Journalism Under Fire

Nothing but the facts you say, well here they are, concise, accurate, and straight to the point. What we will do is examine mid December 2011 through mid January 2012 surrounding a very tumultuous time for the the Victoria Advocate's Editor, Chris Cobler. We will break down and analyze his assorted bag of tricks, behind the scenes posturing and manipulation of the Victoria Advocate's blog site, interaction with bloggers, deletion of comments, and the age old buzz word in journalism -- Spin.

Strong words in any arena, but the facts speak for themselves, as you will first hand peruse his latest posts, comments, and sordid interactions with news readers over a sad turn of recent events. From a hit piece on a local doctor, by a reporter who specializes in such tabloid. Cobler's insensitive stance to a family of a man who took his life in Victoria during the Christmas holidays. then on to a string of blogs that personifies poor judgement to justify his actions. How painful it must be for the Blackwood family to see Cobler provoke input in which the manner was handled at the Advocate. Longstanding journalistic principles don't need to be rehashed.

In the old west it was referred to as dealing from the bottom of the deck.
Simple terms for complex issues, it's stacking the deck with marked cards.

We're going to turn one card over at a time and examine them. Crooked dealers and unethical editors prove one in the same. Colluding with staff members and reporters to manipulate blogs to sway public opinion through newsprint and cyberspace.

And mind you when Mr. Cobler, and cronies, writes or speaks it's considered news, no questions asked. The glass world he resides in will be readily apparent after we whisk away the smoke and sheen. Editorial boards and experts in the same sentence are comical fodder.

The dichotomy of comparing retreat and attack -- to lies and the truth are about to come to fruition.

An Era of errors exemplified by this poisoned-penned editor.

Let's not confuse the word attack, with the word truth . . . again.

This is just the beginning.

When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber.

Sir Winston Churchill