Expansion is just around the corner, uh, I mean, next door.
I held off for awhile reading Beck’s column in Sunday’s paper, because as usual, he says and claims ridiculous things, and he did not disappoint. I will start by saying that I do agree with him on one comment;
It is representative, as I look back over the past year, of a long list of outstanding efforts our journalists at Argus Leader Media have produced to “serve the public†— a platitude at some places, perhaps, but not here.
I will agree he has some very talented journalists working for them, unfortunately, they are often over-edited and hamstrung on many stories by people like himself who are more concerned about their next big bicycle ride or if their son’s band will succeed.
Then he goes on to talk about the ‘power’ the AL’s sword wields;
And following up last spring on a series of articles about the lack of oversight and standards for in-home day care in Sioux Falls, intense pressure on multiple fronts from Argus Leader Media encouraged, cajoled and pushed the city to actually make inspection reports available to the public online — a first.
Does the AL have influence? Damn right they do, so much influence they did very little opposition stories about the Events Center until AFTER the thing passed. But it didn’t stop Randy from patting himself on the back;
But we think big and aim high. We take seriously our role in providing provocative watchdog journalism that serves the broad public —and this special place we call home.
And let’s just take the EC vote as an example of ‘watchdog’ media. Not only did they proudly endorse this boondoggle they refused to dig into the repayment schedule, the interest rate, tenants, corporate sponsorship, the ethics behind city promotion, the conflicts of interest councilor Entenman has and the firing of Debra Owen. Sure, there were ‘stories’ but often after the fact, watered down and too late to make a difference. Watchdog journalism, IMO, tells the public the WHOLE story and in a timely manner. You know, that thing called the Fourth Estate. Once again, Beck, too little, too late and in 2-4 years when they are auctioning off the corner of 10th and Minnesota I will gladly put in a bid of $1. I’m sure the YMCA is salivating at the thought of expansion.