Elk Grove's SOI a Case Study in Nonexistant Local TV Enterprise Reporting, How City Grinds PR
November 7, 2013 | How many times since Mayor Gary Davis took his oath last year have you turned on one of the local TV news report to ...
https://www.elkgrovenews.net/2013/11/elk-groves-soi-case-study-in.html
November 7, 2013 |
How many times since Mayor Gary Davis took his oath last year have you turned on one of the local TV news report to see his honor mugging for the camera?
Below is but one example of a local TV news story spinning a positive story on the city.
In the aftermath of the city's stunning SOI defeat at the hands of LAFCo, if people were searching for news on Wednesday's hearing, as of this evening based on our research, there were three sources and none of them where our local TV news outlets.
Why, you may ask, have there been no TV reports on the SOI hearing. That is actually a two part answer.
The first part, simply put, is that Sacramento TV news reporters are not enterprise reporters. In other words, they don't go out and develop a news story on their own enterprise. Put another way - they are lazy.
So how it is they find out about Elk Grove's desire say to build a $100 million professional soccer stadium? To use addiction therapy parlance, they are greatly aided by enablers.
In this case the enabler is typically a public information officer (PIO).
Typically what happens is a city's PIO contacts local TV media, who after all have more reach than other media and pitches the non-enterprising reporter on a story. With lots of times to fill on their extended news programs, the TV new director typically agrees and rolls out a camera and reporter.
Those in attendance at last night's LAFCo meeting may have noticed Elk Grove's PIO in the audience. Had the decision gone Elk Grove's way, undoubtedly the PIO would have immediately sent an email press release and been on the phone trying to line up early morning TV interviews with the Mayor in front of either the SOI area or city hall.
Obviously the decision did not go the way the city had hoped and those interested in the story read it here, in the Bee or Citizen. As far as we could see, there were no reports of it on local TV.
Now mind you, we are not faulting the city's PIO; remember the P is for public as in public relations. A PIO's job is to provide information to news media, the public and to positively promote their client.
Rather we fault the lazy non-enterprising TV news reporters and news directors. So the next time you see his honor Mayor Davis promoting some new scheme on TV, keep in mind that the non-enterprising reporter was probably pitched the story by the PIO in hopes of putting the city in a good light and to influence public opinion.
7 comments
Thanks for the great article Dan.
Is that Gary Davis or Ron Popiel, shamelessly promoting his latest potato peeler /toenail clipper?
Never seen both of them in the same place. - Just sayin!
There is a great resemblance, excluding Davis' bowery boys haircut.
To poster above, what about Gilbert Gottfried's little brother!
The Sacramento Bee also saw something more from the LAFCo SOI hearing as noted in the editorial today. They saw citizen leadership and ended today's editorial by basicially saying that the strong citizen momentum should now be used to replace the Elk Grove City Council.
So who is up in 2014? Bet the Bee is talking about Patrick Hume!
Mayor Davis, I hope you enjoyed that endorsement you got from the Bee last year, it might be your last. You need to wise up, come clean, drop all the delusional schemes floating around your head, admit your error and get something done otherwise your #ss is toast. B*#ch!
"I don't know how to put this, but I'm kind of a big deal. People know me. I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany." - Ron Burgundy
Thanks for pointing this out. I did a Google News search using a generic "Elk Grove" phrase and while news reports came up with a missing man report from Fox 40 and Channel 13 reporting on the city's tourism push, none of the TV stations reported on the SOI. Not surprisingly Sacramento's developers house organ, the Sacramento Business Journal had nothing on the denial either.
For all people moan about legacy print outlets, they seem to be the only ones reporting. As was pointed out here, the local TV news organizations need to be spoon-fed their stories. What a sad excuse for news organizations they have become.
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