Comments on: Strawman of the Day http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/ Harangues that just make sense Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:39:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: T-web http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/#comment-316509 T-web Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:17:22 +0000 http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/#comment-316509 Hoyt is the worst ombudsman I've seen at any media outlet. He's just a complete shill. I wonder if he even knows it, though. Ironically, I think the best ombudsman out there is Le Anne Schreiber with ESPN.com. It's good that she's there, but there are so many outlets that cover more weighty issues that could use an ombudsman with her toughness and honesty. Hoyt is the worst ombudsman I’ve seen at any media outlet. He’s just a complete shill. I wonder if he even knows it, though.

Ironically, I think the best ombudsman out there is Le Anne Schreiber with ESPN.com. It’s good that she’s there, but there are so many outlets that cover more weighty issues that could use an ombudsman with her toughness and honesty.

]]> By: Joe http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/#comment-316478 Joe Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:45:50 +0000 http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/#comment-316478 Come now. There was no way the NYT could defend it's choosing not to use the civilian murder rate. If you avoid the street level drug trade, the odds of you being a murder victim are dramatically reduced. The other big driver is unstable romantic partners. Crazy knows no color, but the street drug trade is typically controlled by racial minorities. So the authors have to say that minorities are more likely to be the perpetrators of violence, and then argue that the military is too white and too sane to compare to the larger population. Exactly how many preconceived story lines would this assertion contradict at the NYT? Come now. There was no way the NYT could defend it’s choosing not to use the civilian murder rate. If you avoid the street level drug trade, the odds of you being a murder victim are dramatically reduced. The other big driver is unstable romantic partners. Crazy knows no color, but the street drug trade is typically controlled by racial minorities.

So the authors have to say that minorities are more likely to be the perpetrators of violence, and then argue that the military is too white and too sane to compare to the larger population. Exactly how many preconceived story lines would this assertion contradict at the NYT?

]]> By: PCachu http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/#comment-316476 PCachu Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:25:57 +0000 http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/#comment-316476 Maybe this policy of publishing corrections that themselves will require corrections is his approach to job security. Not that they'll actually run out of errors anytime soon, but it's always good to hedge your bets. Maybe this policy of publishing corrections that themselves will require corrections is his approach to job security. Not that they’ll actually run out of errors anytime soon, but it’s always good to hedge your bets.

]]> By: PCD http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/#comment-316472 PCD Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:49:57 +0000 http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/#comment-316472 The best example of an ombudsman for a paper was Pat Riley for the OC(Santa Ana, CA)Register during the 90's. I caught a reporter lying about him laughing along with Willie Brown after Willie made a racist joke during a press conference. The reporter denyied it to the Riley, and Riley reported it in his column. Then, KOGO in San Diego played an audio clip of Brown making the joke and everyone laughing at it. I pointed this out to Riley. Riley must have contacted KOGO because he retracted his report from the reporter and chastised that reporter for lying to him. Riley published this in his column. Any more Pat Rileys out there? The best example of an ombudsman for a paper was Pat Riley for the OC(Santa Ana, CA)Register during the 90’s.

I caught a reporter lying about him laughing along with Willie Brown after Willie made a racist joke during a press conference. The reporter denyied it to the Riley, and Riley reported it in his column. Then, KOGO in San Diego played an audio clip of Brown making the joke and everyone laughing at it. I pointed this out to Riley. Riley must have contacted KOGO because he retracted his report from the reporter and chastised that reporter for lying to him. Riley published this in his column.

Any more Pat Rileys out there?

]]> By: Amphipolis http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/#comment-316373 Amphipolis Sun, 27 Jan 2008 23:10:42 +0000 http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/#comment-316373 The ombudsman is not really there to handle complaints. He is there to show the faithful that the paper is practically faultless. As such, he is doing a great job. The ombudsman is not really there to handle complaints. He is there to show the faithful that the paper is practically faultless. As such, he is doing a great job.

