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Published Monday, Aug. 31, 2009 | 5:03 p.m.
Updated Monday, Aug. 31, 2009 | 5:14 p.m.
You may have seen Review-Journal Publisher Sherman Frederick's ridiculous rant against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Sunday's RJ. He took an obvious joke and turned it into something to fire up the anti-Reid caucus -- inside his newspaper and around the country. Check it out if you want -- I refuse to link to the garbage.
But here's my take:
GREAT MARKETER, HORRIBLE JOURNALIST, CLUMSY DEMAGOGUE: With all the national attention Review-Journal Publisher Sherman Frederick is receiving for his column Sunday assailing Harry Reid for threatening his business, it is worth asking the question: Was this just a shameless, disingenuous and pathetic cry for attention (please, please read the RJ) using a polarizing national figure to do so? Or was this a sincere concern about a powerful senator threatening to put a newspaper out of business?
Don't take my word for it. If you want to know the truth about the sad sack suffering from Pulitzer-envy who needs to engage in demagoguery to prop up his failing enterprise, the facts speak for themselves.
The most damning fact is this: On the day that Reid, obviously displaying the wry, deadpan humor for which he is famous, told the RJ's ad boss he hopes they go out of business, Frederick's echo, Editor Tom Mitchell, posted this on his blog:
Does anyone detect a note of outrage? Indeed, quite the contrary. Don't you think if Mitchell thought it was a serious threat, he would have been apoplectic instead of bemused?
Yet four days later, Frederick publishes a column that makes it sound as if he is bravely standing up to the threatening majority leader? It's clear he saw an opportunity to try to get readers for his newspaper and that's what happened - at least on that one day.
Today, Frederick is bragging on his blog about the thousands of responses. He may honestly think that thousands of people read his column. He may not understand that the column, for obvious reasons, was linked by Drudge, thus generating that volume of response. He may actually be that obtuse - history and my own experience says he is. But it is the national media attention - even The New York Times blogged about it and Fox News is understandably orgasmic - that generated the response on the RJ site. (Not surprisingly, the local GOP and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, for whom the column was made to order, are sending it around. And Little Tark also jumped all over it in a release.)
Faithful Flashees know that I have long been the foremost proponent of the leitmotif of Reid as a modern-day Machiavelli. But is there really anyone out there who believes he was threatening the RJ with extinction - I can't even believe Publisher Obtuse believes that - instead of simply being facetious? But for Frederick, it's an effective, if transparent, marketing gimmick to treat it as a real threat - although I suppose it is possible he actually believes what he wrote, even a more frightening proposition.
Frederick had this to say on his blog this morning: "People seem to be energized by a newspaper doing what it should do, which is stand up for the little guy against the powerful who would destroy others for their personal gain." Oh, yes, that's the RJ's reputation all right - standing up for the little guy.
It's grotesquely shameless. But many who don't know Reid's sense of humor or the history will buy it.
Frederick continued his performance - and that's what it was - this morning on KNPR, telling interviewer Dave Berns on "State of Nevada" that the newspaper had not decided yet whether to endorse Reid's re-election bid and that the RJ will always be fair to Reid in its news pages. Now I don't expect my national media peeps to understand how sickening and distasteful this is. But the evidence, here, too, is damning.
Fredrick and Mitchell, through their incessant pounding of Reid in their blogs and columns, and through the placement of stories, clearly have let their opinions seep into the newspaper. Indeed, after Frederick got Mitchell's mind right on how he should react to the "threat," the editor penned a blog entry Sunday (coincidentally the same day as Frederick's column) that embedded an anti-Reid ad from a far-right group on his site, with a screen shot that said, "TV Ad: Help Us Defeat Harry Reid."
Gee, who is "us" here?
Check it out:
On KNPR, Frederick was unable to cite any evidence that Reid actually was trying to hurt his business - indeed, the content of the newspaper accomplishes that task on its own. But the publisher did mysteriously imply that there was evidence, just that he wouldn't talk publicly about anything outside the "four corners" of his column.
I am sure that RJ employees are mortified by their boss' behavior, so obvious and cloddish as it is. Indeed, Frederick and Mitchell delight in painting the Sun as in the tank for Reid as opposed to their fairness. And yet on the same day that Frederick's marketing gimmick defiled the RJ's opinion section, the Sun's Lisa Mascaro penned a balanced piece about Reid's unpopularity in the state despite his lofty position:
The headline: "Home state finds it hard to warm up to Reid"
You can read it here:
I doubt Frederick even saw it - my experience is he doesn't read much, but is reliable when a spoon is put in his mouth. But he and Mitchell, the editor who has happily shown his biases, should note that this is what is commonly called journalism, as opposed to the offal they offered readers on Sunday.
