What has to be one of the most common complaints editors hear from readers is, “It’s not newsworthy.” For example, when someone’s brother gets arrested for performing sex acts on the family cat and it shows up in the paper, they get mad and call the editor. “It’s not newsworthy,” they say.
This same type of criticism is rearing its ugly head over in the comments thread to this story about Queer Liberaction. But my question is, how much of this criticism is based on the fact that the commenters really don’t think it’s newsworthy, and how much of it is based on the fact that they just don’t want it in the newspaper?
One of the first things QL founder Blake Wilkinson said when I called him this week was, “Why is it that you guys will never cover Queer Liberaction’s events, but then when there is internal squabbling, you want to write about it?”
I told Wilkinson to go back through our issues and review our coverage since the group formed last November. How many times have QL events been featured in a photo on our front page? I just now counted, and the answer is seven. That’s right, seven times out of about 40 issues QL demonstrations have been the main photo on the front page of Dallas Voice. Wilkinson also alleged we haven’t covered anything they’ve done in the last month. My response was that DVtv’s Israel Luna produced an excellent video segment for us about QL’s Kiss-In just a few weeks ago, and that this had been my idea. Wilkinson didn’t have any response to that, and he finally agreed to discuss with me what’s going on with QL.
So while some would undoubtedly prefer that we didn’t cover QL at all, others want coverage, but only when it’s in a positive light and only when they feel it’s “newsworthy.” The problem with this is, we would never grant such treatment to any LGBT group or individual, and for obvious reasons.
Consider this hypothetical: If Stonewall Democrats President Erin Moore were to kick Jay Narey and Mike Lo Vuolo off the group’s board because they wanted to start another group with a competing mission, we would absolutely report on it. I’m not saying the same coverage would be given to every internal squabble at any LGBT organization, but Daniel Cates and Latisha McDaniel were high-profile board members for Queer Liberaction, which as I noted above has been a high-profile group.
Cates and McDaniel were the co-chairs of this year’s Million Gay March, which was organized by a coalition of local LGBT leaders and which drew more than 1,000 people. And they say they were kicked off the QL board because they insisted on starting another group that they hope will get along better with the rest of the community.
Now if that’s not newsworthy, I don’t know what is.
P.S. — After reading the story comments thread and this post, Publisher Robert Moore suggested that I also address the criticism that we don’t cover Fort Worth. There’s probably no better way to address this than by pointing to the centerpiece story on today’s front page about the AIDS Outreach Center, and the lead story in our Life+Style section about the aftermath of the Rainbow Lounge raid.
The Dallas Voice hates QL. It is obvious. It is a fact. You will be successful in making certain that their voice will be silenced. You made this clear by asking Blake why he was such a jerk.
Once the DV rids our city of him, I doubt anyone would be willing to take his place and subject themself to this sort of bullsh*t.
On the other hand, Erin Moore gets press by the obvious promotion of a new bakery in town under the guise of announcing a new direction. Why not just annouce the direction? Why do you need a commercial tie in? OH, because the salary of John Wright is based on advertisers.
Not many in QL but a freaking boatload of them at SD.
So while you are in the Big League and before you nail yourself to a cross, let us be clear, it is about the buck. Perhaps the reason for squables at QL is because they have PASSION.
Something sorely lacking in other more commercial groups.
Ask your buddies (the non jerks) at SD, what have you done for us lately.
im pretty sure Calling you on your crap is Blake or one of his cronies. Get over yourself Mary. Germany awaits!
As far as covering Ft. Worth, the newspaper is the Dallas Voice, not DFW Voice, not Dallas/Ft. Worth Voice. I fell like any coverage Dallas Voice gives Ft. Worth is just a courtesy to our gay brothers and sisters in our sister city and they should be grateful for any coverage. It is a free newspaper after all, with the cost being paid for through adverstisements and I don’t see many Ft. Worth advertisers supporting the newspaper. I see an opening for the Ft. Worth Voice, if they can find any advertisers to support it. Who’s willing to take the challenge?
Carl, there have been a number of attempts at a Fort Worth paper over the years and none lasted more than a year. Advertising dollars was indeed the problem. But we like covering a wider area than Oak Lawn since we live everywhere.
To the first poster, I don’t really see how getting front page coverage seven times is silencing the group. That’s more coverage than any other group. More than the AIDS Resource Center. More than Stonewall Dems and Log Cabin Republicans put together. More than DGLA. That doesn’t include how many times we’ve included something about QL inside the paper in news, featured in Soundout, in the calendar and on one of the most read pages in the paper, the opening calendar page. I count 64 times in 40 issues. Also, that doesn’t include every posting for every QL event on the blog and Israel’s video.
And now that Viewpoints is 2 pages, your letters are welcome and I’d be happy to personally work with you to make those letters effective and I’ll place them directly in Tammye’s hands. That doesn’t sound like silencing anyone.
