets nominated, can the George Michael comeback be far behind?”–Democratic opposition researcher Mike Gehrke.

* “Uproot and overhaul.”–Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry’s shorthand for his approach to Washington.

* “The minute he gets the nomination, they will basically fall in line behind him.”–Christopher Ruddy, Newsmax, on what conservative commentators will do despite their ideological differences with Mitt Romney.

* “The central paradox of financial crisis is that what feels just and fair is the opposite of what’s required for a just and fair outcome.”–Treasury Secretary
Tim Geithner.

* “Evidence suggests very strongly that a gun in the house will most likely be used to take out a relative.”–Gail Collins, New York Times.

* “Americans will accept unequal economic outcomes in a fair system. They object when the results seem rigged. That way lies the Bastille.”–Michael Gerson, Washington Post.

* “The first lesson of economics is scarcity. There is never enough of anything to fully satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics.”–Thomas Sowell.

* “Yes. … It will continue to be a vibrant force in American politics.”–U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio on whether the Tea Party will still exist in four years.

* “It’s been estimated that 10 million Americans have at least one tattoo and, of those, 50 percent would like to get them removed.”–Neil Fenske, M.D., chairman of the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery at USF Health.

* “The party started alienating urban dwellers some 10 years ago–it determined that the city (Tampa) would not represent the Republican Party.”–East Hillsborough businessman and GOP activist Sam Rashid.

* “We all recognize that we are going to survive together or we are going to fail alone.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn in underscoring the importance of public
officials–city and county–working together to attract jobs to Hillsborough County.

Speaking of the school district, those were some less-than-media-friendly, but real-world comments and suggestions in that public information office memo to school employees back in August. The memo was occasioned by an investigation by the local ABC Action News into  recruiting allegations in athletics. An Armwood High player was being highlighted.

The memo noted less than subtly that the affiliate piece would be showcased for “November sweeps.” It indicated that there were “no expectations that the story will be positive or that it will reflect the integrity of our coaches and sports programs.” It also reminded personnel that “no one is ever obligated to answer a reporter’s questions, and no one is required to consent to be interviewed.”

And then, just to remind personnel not to give the wrong, perp-like impression, this caveat: “…Never put your hand in front of the camera unless you want to be shown on the news doing that.”

* I know this will sound naively old school and most folks won’t agree, but I don’t like seeing the President of the United States going on late-night talk shows. Most recently Barack Obama on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Even though President Obama is really good in this format.

Of course, I know why he does it. It’s all about pragmatic politics and poll numbers. About taking your unfiltered message to a key demographic where you can tee off on non-gotcha questions and not get interrupted until you’ve actually finished your answer. In the process, flashing personality, humor and smarts. Frankly, this President could host his own show.

And I know the history of such late-night TV sorties. Jack Kennedy went on Jack Paar, Richard Nixon went on Steve Allen, Bill Clinton went on Arsenio Hall, etc. And it worked. They were seen in a different context by a different audience. And it was savvy strategizing. And there was no going back.

But they were candidates–not sitting presidents. A little dignity, please, for the office of the presidency amid all pop culture all the time.

Thus, I still cringed when I heard Jay Leno say, “We’ll be right back with headlines and the President of the United States, Barack Obama.” When the president came out–after goofy headlines and before Yo Yo Ma–he had been immediately preceded by ads for Geico, Aetna, Audi, Wal Mart, Energizer, Kit Kat, Kindle Fire, Netflix, Current Affair, a News Channel 8 tease and a newly released movie.

I just think the President–whatever the party, whatever the popularity–deserves better than following Puss in Boots.

* Watching the GOP presidential debates–aka Fox talk show-host tryouts–has often been an exercise in frustration and, when you include off-putting audience responses, even outrage. But when the topic is foreign policy, it gets downright scary. Allies and enemies, not just Tea Party yahoos, are watching closely.

Shooting from the lip about the economy and social issues comes with the debate territory. Making factual mistakes is more than embarrassing when it comes to foreign affairs. And saber rattling about pre-emptive strikes if Iran doesn’t play nice over its nuclear program is disturbing.

One riff on Iran last Saturday in South Carolina by Newt Gingrich–and he’s the one with professorial bona fides–was particularly illustrative. He called for the use of “Maximum covert operations–to block and disrupt the Iranian (nuclear) program, including taking out their scientists…All of it covertly, all of it deniable.”

Can someone neuter this Newtron bombast? Nothing like airing out to the world those covert, deniable contingencies for taking out another country’s scientists.

Obama never looked so reasonable. “What Stuxnet computer worm?”

* No wonder Saturday Night Live has had a problem recently lampooning the GOP primaries. How do you satirize a parody? Thank you, Rick Perry.

Now we have Herman Cain, otherwise preoccupied with issues that question his character and moral fiber, claiming that God has urged him to run for president. You can’t make this up. The Deity’s message, according to Cain, was received after “more praying than I’ve ever done before in my life.” Before
acceding, however, Cain channeled Moses: “You’ve got the wrong man, Lord. Are you sure?”