Even if it wasn't a joke, "I hope you go out of business" is hardly the same as "I'm going to put you out of business."
I believe that Ralston is jealous of Sherman.
Hah, LVS you're a joke, why don't you stand up to Reid? Instead you pander rather than exercising news reporting.
Sherms rant raises a question: Would Nevada be better off without Harry Reid or the Daily Fishwrap?
I know my answer.
I think Ralston is jealous of the Sherman. As of this posting, I'm the 5th poster, and the Sherman story he is whining about has 4485 Reader comments.
Sucks to be on the wrong side, doesn't it Ralston.
Sherman is often irrational like that. Good article Jon.
looks like SOMEONE has their panties in a wad. truth hurts doesn't it jon dear....
I like your style but you're acting like someone with his bags packed for a return visit to the Finger Lakes. Reid is toast and you helped toast him. Sherm got at least 7000 hits today between his personal e-mail and the links to the story. I'm number 8 for you. That should tell you and Brain something; some days even the weather guy gets more attention.
Sherm Fredrick believes that with his hands around the state's biggest newspaper, he can say -- or claim -- anything he wants. Journalism isn't close to his ideals. Right wing Republicanism is his ideal. Too bad the right wing didn't do better when his idol George Bush was in the White House. Now, he can only complain.
As a former journoaist, I have long since lost any respect I might have had for him, his newspaper -- and his weskening ideology.
I totally relate to the frustration you feel, Jon, when a newspaper publisher makes false assertions.
I feel the exact same thing every time Brian Greenspun and the Sun misrepresent facts about such topics as the Yucca Mountain repository and what Harry Reid has done for the people of Nevada. Which seem to be inextricably linked in this newspaper, in that the purported "shutting down" of the repository project -- and the loss of 1,500 high-paying jobs for Nevadans -- is about the only accomplishment of Reid's that the Sun ever seems to be able to come up with.
I respect you and your opinions very much, but have a hard time sympathizing with your article because it was published in this newspaper. I just have a vision of Brian Greenspun heaving rocks at the R-J building from his own glass house.
I hope that the Sun loses so many readers that it becomes a 5 page insert into the glorious LVRJ because the Sun is an obvious rag that just repeats Democratic talking points which are subjective opinionate points that it inserts into its "news" articles instead of placing them in its editorial page or columnists sections where they belong.
Hey....wait a minute....the Sun Rag is already a 5 page insert into the glorious LVRJ.
Republicans, lol. 10MM votes to make up, and doing everything they can to make sure they offend every single potential crossover voter. Honestly, as if anyone who is unhappy with their Obama vote would ever, ever think of voting republican in the future. But hey, Hillary sends her 2012 thanks in advance, kiddies.
JahReb, Right now as I type, the Dems are their own worst enemies. They were able to win an election, but they can't stop campaigning and start governing.
People want results, not more campaigning.
"Great marketer, horrible journalist, clumsy demagogue."
EXACTLY.
Emphasis on HORRIBLE JOURNALIST.
Nance, you can spin away all day long, and it won't change the fact that Sherman Fredericks IS
a horrible journalist and an extremely clumsy demagogue.
Don't blame Ralston for that.
JON!
THANK YOU for exposing this fraud.
GROTESQUELY SHAMELESS. That is a sad, sad fact.
Ethics in Journalism?
Good lord, Shermy wouldn't know ethics if they walked up to him and punched him right in the nose.
I find Sherman Fredericks and his Hack Journalism "skills" reprehensible and the man is completely without scruples.
"yea, I was a Democrat until, like yesterday, and then I saw the light and became a proud Republican." THAT was the epitome of Sherman and his grotesque shamelessness.
Until this story.
p.s. to NANCE.
There have honestly been times that I thought YOU were Sherman Fredericks. Posting in the Sun. Your writing styles are very similar.
"the truth about the sad sack suffering from Pulitzer-envy who needs to engage in demagoguery to prop up his failing enterprise"
Why so bitter? Frederick suffers from Pulitzer-envy as much as you suffer from Drudge-envy. Fact is Frederick has received more publicity in the last two days than you have in your entire career.
Actually now that I think about it.. I would be bitter too if I had a column in a Newspaper insert imitating an actual newspaper and a TV show on a cable channel no one watches.
