This Isn’t News
One of our eagle-eyed Friends has noted that for the past two weeks The Fullerton News Tribune’s Barbara Giasone has written articles about a fellow named Marty Burbank doing good deeds, here and here.
Well good deed doing is fine, and we applaud good deed doers, but really, were either of these newsworthy in any real sense?
See, the problem we’re having is that Marty Burbank has shown himself to be a big City Hall cheerleader in the past year, here. And on top of that he’s running for Fullerton City Council in 2010. So is it more than just the coincidence of a local minor philanthropist getting his name in the paper? Hmm. Since we had never even heard of the guy (or any previous good deeds) until last summer may we be forgiven a little cynicism? But really, wouldn’t the same thing have occurred to Giasone? Maybe it did. And maybe she’s just passing along stuff from a campaign PR guy.
The cynicism is well-founded. Even beyond the issue of self-promotion, you’ve got to ask why would Giasone print something like that. Would it really be so difficult to actually find a story and write about it without having somebody else do it first?
Is she gunning for the Wurlitzer two years running?
Apparently, Giasone is simply a top-notch journalist(sarcastic!) but also a card carrying member of the prestigous “Team Fullerton” with all the rights and privileges bestowed upon her thereof. So much for journalistic indepedence. Conversely, perhaps Giasone could take a leave of absence from the Tribune and be Burbank’s media czar during his campaign! One can only dream!
This “news” came from somewhere, alright. But using the “terminally ill” as you vehicle for promotion is pretty bad; having a newspaper print it is even worse.
And what Marty do? He “joined volunteers.” Lamentable. Pathetic.
Rescuing that cat is immeasurably more newsworthy than writing anything about that cretin Marty Burbank. The youtube clip says it all: totally unfit for elective office. In other words, welcome to Fullerton, the education community of dimwits.
That cat looks pretty smart. Do you think it could beat Marty Burbank for City Council?
Until FFFF, Fullerton lifers like myself had only two avenues of investigative reporting, OC Register’s Barbara Giasone quick skim of events and the Fullerton Observer’s excellent reporting of anything involving preschoolers to fifth graders coupled with its howling at the moon reporting on the more complex,adult issues.
Keep up the good work FFFF, fullerton needs your unmasking of the frauds who constantly smile in our faces while dipping theier hands into our purses/wallets to pay themselves.
I know I am a day early, but my New Year’s resolution is to vote out those fullerton council members FFFF has exposed as buffoons and crooks.
The guy donates $250 to paint a boat and it becomes a news story? Who’s running the show over at the Fullerton Tribune/OC Register? That paper is getting more useless by the day.