How preposterous. What pandering. Such sacrilegious crisis spin.

If you’re going to play the blind-sided Moses card, at least play it credibly. To wit:

“You’ve got the wrong man, Lord. I’m the faux-outsider, lobbyist, Koch Brothers’ bud with the bumper sticker economic plan that would be disastrously regressive for the middle class. Are you sure, Lord? I’m the Tea Party ploy to push Romney to the right and disingenuously make the case that right wingers couldn’t possibly be racists. I’m essentially clueless on foreign policy and didn’t know that China had nukes until last week. And it’s taken a month to get the Missus to say I really am respectful of women. My God, Lord, this has to be your worst call since asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Oops, sorry about that. But, my God, why me? Just askin.'”

* “Iranian proxy.”–CBS correspondent Lara Logan’s characterization of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

* “If we re-elect Barack Obama, Iran will have a nuclear weapon. And if you elect Mitt Romney, Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.”–Mitt Romney.

* “An important step to unlocking global economic growth will be expanding trade in the Asia-Pacific, and the ATP holds this key.”–U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donohue, in praising the U.S.-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership initiative.

* “Free advice to the financial services industry: ‘Stick to being bulls. Stop being pigs.'”–Thomas Friedman, New York Times.

* “‘Myside bias’–the tendency to judge a statement according to how conveniently it fits with one’s settled position–is pervasive among all of America’s political groups.”–Economist Daniel B. Klein, Atlantic magazine.

* “I think there will be further erosion of what little confidence remains of our federal government.”–Debt supercommittee member Sen. Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., assessing the impact if the supercommittee fails to reach an agreement.

* “A democracy can’t be strong if its citizenship is weak. And right now American citizenship is attenuated–strong on rights, weak on responsibilities.”–William  A. Galston, Brookings Institution senior fellow.

* “They (Occupy Wall Street) want–wait, no, we want–to be heard by a media that has devoted four mind-numbing years to channeling and interpreting every word uttered by a member of the Palin family while ignoring the voices of everyone else.”–Dahlia Lithwick, Slate.

* “Latinos are everywhere–except in the corridors of power.”–Ruben Navarrette Jr., CNN.com.

* “If somebody wanted to give (the state) the kind of ‘stupid money’ that they paid for the Miami Herald property, I would listen.”–Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam indicating that he wanted the Florida State Fair Authority to consider the growing interest in the fairgrounds property by developers. (A Malaysian resort and gambling company paid $236 million for the Herald’s downtown Miami location.)

* “Monopolies are a bad thing. Gaming monopolies are toxic.”–State Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale

* “Congressman Connie Mack inherited a popular name.”–Anna Nix, spokeswoman for George LeMieux.

* “Here in Florida there has been little to no leadership at the state level in guiding Florida’s universities to a common mission. Everyone wants law schools, medical schools and graduate programs because they are prestigious. … There’s no sense of mission because it’s every institution for itself.”–Charles B. Reed, former chancellor of the State University System of Florida and current chancellor of the California State University system.

* “People in Polk really want University of South Florida recognition and affiliation. If you took a vote, it would be a landslide in favor of no separation.”–Lakeland realtor Gene Engle, the chairman of the USF Polytechnic board of trustees.

* “Learning how to learn is the primary purpose of education.”–Donald R. Eastman, president of Eckerd College.

* “The difference is night and day. Everything is rejuvenated.”–Robert Kapusta, chairman of the Mahaffey Theater Foundation, on the $2 million in changes at Mahaffey since April when Bill Edwards’ Big 3 Entertainment took over management and operation.

* “That is shocking. It just doesn’t make sense.”–Hillsborough County Commissioner Victor Crist upon learning that the county has no uniform policy for how background checks on potential job candidates are conducted.

* “This is an excellent opportunity to re-energize one of downtown’s grand historic buildings.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn on soliciting bids from developers to rehab the old federal courthouse, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

* “I refuse to believe that our guys are that bad.”–Bucs head coach Raheem Morris after last week’s embarrassing 37-9 loss to the Houston Texans.

* News judgment juxtaposition: While it wasn’t stop-the-presses stuff, news that a Tampa employer would be staying put and adding 700 jobs was significant and decidedly welcome. That was the announcement made by call center operator OneTouch Direct. As a result, last Friday’s St. Petersburg Times accorded it
front-page, above-the-fold treatment. Maybe it wasn’t more important than Greece calling off its referendum, Club Empire shutting down or USF Poly planning to split, but that’s how the Times played it. It was an important story.

Notable contrast the same day in the Tampa Tribune. Same news was accorded three-graph “Brief” treatment on the Business page (7) that is affixed to the back of the Sports section. Interesting call.

* The page one (Tampa Bay section) St. Petersburg Times’ story on Monday was headlined “NOTORIOUS” and chronicled the “most horrific crimes in Tampa Bay history.” The “hook” was next week’s execution of Oba Chandler. It was a reminder that there have been other infamous crimes that still haunt us. The worst of the worst were listed and summarized. Heinous, nightmarish acts and the mutants who committed them.