Sherm v. Harry is much more entertaining than Sherm v. Greenspun. Someone pass the popcorn.
Me thinks Jon Ralston is a little jelly. So you have to bring out the personal digs instead of keeping it just business. That usually happens when people have nothing else to back up their end of the story. "Only the guilty get defensive" and putting down Danny Tarkanian, Sherm and anyone else you can think of doesn't make you one iota better, Jon, or bigger for that matter. I, personally, think the above piece lacked professionalism and there wasn't even a hint of journalism in it. It was pure vile retribution. No one cares about you, Jon, your columns and your tv show suck and always have. All you media people here in Las Vegas think you're just so 'it'. When you're just writing obtuse, unprofessional articles and conducting yourself like an amateur. Perhaps there's a paper in Montana or Wyoming you can write for. You'll see how fast you won't last anywhere else. So take your so-called journalism and stuff it. You're a hack and a has-been.
Here's a few numbers:
Number of people who wrote to support Sherman Frederick: "Thousands"
Circulation of the RJ: 165,000
So maybe 1-2% of the subscribers bothered to write.
So 98-99% did not. Sherman Frederick considers this "overwhelming" support.
Number of people in Clark County: 1,800,000 (July 2008 estimate)
Fraction of the Clark County population who wrote in to support Sherman Frederick: less than 0.1%, meaning 99.9% did not.
Note: this method actually OVERESTIMATES the support for Frederick, because it assumes all the supporters were local. They aren't. Drudge made sure Harry-Reid-haters from around the country knew about the dispute.
Finally: looking 10 or 20 years from now, there will be two US Senators from Nevada. There may NOT be a daily newspaper in southern Nevada. A number of cities and towns don't have one.
In fact, we don't have a REAL newspaper now!
This clearly is jealousy on Ralston's part. On a good day, maybe 25-30 people will comment on his tripe. He sees Sherm getting 4,000+ comments on a column and it drives Ralston batty. Add to that the fact that the Sun would not exist if it wasn't for the RJ's generosity and you can see why Ralston's has an inferiority complex.
By the way, how can the Sun continue to call itself "independent" when it relies on the RJ to print and distribute its product? Sounds kind of dependent to me!
Hey gmag ... I don't think you want to start a discussion of LVRJ vs. Sun journalistic ethics.
Ask Jon how many reporters and editors have left the Sun because they cannot stomach the interference/marching orders from the ethically challenged Brian Greenspun.
Remember the "study" that Greenspun commissioned and ran on the front page in an attempt to justify his buddy Bill Walters' shady dealings with the county regarding his Stallion Mountain golf course?
Ralston points it out very effectively. The people commenting on the RJ article were directed their by the Drudge Report which is frequented by people that live on the far right side of politics. I read Drudge just to see what crazy stuff the right wingers come up with. That's were I found the article, and I left a comment about how the RJ is nowhere near the quality of the sun.
The only problem I have with the Sun is that I have to read the comments of idiots
first thing, i hate reid. i think he's a horrible person.
now, that being said...
i sold advertising for the r-j...worked under bob brown ( who harry reid allegedly made the comment to ) and...well...i think mr. brown's statement about this threat is as bogus as the readership numbers in his rate card.
i know how that paper works.
they got RICH...just stinking rich in the boom years because they had little competition and paid their employees a very low wage compared to other newspapers of comparable size.
they've been able to live off that "stored fat" the last 2 or 3 years when other newspapers in america have folded.
but now...mr. brown and sherm are seeing their ad revenues decreasing...so...HEY! let's start up a fake "controversy" to get all our 55+ readers worked up so they'll "support" us...and read the paper...and see the ads...and buy more hearing aid batteries from the r-j advertisers.
folks, newspapers make money from ADVERTISING...NOT subscriptions.
bob brown is a jerk.
hey jon...
thus the phrase...
retarded republicans!!!
I would guess somewhere near 90 percent of the comments shermy received on this story were from the links @fox.com and drudge. Might be higher. Maybe 95%. Fox had the story as their LEAD, like it was an earthquake or something... and that is a very sad commentary on fox. Also an indication it was a verrry slowwww news day.
"a horrible journalist and an extremely clumsy demagogue."
Sherman is a publisher.
Ralston is a policitical columnist and not a journalist.
You want talk about extremely clumsy demagogue.....Have you read those stories by Ralston where he drums up imaginary phoney conversations between people?
Just look at this article and the words "Extremely clusmy" come screaming start at you. It looks like something that BirdDreaming would write. It looks like something a 12 year old would write. It is differently a poor piece of writing.
