UNC School of Journalism professor Phil Meyer wrote a book years ago called Precision Journalism. Among other things, it examined how news organizations should and shouldn't use polling data to supplement their stories. Apparently, the cracker-jack political reporting staff at the News and Observer missed a few classes.

It's bad enough that the N&O's Rob Christensen consistently relies on Art Pope's Puppets as sources to bolster his stories. But today, Pope's "multi-million-dollar opinion-manufacturing machine" grabs the golden ring in a trashy little piece of reporting that should be embarrassing. If he were in class with Professor Meyer today, Christensen's lame excuse for news would have received an automatic F.

Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of stenographers.

NEW YORK McClatchy reported today that total revenue declined 1.1% to $211 million and advertising revenue slipped 0.3% to $179 million in August compared to the same period last year.
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Including print and online, retail advertising revenue was up 1.7% to $74 million. National advertising dropped 7.5% to $16 million. Classified revenue decreased 2% to $74 million on declines in automotive (down 8%) and help-wanted (down 6%). Real estate was up 9.8%.

The lines between journalism and punditry have always been fuzzy, and in North Carolina that fuzziness is a mile thick. To my knowledge.

Today’s big dogs in political news and opinion are the major dailies, with guys like Rob Christensen (News and Observer) and Jim Morrill (Charlotte Observer) out front on state political reporting. The AP has its own news hunter, Gary Robertson. And there are even some freelance watchdogs. The Lois Lane’s of North Carolina, so to speak.

The papers also have editorial pages and op-ed columnists. Editorial writers largely remain anonymous, giving the impression that their personal opinions represent management - or mismanagement, depending on the paper. And then there are pure columnists, people like Rick Martinez (N&O), Scott Mooneyham (syndicated) and Paul O'Connor (Winston-Salem Journal).

I'll give the N&O credit for covering the 527 story we reported a week ago, but it's too bad they missed the main point.

Three of the paper's top political minds, Kane, Curliss and Christensen, teamed up Under the Dome and they still didn't get to the heart of North Carolina's open market for buying and selling elections.

Lance has already given a brief mention to the Public Editor's column in today's News and Observer, but there's a story inside the story that may be worth your while.

First, though, kudos to Ted Vaden for actually looking into this question. I've written him about a handful of bias issues and I fully expected him to blow this one off too. So I was surprised to learn last week that he was actually looking into the story - and I appreciate his effort.

Why would one big newspaper in North Carolina cite the John Locke Foundation and related-PopeCo properties 12 TIMES MORE OFTEN than another big newspaper?

Actually, don't answer me. Just help me ask the question - loudly and often.

ted.vaden@newsobserver.com

There's an old saying in the world of political journalism: Never start a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel. I don't know if that advice still applies in the Internet world, but for better or for worse, it's long past time to start a fight with the Raleigh News and Observer.

Why? Because the paper simply isn't doing its job properly. Along with almost every other property in the main stream media, the N&O has gotten lazy and sloppy in ways that cannot be ignored. In particular, the N&O has been entranced by the self-promotional magic of the John Locke Foundation. So instead of critical analysis and healthy skepticism, the N&O regurgitates JLF talking points and "reports" as though they actually say something worth knowing. And while that's an abomination on its face, the problem is even worse. The N&O swallows JLF content like a ten-year-old eating Sweet Tarts, while largely ignoring counter-balancing voices like the Common Sense Foundation and NC Policy Watch. (Click on the image to enlarge.)

The Raleigh News and Observer

If you had any doubts about whether the N&O is a sorry echo chamber for Art 'the Puppetmaster' Pope, you can erase them once and for all. In an incredible display of institutional bias (and ignorance), the N&O story and headline today on the State Board of Elections get it all wrong.

I watched all but a few minutes of the hearing yesterday and for five full hours, Morgan's lawyers tore Pope's Puppets new assholes right and left. Then, in the final 90 minutes of the questionning, Morgan took the stand. He couldn't remember all the evidence his legal team had amassed on Pope's illegal electioneering, and he said so simply and clearly.

Ted Vaden, the public editor of the Raleigh News and Observer, writes this week about the glorious benefits readers should expect from the new-found cooperation between the McClatchy newsrooms in Charlotte and Raleigh. According to my old friend, this cooperation will yield better stories, more complete coverage and more 'forward-looking' news.

The longtime rivals for Tar Heel newspaper dominance became kissing cousins on June 27 upon the formal acquisition of Knight-Ridder Inc., The Observer's parent, by The McClatchy Co., owner of The N&O. That purchase created a newspaper chain of 32 daily papers, second largest in the United States. But nowhere does it have a greater impact than in North Carolina, the only state where the new chain owns the two largest newspapers.

I thought I was in the Twilight Zone this morning when I read this editorial in the News and Observer cautioning against selling land that has been acquired to support long term transit planning.

Linking fast-growing Wake, Durham and Orange counties and beyond with fast, cheap (and less-polluting) mass transit realistically is a when, not an if. But the only revenue now set aside for a system is a 5 percent tax on car rentals.

From its start in 1998, the tax has raised far less than expected or hoped for -- just $7 million last year, for a project whose total cost has been put at $810 million. Yet state Sen. Neal Hunt of Raleigh, for one, says collection of the tax probably should be halted until a new plan is adopted. He also suggests that the authority sell some of the land it has bought for rail stops and development around them.

Steve Ford's latest column in the N&O on the political calculations around Bush's Iraq debacle could have been provocative, but it wasn't. Not even close. In fact, by reducing Bush's War to a discussion of presidential politics, Ford makes light of the untold misery created by this administration's inability to learn from mistakes. The title of the column is creepy enough ... On war, can White House say 'Uh-oh'? - and it goes downhill from there.

Rob Christensen leads off the week with a wide-ranging round-up Under the Dome.

Sensing a possible upset of Republican U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor, Democrats are marshaling their resources to help Democratic challenger Heath Shuler.

Former Gov. Jim Hunt has campaigned for Shuler, and former Sen. John Edwards plans to do so this week. Former Ambassador Jeanette Hyde is planning a fundraiser for Shuler at her Raleigh home Sept. 11. That event is sponsored by Democratic members of the Council of State. A new poll shows Shuler, a former University of Tennessee quarterback, leading Taylor 48 percent to 43 percent.

In a recent story, Rob Christensen profiles Roy Cooper, why he declined to run for Governor in 08, and what the future might hold. The surpise? Not one mention of Burr '10.

The whole story is here (it is short). Clips after the break.

I came back from a week long tour of Florida yesterday thinking that the cities in Florida were so much better than those in our great state. Sure our cities are nice, but there were many more pieces of public art, more exciting and vibrant downtowns, and more people actually out at night in downtown in Florida's cities. Also, Florida has at least 9 major-league professional teams while North Carolina has 3.

Apparently, Raleigh's actions in the Plensa plaza affair, where Raleigh is about to turn down a plaza designed by an internationally known artist and paid for with private funds, convinced the N&O that it was time to attack Raleigh for creating a boring city. The Q section of Sunday's N&O contained four articles on how boring the city is and how the boringness is created by reactionary "No-it-alls". The articles:

On Saturday, I read an interesting story on the front page of the News & Observer It was entitled Border watch heightens crossing peril and it told a story stating that it is now much harder for illegal immigrants to cross the Mexico-US border into the US.

Although the article sounded authentic, it just felt "funny", like a Bush administration plant. So I sent email to Barbara Barrett, the author of the article, and cc'd Melanie Sill, the N&O's Executive editor and senior vice president (I met Melanie many years ago and respect her highly).