Among them: John Couey, the sex offender convicted of burying a 9-year-old girl alive, and Hank Earl Carr, the escapee who murdered two Tampa police detectives and a Florida Highway Patrol trooper. But between their photos and summaries of their brutal crimes, a photo and accompanying background on Julie Schenecker who police say shot and killed her two teenagers last year. Schenecker hasn’t been to trial yet–and her mental state has been, to say the least,  the subject of considerable legal conjecture.

It was inappropriate to include Schenecker in this rogues’ gallery of horrific killers. Not fair to her nor to the jury-pool dynamic.

* As a semantic aside, “notorious,” as we’ve seen, has retained its ill-fame meaning, but “notoriety,” from which it is derived, is now synonymous with fame.

* Anyone else turned off by network interviews, such as “60 Minutes” did with the sleazy Jack Abramoff last Sunday, that are de facto book promotions?

* “The best way for us to gain leverage on Russia and Iran would be with an energy policy that reduced the price and significance of oil. The only way to gain more leverage on China is if we increase our savings and graduation rates–and export more and consume less. That isn’t in the cards.”–Thomas Friedman, New York Times.

* “It’s shocking. The Europeans, by turning to the Chinese, are showing their weakness. How will Europe be able to ask China to stop undervaluing its currency or to accept reciprocal commercial accords?”–Martine Aubry, French Socialist Party general secretary.

* “Vengeful librarians.”–Nickname of CIA analysts who pore over Facebook, newspapers, TV new channels, local radio stations, Internet chat rooms- anything overseas that anyone can access and contribute to openly.

* “These are small things, but they point ustoward an economy that is more normal compared to the rest of the world.”–Omar Everleny Perez,
lead economist at the University of Havana’s Center for Cuban Economic Studies, on upcoming changes that will permit Cubans to buy and sell real estate openly.

* “We remain prepared to take action as appropriate to make sure the recovery continues.”–Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

* “Presidential elections aren’t the main source of polarization in American politics; neither Obama nor Romney is an extremist. Most of the polarization we’re seeing comes from Congress, where districts have been drawn to protect incumbents and where donors and interest groups have more influence on the nominating process.”–Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times.

* “(Rick) Perry is to oratory what Weird Al Yankovic is to balladry. Only the humor isn’t intentional.”–Frank Bruni, New York Times.

* “I’m worried you’re going to fail. The effect it would have on how people look at this country would be disastrous.”–Erskine Bowles, former co-chairman of President Obama’s fiscal commission, addressing the congressional “supercommittee” on deficit reduction.

* “The zooming wealth of the top 1 percent is a problem, but it’s not nearly as big a problem as the tens of millions of Americans who have dropped out of high school or college. It’s not nearly as big a problem as the 40 percent of children who are born out of wedlock. …”–David Brooks, New York Times.

* “People know what’s going on. But only some quixotic protesters in lower Manhattan seem willing to voice their outrage. And as long as they don’t block the roads or break the law, God bless them.”–Daniel Akst, Newsday.

* “I wish I could do this forever. I can’t, though.”–The late Andy Rooney on his final “60 Minutes” essay last month.

* “Rick Scott is a doer. I know he’s a doer because he’s managed to tick off all the right people.”–Sarah Palin.

* “Once a deal is made, I have no problem and do believe we have a fiduciary duty to provide the details to the public.”–Enterprise Florida CEO Gray Swoope in asserting that he supports a quicker release of information about secret tax-incentive deals the state cuts with targeted companies.

* “It’s not illegal to price-gouge medications. Not yet anyway.”–Brian Coleman, Florida Hospital Tampa pharmacy buyer.

* “Disappointing.”–Reaction of Gov. Rick Scott to news that Solantic, the chain of health care clinics he started, would be moving some jobs out of Florida.

* “In a world where place matters less and less, where place is being obscured by boomburbs, microburbs and edge cities, I loved the name St. Petersburg Times. …The Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area of Tampa Bay is not the stuff of poets. I understand the reasons for the change, but do not approve.”–Gary Mormino, history professor at USF St. Petersburg.

* “The contract doesn’t have a reopening provision.”–Bob Morrison, executive director of the Hillsborough County Hotel and Motel Association, regarding the contention of the GOP Committee on Arrangements that some hotel rates for next August’s GOP convention in Tampa should be revisited.

* “We’re hoping the federal government will get moving and get moving quickly on it. I don’t have $55 million lying around.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn on
federal money earmarked for Tampa to help defray the security costs for the GOP Convention next August.

* “I personally don’t see a need in the area for another aquarium.” –Florida Aquarium spokesman Tom Wagner, commenting on the proposed Shore Lab Discovery Center in eastern Hillsborough County.

* “It’s just time to do something else.”–Tampa native Tony La Russa, 67, who retired as the St. Louis Cardinals’ manager after winning the World Series–for the third time in his career.

So, the inevitable is now official. It will be the Tampa Bay Times. No less noteworthy, it will soon be the Tampa Bay Times Forum: a new name that better fits the
times–and Tampa.