David, DV covers news from all over the world, because we are interested in knowing what is going on in the world, not just Dallas. I was merely pointing out to the complainers about DV not covering Ft. Worth, that it is a courtesy that DV provides to the Ft. Worth brothers and sisters, since there is not advertising dollars coming in from Ft. Worth. I LOVE reading my free Dallas Voice, both hard copy and online, and am grateful for a free newpaper that covers items of interest to the gay community. Thanks.
“But we like covering a wider area than Oak Lawn since we live everywhere.”
Well, if that is so Mr. Taffet then why are your articles and the articles published in the DV as a whole continually centered on a small clique of corporate, political, non-profit, small business and journalist cronies ???
Take a look through the archives of the DV over the past two years. We continually see the same faces, with the same names and the same undertones: That is, What corporate GLBT “figure” is giving DV the most in advertising dollars and sponsorships and which popular “leaders” in the Nash / Wright buddy circle kiss their ass the most.
So I say Mr. Taffet that your comment is very out of touch as to what is really going on at your paper. You all don’t (and never will) cover stories around the metroplex concerning GLBT issues unless they affect your political and corporate cronies and you constantly kick those from the broader community to the curb who take issue with how the paper discriminates. How many more comments to articles will be censored here ?? Is it because those folks have a legitimate concern or is it because the editors wish to cover up what is really going on over at Travis st. ??? AKA Biased Journalism !!
The DV is a “gay rag” plain and simple. The staff may “improve it” by adding prettier graphics and present itself as “professional” by including a few corporate sponsor advertisements, but the fact is, you all don’t cut it as credible journalists as seen by the bias and favoritism in reporting, not to mention the lack of credibility of your sources. The Dallas Morning News or the New York Times you are not !!
Perhaps when you all get a staff that’s more interested in reporting quality and fair news encompassing EVERYONE in the community rather than being more interested in corporate and non-profit palm greasing and ass kissing then perhaps the DV might have a larger reader base.
“But we like covering a wider area than Oak Lawn since we live everywhere.”
Well, if that is so Mr. Taffet then why are your articles and the articles published in the DV as a whole continually centered on a small clique of corporate, political, non-profit, small business and journalist cronies ???
Take a look through the archives of the DV over the past two years. We continually see the same faces, with the same names and the same undertones: That is, What corporate GLBT “figure” is giving DV the most in advertising dollars and sponsorships and which popular “leaders” in the Nash / Wright buddy circle kiss their ass the most.
So I say Mr. Taffet that your comment is very out of touch as to what is really going on at your paper. You all don’t (and never will) cover stories around the metroplex concerning GLBT issues unless they affect your political and corporate cronies and you constantly kick those from the broader community to the curb who take issue with how the paper discriminates. How many more comments to articles will be censored here ?? Is it because those folks have a legitimate concern or is it because the editors wish to cover up what is really going on over at Travis st. ??? AKA Biased Journalism !!
The DV is a “gay rag” plain and simple. The staff may “improve it” by adding prettier graphics and present itself as “professional” by including a few corporate sponsor advertisements, but the fact is, you all don’t cut it as credible journalists as seen by the bias and favoritism in reporting, not to mention the lack of credibility of your sources. The Dallas Morning News or the New York Times you are not !!
Perhaps when you all get a staff that’s more interested in reporting quality and fair news encompassing EVERYONE in the community rather than being more interested in corporate and non-profit palm greasing and ass kissing then perhaps the DV might have a larger reader base.
“But we like covering a wider area than Oak Lawn since we live everywhere.”
Well, if that is so Mr. Taffet then why are your articles and the articles published in the DV as a whole continually centered on a small clique of corporate, political, non-profit, small business and journalist cronies ???
Take a look through the archives of the DV over the past two years. We continually see the same faces, with the same names and the same undertones: That is, What corporate GLBT “figure” is giving DV the most in advertising dollars and sponsorships and which popular “leaders” in the Nash / Wright buddy circle kiss their ass the most.
So I say Mr. Taffet that your comment is very out of touch as to what is really going on at your paper. You all don’t (and never will) cover stories around the metroplex concerning GLBT issues unless they affect your political and corporate cronies and you constantly kick those from the broader community to the curb who take issue with how the paper discriminates. How many more comments to articles will be censored here ?? Is it because those folks have a legitimate concern or is it because the editors wish to cover up what is really going on over at Travis st. ??? AKA Biased Journalism !!
The DV is a “gay rag” plain and simple. The staff may “improve it” by adding prettier graphics and present itself as “professional” by including a few corporate sponsor advertisements, but the fact is, you all don’t cut it as credible journalists as seen by the bias and favoritism in reporting, not to mention the lack of credibility of your sources. The Dallas Morning News or the New York Times you are not !!