]]> By: Bill Sanford http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/#comment-316347 Bill Sanford Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:32:37 +0000 http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/#comment-316347 If it were not for Realclearpolitics.com, I would not be reading the NYT. I do not appreciate yellow journalism. Any way of getting the NYT off of Realclearpolitics? Then, maybe they would go out of business... If it were not for Realclearpolitics.com, I would not be reading the NYT. I do not appreciate yellow journalism.

Any way of getting the NYT off of Realclearpolitics? Then, maybe they would go out of business…

]]> By: DRJ http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/#comment-316315 DRJ Sun, 27 Jan 2008 18:09:18 +0000 http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/#comment-316315 Re: Pablo's #5: The reporters could have provided a comparison of civilian-military homicide statistics along with a sentence explaining why they thought it was not a good comparison, but now it's clear they <i>deliberately refused</i> to provide the civilian statistics. The first option lets the readers decide if the comparison is meaningful, while the second makes it likely most readers won't even think about the comparison. That speaks volumes about the New York Times' agenda. Re: Pablo’s #5:

The reporters could have provided a comparison of civilian-military homicide statistics along with a sentence explaining why they thought it was not a good comparison, but now it’s clear they deliberately refused to provide the civilian statistics. The first option lets the readers decide if the comparison is meaningful, while the second makes it likely most readers won’t even think about the comparison.

That speaks volumes about the New York Times’ agenda.

]]> By: Merovign http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/#comment-316311 Merovign Sun, 27 Jan 2008 17:46:06 +0000 http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/#comment-316311 Now, I'm sure the job of Ombudsman is a thankless job, where pretty much no one is happy with your answers. Mind you, that seems to be because the answers suck. I've always been more than a little suspicious of the concept of an employee who's supposed to represent someone else's interests. Wasn't there, in some mythical Time Before Time, supposed to be a principle where different new organizations kept each other in line through competition? Or did I dream it? Now, I’m sure the job of Ombudsman is a thankless job, where pretty much no one is happy with your answers.

Mind you, that seems to be because the answers suck.

I’ve always been more than a little suspicious of the concept of an employee who’s supposed to represent someone else’s interests.

Wasn’t there, in some mythical Time Before Time, supposed to be a principle where different new organizations kept each other in line through competition? Or did I dream it?

]]> By: SteveMG http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/#comment-316309 SteveMG Sun, 27 Jan 2008 17:41:06 +0000 http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/#comment-316309 <i> argued against trying to make a comparison to civilian homicide rates</i> How can we determine whether the rates of murders done by veterans (or any series of events "X") is something to be alarmed about if there's nothing to compare it to? If we have no yardstick or guide to use, what use is a raw statistic or number? It seems to me that in 8 months, the reporters could crunch the numbers to give us some sort of backdrop or measure as a base. Unless.....? This was a poorly edited and thought out piece. argued against trying to make a comparison to civilian homicide rates

How can we determine whether the rates of murders done by veterans (or any series of events “X”) is something to be alarmed about if there’s nothing to compare it to?

If we have no yardstick or guide to use, what use is a raw statistic or number?

It seems to me that in 8 months, the reporters could crunch the numbers to give us some sort of backdrop or measure as a base.

Unless…..?

This was a poorly edited and thought out piece.

]]> By: airedale http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/#comment-316290 airedale Sun, 27 Jan 2008 13:14:17 +0000 http://patterico.com/2008/01/26/strawman-of-the-day/#comment-316290 It's pretty simple he wants to keep his job. The last Public Editor got uppity and wrote a couple of critical columns and he was gone. I'm sure he was chosen by Keller and Salzberger specifically because he wouldn't rock the boat and would do as told. It’s pretty simple he wants to keep his job. The last Public Editor got uppity and wrote a couple of critical columns and he was gone. I’m sure he was chosen by Keller and Salzberger specifically because he wouldn’t rock the boat and would do as told.

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