Chris Faraone's Big Dig story on Somerville politics coming out this week?

[ron_newman]

ETA 6/12/13: The story is now online here. I made a new LJ post about the story here; please add future comments to that new post

A few days ago, local reporter Chris Faraone (formerly of the late Boston Phoenix) tweeted:

For the record - I saw what that Somerville News motherfucker wrote about me. He should read @DigBoston next week. #mapoli

Looks like he was responding to the NewsTalk column of last week's Somerville News, which says:

So, as for the big time “investigation” here in the city, don’t believe it. We have it from sources that the Phoenix reporter was doing a story on “Old” Somerville trials and tribulations and the various scandals that rocked this city back in the 80’s. Not such a big “investigation” story, rehashing all the Piro days and trying to link them 25 years later to various Somerville people. If you lived here in the 80’s you know what we’re talking about. If you didn’t, all it was just a bunch of he-said-she-said and they-did or didn’t-do! Nothing new, no political intrigue or scandal today.

That text has strangely disappeared from the online version of the News story, but it's in the print version as well as the handy Google cache.

We've been waiting for Faraone's article since March, when it was supposed to run in the Phoenix, if only that newspaper hadn't suddenly gone out of business. The Somerville Journal at the time ran this column by Ken Brociner: Somerville pols nervously await potential bombshell

(Some earlier discussion here.)

Comments

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Yeah, somehow I doubt this is as innocuous as the one side is pretending or as explosive as the other wants to believe.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

This is where one of those simple spambot "I agree" comments would fit nicely.

[ron_newman]

Oh, you're back on LJ? Welcome.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

Under debate for the long term, but need to keep up with a friend going through some stuff who locks her posts :)

[beephj.livejournal.com]

Agree with you

[ron_newman]

Now I'm wondering if this is a real spambot or just an account created specially for the occasion ;-)

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

Ugh, so now we have to figure out if it's a real fake account? LJ is too meta for me.

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

you got another spambot comment on the post below here, the one about the siding:

http://davis-square.livejournal.com/3212328.html#comments

it's about halfway down....

[kelkyag]

Sounds indistinguishable from a spambot to me.

[somerfriend.livejournal.com]

Is their a justification to use such language about another journalist? The Somerville News paragraph doesn't seem to justify it. Absent a backstory,it makes me think the reporter has a poor temperament and be extension, I wonder whether we can put trust in his journalism.

[ron_newman]

I would not characterize the anonymous NewsTalk gossip columnist (probably the paper's owner, Donald Norton) as a 'journalist'. This is the same columnist who can't mention the Ward 6 alderman without calling her 'Princess Rebekah'.

[benndragon.livejournal.com]

Sounds like that anonymous individual would benefit from watching the Ponyville Confidential episode of My Little Pony, because they missed some important lessons during their childhood: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpQ_m0rUhGk

[somerfriend.livejournal.com]

There is a pretty big difference between "princess" and "motherf**" Both are unproductive, but the latter crosses a line and suggests someone is not in control of their emotions. If Donald Norton is a poor journalist, don't sink to the level you think he is at, instead, win with your ideas and professional journalism.

[ron_newman]

We'll see on Wednesday when the story comes out. But I would also not constitute a tweet as 'journalism'.

[somerfriend.livejournal.com]

So using motherf* language is OK? Is that what you think? Does that mean it is OK on DSLJ?

[jbsegal.livejournal.com]

Yes.

[jbsegal.livejournal.com]

To follow up: In various circumstances it might mean I will not trust someone's argument as much as it's possibly over-emotional, but yeah, in LJ, in Twitter, "motherfucker" is a fine and valid word to use.

I wouldn't suggest it as a non-quote in a news article.

(I'm failing to find a good place to say "Fuck yeah!" in the midst of all of this, so I'll just stick it here.)

[en-ki.livejournal.com]

Do you read the News? It fairly oozes bile, in the most juvenile way. The guy never makes the case for his position; he just takes it for granted that the reader hates his enemies too.

[ron_newman]

I'd describe only the 'NewsTalk' column that way, not the rest of the paper.

[samcoren.livejournal.com]

Newstalk is like Somerville: Gawker Edition.

[pywaket.livejournal.com]

I would. The Somerville "News" is in the same category of bullshit parading as news as Faux, only on a smaller scale.

[tom-champion.livejournal.com]

Well, Part One hit the newsstands today. You can judge for yourselves whether any of the various dots are connected. Nice art featuring the lead reporter, though. Also, another picture of the lead reporter promoting the article may be found on the Dig website (http://digboston.com/boston-news-opinions/2013/06/dear-reader-long-live-long-form/). I'll leave it to you to assess his skills in using "hard work and humor" to "kneecap Goliath."

[ron_newman]

The story is now online here. I'll make a separate post about it soon, though I'm still on the opposite side of the Beacon Street cycletrack issue from this reporter.

[tom-champion.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Ron. I guess I needn't have stirred from my desk to read this.