Perhaps when you all get a staff that’s more interested in reporting quality and fair news encompassing EVERYONE in the community rather than being more interested in corporate and non-profit palm greasing and ass kissing then perhaps the DV might have a larger reader base.
QL has always been the pet project of Mike McKay and Robert Moore.
NoBiasNoBull (Blake) – im loving how u are all up in DV’s snatch before you’re group had this controversy but now ur turning on them because the story is not favorable. you must be the biggest spoiled brat ive ever heard of.
I’m really amazed that the community is even bothering to give QL the attention that they obviously are starved for. They think that the world began when they arrived on the scene last November. All those other Gay activists and the many other groups that existed in the Community for decades before him don’t know anything and have accomplished nothing. It’s all about Blake and his handful of QL followers – he’s the savior of the LGBT movement riding in on a white horse. Here he comes with all his passion and he’s going to change the world overnight. We can all then build a statue to Blake and put it up on a pedestal so that he can be properly praised as the only one who “got it right” in the long history of LGBT rights.
QL’s 15 minutes is up. NEXT !!!
Carl: “…DV covers news from all over the world.”
Really? so kindly tell me why https://www.towleroad.com covers items that don’t appear in DV for weeks or even in the ADVOCATE ?? Huh??
Pretty amazing how one person such as Andy Towle can cover more in the gay community than the Advocate, DV, or even the Washington Blade don’t you think… ??
And many of these groups are interconnected with each other getting newsworth items but you mean to tell me that they don’t have a clue who Andy Towle is and the fact that he’s not even in America? Pretty pathetic don’t you think?
Nahhh.. I’m not gonna pass judgement on anyone.. I let performance speak for itself and I’ll continue to focus on my free Towleroad RSS feed for news in addition to the other local rags.
So let the mud flinging continue but most of you are just doing nothing but blowing smoke at the moon as far as I’m concerned.
@Rick Wagner, I never said that DV was the ONLY source for news of concern to the gay community or that they were the FIRST with the news. I also use other sources, including Towleroad, for my news. I’m not limited to only reading the DV for news. PLEASE. I think that DV is a fine “gay rag” “newspaper”, whatever you want to call it, and I continue to read it for free along with all the news sources that I happen to pay for. And yes, DV does cover news from around the world also, maybe not much, but some, after all, it is DALLAS VOICE, so one would expect to see mostly news about Dallas. My one and only point has been, why do people complain about a news source that cost them nothing? It’s very simple, if anyone does not like DV, don’t read it. Feel free start your own free “gay rag” “newspaper” and I will probably read it too, if it has anything that peaks my interest.
@Carl Smith, POINT NOTED AND WELL WRITTEN However, maybe in some ways this is a wakeup call to another startup in the making.
I would gladly pay a subscription fee weekly for a good print. Hell, I used to pay for copies of the Advocate years ago when I lived in “Yahkee Land” Connecticut and used it to stay informed on things.
We even had a little weekly paper sold in the local convenience stores called the “Bargain News” that sold for $1.99 and was loaced with area classifieds that people got to place for free to sell their housewares, cars, etc.. You could place as many ads in it as you wanted but you had to pay to read the printed weekly copy. The concept was like the thing we have here in the metroplex called the Green Sheet but instead of charging the seller, you charged the buyer 2 bucks.
Doing a gay publication around here like that would be a great idea for those seeking roomates, jobs, dinner dates, etc… It would encourage onl the seriously minded to buy it and provide enough $$$ to cover expenses. The drop sites (convience stores) wouldn’t be charged for the newsprint copies until the following week after they counted how many sold making this affordable to the retail owner. No sense in paying for something that doesn’t sell. Best of all, the old copies are recycled instead of getting thrown in a landfill dumpster.
I realize that the VOICE has to rely on advertising funds to survive.. but suppose I was a poor guy trying to make ends meet and I wanted to share my home with a roomate. Do I spend $40 bucks to run a DV ad seeing someone or does it make more sense to list the announcement in something free and let the person seeking pay for the listing instead?
Why do you think CRAIGS LIST is so popular? But because it’s free on both sides, this also opens the door to fraudulent people and their get rich quick scams.
As for starting my own free gay rag.. Nope.. not a chance… I want the ability to perform market research and know the level of interest from my readers. If this week’s issue pisses readers off, it’s going to show when next week’s copy doesn’t sell and content can be adjusted accordingly to what the masses seek. Opinions are like assholes… Everyone’s got one.. but in this case (Mr. Spock), it’s the needs of the many that outweigh the needs of the few.
If the DV ever comes out with a shiny new subscription magazine and call it something like DALLAS VOICE PLUS I’d gladly subscribe to it provided it’s content isn’t corporate centric but instead, focused on the prosperity and growth of the hard working little guys. I’m the kinda guy that would much rather have 10 dollar bills from 10 different people rather than get $10 from one single entity forcing me to kiss their butt to stay in business.