Demagogue....who is the one is constantly refers to a sitting governor as Zero?
Ralston = blowhard. Kantowski rule's!
"...obvious joke..." "...he hopes they go out of business..."
I don't think so...
This not my comment... why is a nonexistent newspaper writing about a nonexistent threat?
Looks like your comments just brought out the mad dog temperament again.
There is some heavy anger hanging in the air around Las Vegas.
My guess-it isn't about Harry Reid-
immigration, birthers, public health coverage-all seem to elicit rage responses.
The democrats could offer each Nevadan a million bucks and all it would do is start another tea party!
What the heck is going on??
OH REALLY NOW?
The Democrats and the Republications politicians would probably be happy to "offer each Nevadan a million bucks..." That's the problem, that's all they know how to do.
Ralston thinks he's Upton Sinclair or somebody like that.
I hope the SUN goes out of business because of you Ralston.
Thank you, Mr. Ralston, for saying the obvious. Shermy knows his paper is in trouble, so this is just a desperate attempt to get attention... And maybe some more ad revenue. (stevem is onto something here.) This just proves that The R-J is nothing more than an extreme right rag. Regardless of one's opinion of Harry Reid, he NEVER "threatened" The R-J and they're shamelessly milking this non-scandal because they don't know how to deliver a good newspaper. (Pun intended.)
"Shermy knows his paper is in trouble, so this is just a desperate attempt to get attention"
You do know that the Sun lost so many readers that its only means of existence was to become a 6 page insert into the LVRJ.
So if the LVJR is a bad paper what does make the SUN?
I am not sure if the Sun has made money for decades now.
I am not sure if the Sun is treated as "hobby" entity in the eyes of the IRS because it has lost money for decades now.
So if the LVJR is a bad paper what does make the SUN?
Wow....the last time I heard anger like that was when I dumped a girl. Ralston, anything you want to share with the class?
I'm wondering more and more if nance IS SHERMAN.
Jon you made an error. You called the Review Journal a newspaper.
Congratulations Jon, you have a whopping 41 comments. Sherm's column, by the way, is up to 5,175 (and counting).
Jenny: your point, that the R-J is a mere echo chamber for the fringe right wing? Taken.
Why you think that's something to brag about? I have no idea.
If it wasn't for the 2 for 1 buffet coupons from Stations Casinos and the insert of the Las Vegas Sun I would NEVER buy the RJ... this rag of a newspaper!
The RJ editorializes to the lowest of the low...throwing their support to the likes of John Ensign and Jim Gibbons.
They even go out of their way to defend the immoral, hypocritical behavior of these politicians whom they favor!
Sen. Reid, on the other hand, is an upright, decent human being. He espouses policies , though we may not always agree, to advance the human condition. Whether its wage issues, the wars, and now, pressingly, health care legislation. He is working hard to get things done after eight years of Republican neglect.
What has the C Street fanatic Senator Ensign done for the last eight years that the RJ finds so wonderful? Mask himself as a family values conservative while trashing his family, MY FAMILY, and his faith? The RJ editorial staff should have demanded his resignation.
And what of our other RJ stalwart Governor Gibbons the "garage groper"?
The political leanings of the editorial staff of the RJ have brought our city and state to the brink thanks to the characterless freaks they have endorsed.
Senator Reid will fail only if he lets the folks at the RJ define him. And, in the end, when all is said and done, he won't let the RJ do that anymore without speaking up! Good for you Senator Reid, that's the "fire in the belly" we're lookin' for!
Break time is over, Sen. Reid. Now get back to work and deliver a decent health care bill as promised!!
I wish the Las Vegas Sun was independant of the RJ!!
Stuart & Robert Wyman-Cahall
Las Vegas, NV 89142
I was surprised to see there were two pages of funnies in the RJ today. Then I saw the congratulatory letters to the editor page - a full page - and realized there were THREE pages of funnies. I came to Vegas for cheap entertainment and dang if it isn't paying off.
Ralston is dog food. I couldn't help it...sorry.
Howdydo writes: "Sen. Reid, on the other hand, is an upright, decent human being. He espouses policies , though we may not always agree, to advance the human condition. Whether its wage issues, the wars, and now, pressingly, health care legislation. He is working hard to get things done after eight years of Republican neglect.
WHERE HAS THE GOOD SENATOR BEEN FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS?
wegoaxleguard;
Ha?
Here it is Jon, several days later and you have only 48 comments and Sherman has well over 5,000.
You lose, just like Reid will in 2010 enough said!!!
