Hypocrytic Oafs....

[SmokingGun]

"PLP Blog

Royal Gazette Promotes Two Expats, Fires a Bermudian

SUBMITTED BY PLP ON 10 AUGUST 2009 - 2:50PM.

Just weeks after Bill Zuill reaffirmed his commitment to hiring, training and promoting Bermudians, his paper fired it's only Bermudian sports news staffer and promoted two of it's expat news reporters. The firing was not reported in his paper even though it came just weeks after Mr. Zuill made comments contrary to the newspaper's action. We expect more sunshine from an institution with a unique responsibility to the public that also runs a 'right to know campaign.'

Passing over Bermudian reporters, Bill Zuill picked two British expats, Sam Strangeways and Tim Smith, for promotions. Ms. Strangeways now serves as the paper's Chief Reporter and Mr. Smith was appointed Political Reporter. These are two key promotions and two key positions that will help shape the public dialogue in Bermuda. It's telling that Bill Zuill chose expats to fill these critical roles instead of Bermudians. His commitment to hiring, training and promoting Bermudians grows more hollow by the day.

There's more. Last month, Mr. Zuill's paper reported that "The Royal Gazette makes every effort to encourage its expat reporters to mix with the Bermuda community." What wasn't reported in the paper is that Mr. Zuill retains at least two reporters on staff that don't even live in Bermuda. Matthew Taylor is a foreign national who is currently reporting on explosive issues from thousands of miles away. It's impossible for him to 'mix with the Bermuda community' if he's not located in Bermuda.

It will be interesting to note who replaces the fired Bermudian sports reporter. Will Mr. Zuill fly in another foreign national to join fellow expats Amanda Dale, Sam Strangeways, Tim Smith, Jeremy Deacon, Matthew Taylor and Elizabeth Roberts on The Royal Gazette's staff or will he hire a Bermudian? We know who he recently chose to promote, and, it wasn't a Bermudian.

We have nothing against expats. They are a valued sector of our country that help makes our economy strong. However, we think a newspaper's editorial staff should reflect the diversity of the community they cover - that's why Glenn Jones said this in his speech last month:

I remember in my early years as a broadcast journalist in the United States there was a lot of cerebral discussion about diversity in newsrooms. There were whole conventions on the subject. It was a complex dialogue but basically the consensus was that newsroom demographics should, at minimum, reflect the demographics of the communities they cover and many media organizations acted on that consensus. People far smarter than me were convinced it made news coverage better, more representative, more fair. I would love to see our local news organizations show a greater commitment to similar action. It would demonstrate journalistic maturity."

Meanwhile The New York Bermuda Tourism Office is seeking three new Managers to replace the dozen or more Bermudians who were fired earlier this year....

Let's see how many Bermudians get the jobs.....

Not knowing the circumstances as to why the Bermudian was fired but does this PLP Propaganda come across as being xenophobic?

[Mysty]

I believe good ol' Glenn Jones cut his teeth at, and actually won an Emmy (which is admirable) while he was at FOX News in the States.  However I wouldn't call FOX News editorially balanced.  In fact I wouldn't even call it News.  It is actually Republican propaganda, a la Rupert Murdoch, disguised as News.  No wonder Jones is so good at what he does for the plp....

 

 

[Rufus T. (Uncle Elvis) Firefly III]

Sounds about par for the course for those lot.

"Do as I say, not as I do..." We all know how well THAT works...

(BTW, I HAVE to give you a wuffle and full props for the title. Clever as hell!)

[Piglet of the Yard]

I believe good ol' Glenn Jones cut his teeth at, and actually won an Emmy (which is admirable) while he was at FOX News in the States.  However I wouldn't call FOX News editorially balanced.  In fact I wouldn't even call it News.  It is actually Republican propaganda, a la Rupert Murdoch, disguised as News.  No wonder Jones is so good at what he does for the plp....

 

 

Good thing Fox didn’t have any issues about hiring a foreigner.....

Piglet

[Tryangle]

... but does this PLP Propaganda come across as being xenophobic?

Probably, but the first thing I think of when glancing across the PLP/Prog Minds headlines is "petty".

[SmokingGun]

Very petty indeed. And biased. Just take a look at all those higher up "Bermudians" working at the Bermuda Sun....

Speaking of Prog Minds.... they finally decide to post something and....

"Since the unfortunate death of Minister Nelson bascome, this seat has been vacant however on Aug 27th the voters will have their choice as to his replacement. Who will this be?
This seat has been a PLP stronghold since party politics. In the last 2 elections, Nelson bascome won the vote of 93% and 87% of the electorate. Amazing statistics.

Minister Bascome was from that community, of that community, and gave back to that community. His shoes are mighty big, and whoever tries to fill them will need to come with the similar goods."

Took them three attempts to finally get the spelling of Minister Bascome correct... sheesh.

And Yeah I know.... I'm being petty.

[Rufus T. (Uncle Elvis) Firefly III]

How about those expats posting over on Progressive Minds, posing as Bermudians?

[SmokingGun]

Dang UE! WF for that extremely good point!

[Jimmy Jones]

This was the bit that got me

I remember in my early years as a broadcast journalist actavist in the United States there was a lot of cerebral discussion about diversity in newsroomsGovernments. There were whole conventions on the subject. It was a complex dialogue but basically the consensus was that newsroom Government demographics should, at minimum, reflect the demographics of the communities they cover and many media organizations Government acted on that consensus. People far smarter than me were convinced it made news coverage Governments better, more representative, more fair. I would love to see our local news organizations Government show a greater commitment to similar action. It would demonstrate journalistic Governments maturity."

[Tryangle]

Just another canned speech, really.

It's just weird that instead of focusing on community and national issues and how they're dealing with them they keep falling back into attacking the Gazette.

How about discussing how the Minister of Transport (and maybe the Minister of Works and Engineering, if applicable) is going to address the issue of making the public bus system more accessible for those with physical disabilities, for example?

That would be more informative than a repeated rant against the Gazette, the nice convenient boogeyman of the governing party.

[Hannibal]

I only know as much about the disabled-accessible buses as I read in the Gazette, but it seems pretty straightforward.

Here's what happened:

- someone got it in their head that we needed them
- someone else got told to go source a solution
- they did
- they didn't consult with anyone who's actually disabled
- they spent a lot of money
- now they can't use what they bought


'Cuz it seems as though these buses will never work.  Fundamental design problem - not with the buses, which work fine, but with their compatibility with the sidewalks.

So, they'll never work.


Lots o' money spent.

No joy.



Seems like someone owes someone an apple-ohggy.


 

[Piglet of the Yard]

No apologies....(like they would ever do that!)

It is clearly another reason to take over the failing Corporations to make bring their sidewalks up to the requirements of the bus!

Piglet

[Tryangle]

Nailed it on the first try, Hannibal. This also applies to

the new central terminal (they sure didn't do enough research)
the reflective coating on the bus poles (a, were they necessary and b, why were they so easy to peel off)
the proposed increase in routes (which never happened as the drivers wouldn't agree)

I think the jury's still out on the schoolchildren-travel-free situation as we don't know if more kids use them and less parents are on the road dropping them to and from school.

[Mysty]

Glen Jones failed to mention that the Royal Gazette was the only local news medium that would hire him when he came back from the States... so fuck him and his petty blogs posts.

 

[Hannibal]

I met Glenn Jones, and there's not a whole lot in there.

I looked, I just couldn't see anything.