Keep it up Jon. Good work.
The RJ and KXNT Hate talk radio station have a gimmick "RJ Headliners."
So Jack Landreth (station BOSS) got together with SHERM the PACaDerm and got on the horn to hate-talker Sean Insannity's producer and Ranter Mark Levin's producer. They decided to make a big deal out of nothing for ratings.
Keep in mind, the afternoon local hate-taker (who thinks WMD was found in Iraq, Obama is a Commie, and doesn't have a birth certificate, etc.) chickened out on a debate at UNLV with a couple of progressives. They let down a lot of students that planned the event. So when they talk about "Reid hiding" it is a load of crap.
They are the cowards that heavily screen out opposing callers.
While, Sean Insannity makes a big deal about polls of Obama, Reid, the Democratic Governors of NJ and VA etc., you don't hear a peep out of him about Gibbons 10% rating, the Republican Party's 26% rating, etc.
In fact when Bush was in the 20's and 30's, Insannity was saying: "that showed what a great leader he was, sticking to his principles and not being influenced by the polls."
Now he is a poll freak. What about the poll that says 51% of Americans don't think the war in Afghanistan is worth it? You don't hear him mention that one, do you?
We definitely need the fairness doctrine and the 3 right wing stations in town should be sold off to improve local content.
The NY Sun went out of Biz, the WSJ took a 50% write down, etc. Plenty of conservative papers hit hard times too. Actually, the Sun/Greenspun enterprise has done a better job shifting to the "new media" than the PACaderm's paper.
Stephens? didn't they use to run a cloth factory?
And how well is talk radio doing, kdwn cut staff and after tons of money thrown in by Beasley, their ratings are in the toilet still, kdox is on life support, and compared to other stations, (kkoh, kfi, kfyi, ksfo, kfbk, etc.) kxnt has dumpy ratings, when contrasted to other Limpbaugh hate talk radio stations in similar markets. The only ads they seem to run are for a pool table shop. That ought to make the payroll.
Excellent article. The RJ is to news what the Fox Network is...to news: i.e., absurd right-wing propoganda that craps on journalistic values and integrity. I kept my RJ subscription for far too long so I could get the Sun, but I couldn't justify putting money in Sherm's pocket any longer. Thank goodness Ralston's online.
Respectfully To LARRYVEGAS:
Howdydo writes: "Sen. Reid, on the other hand, is an upright, decent human being. He espouses policies , though we may not always agree, to advance the human condition. Whether its wage issues, the wars, and now, pressingly, health care legislation. He is working hard to get things done after eight years of Republican neglect.
WHERE HAS THE GOOD SENATOR BEEN FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS?
--------------------------------------------------
Well, LarryVegas,
The good Senator has for six of those eight years been in the shadows of the right wing Bush machine which inflcited much damage on our nation and constitution. Then LarryVegas, we had an election. Then, we started to move an agenda, LarryVegas....and Senator Reid became the Majority Leader.
You see, LarryVegas. elections have consequences.
The Repubs have said NO to ANY idea of how to fix health care, and thanks to Senator Reid and President Obama we will finally see action. We tried to do it with Repubs, LarryVegas and it appears we will have to proceed and succeed without them. And when you see the end reselt, LarryVegas, you won't wanna mess up our BRAND NEW health care system, just like you don't wanna mess with social secrity and medicare!
Just don't say it was YOUR great idea when we did it without ya!
Sincerely,
Stuart & Robert Wyman-Cahall
Las Vegas, NV 89142
get a job Thumper
... Having STARTED my international, award-winning print-journalism career of 35+ yrs. (including 17 with "Billboard Magazine" in L.A., Vegas-&-here in the Bflo./Rochester, NY markets) at thee Right-Wing R/J rag, even in 1973, many if not ALL credible reporter/writers couldn't WAIT to get OUT!!! SO: Some things DO-not-CHANGE!!! PATHETIC!!!
Stuart & Robert,
I, like many others here would like to see health care reform but not a government takeover of our health system. And, I believe there will be some kind of health care reform passed but it will not be in the form of HR-3200. And it will not be a product of Democrats alone.
Both the Democrat and the Republican parties are self serving and show a complete lack of willingness to work together. That is one of the main reasons I am an independent voter.
Independent voters put Obama and many other Democrats in office during the last election and they will vote them out of office in the next election if they do not move to the middle and get things done. Harry Reid has not and is not helping the situation...
Contrary to your opinion, I would like to see some major changes in Social Security and Medicare. But we will save that for another day.