Remember Gregory Allen Moyer? The dirty old man teaching at Fork Union Military Academy, who got caught spanking students, and went on the lam in 2001? (The story is actually a lot weirder than that, but for brevity’s sake…) Well, he’s been nabbed, working as a teacher in Mexico, and it’s thanks to The Hook and Google that he’s been caught. It seems that he had his students google his name, and they found The Hook’s August 2002 story about him. The students got in touch with The Hook, the spanker was arrested, and he’s being sent back to the U.S. to serve his 3.5 year sentence for taking indecent liberties with minors. The Hook has the full story.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
four six and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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Archive for Sideblog »
Makes you wonder what would have happened if the Hook didn’t have an online archive. Good thing we didn’t have to wait for the Progress to get online. Who know what horrors have been avoided.
That Waldo quote in the article is sort of strange. What does "web journalist Waldo Jaquith" have to do with this story?
It doesn’t look to me like the purpose of the quote is to include Waldo. Waldo just happens to have uttered a quote that sums up the entire story in a couple of sentences, and in a catchy way to boot. I do agree that it’s shoehorned in rather awkwardly, but Waldo is a good quote in general, and the writers probably just found this one too perfect to resist. I’ve been there many times myself.
I’ve been an agitator for local media archives for many years. I’ve sat down with C-Ville, The Hook, and WVIR at various times, imploring them to maintain full archives of their news. (WINA, The Hook, and C-Ville [kind of; they change the URLs] do so. The Daily Progress threatens to remove old stories, but often don’t.) The Daily Progress I’d agitated through at least a couple of letters and frequent criticism here on cvillenews.com. :) So to have The Hook’s news archives serve such an obviously great purpose after I’d worked to convince Hawes Spencer many years ago (he’s needed not a moment’s convincing within this century) made Hawes calling me about it a way to bring things full-circle.
I suspected you had a personal relationship with Hawes when you refused to publish my story on lightweight (even phony, perhaps?) journalism from the Hook a few weeks ago. ‘Tis a small town indeed…
Maybe it was just not that big a story in Waldo’s eyes. It is his blog
"Maybe it was just not that big a story in Waldo’s eyes. It is his blog"
Oh – Help me here please. I got to this forum via the Hook Web page. I thought a "blog" was a personal journal, whereas I thought this forum was a Hook sponsored endeavor……..
How far off track am I?
Huh. Pretty far off, actually. I wouldn’t call it a blog, but it’s definitely Waldo’s, and non-Hook-related. Although of course all us Charlottesville media insiders hang out together, even the ones who don’t live in Virignia.
But while we’re asking questions … Waldo, how do you feel about the description "web journalist"? I’ve noticed some creep lately in who calls themselves journalists, but — no offense — this seems like kind of a stretch.
Your on track, I was being a little tongue in cheek. Which sometimes get lost in print. But it is a blog in the sense that Waldo picks the stories and we get to comment. He controls the topic, we control the content after that.
Yeah, but the only problem is Waldo’s "picks" are more than a little restricted in scope and philosophy. In fact, I think Waldo, at this time after obeseriving his choice topics and his tone, is a politico wannabe. Blog schmog, that’s what I say.
I suspected you had a personal relationship with Hawes when you refused to publish my story on lightweight (even phony, perhaps?) journalism from the Hook a few weeks ago.
I kept you from making a fool of yourself. You went asspants because Christina Ball, in The Hook, described a restaurant that was supposed to open by the time the issue hit the stands. I told you to hold your horses, that the restaurant probably just hadn’t opened on time. The next week, she apologized, writing:
Symp, you spend all your time looking for conspiracies where there aren’t any. I think what you want to hear is that I secretly colluded with Andrew Vaughan (who I have known for years and — shocker! — once worked for) Christina Ball to permit the public to falsely believe that the Atomic Burrito restaurant was open during a week in which it was not in order to secretly funnel money to al-Qaeda, to help bring about the New World Order under the guidance of the Illuminati, the Masons, and the Reverse Vampires. Well, you’ve got me.
Oh, I’ve been hoist by my own petard! The irony!
Although of course all us Charlottesville media insiders hang out together, even the ones who don’t live in Virignia.
I think that a lot of people don’t get that. There’s a general impression that there are the Progress people, who dare not speak to the C-Ville people, who dare not speak to the WINA people, etc. Not only is it a small town, but when so many people are showing up at the same events covering the same things, it’s inevitable that everybody will get to know everybody.
But while we’re asking questions … Waldo, how do you feel about the description “web journalist”? I’ve noticed some creep lately in who calls themselves journalists, but — no offense — this seems like kind of a stretch.
I don’t object to the use of the term, only because I can’t come up with a better one, but I certainly have never labeled myself as a journalist.
Just a few days ago, Jay Rosen wrote about this, and I think he makes some good points. If we may present a false dichotomy — blogging vs. journalism — what I do on my various sites is much, much closer to blogging than journalism. If it were a 1-10 scale, 1 being blogging and 10 being journalism, my personal site would obviously be a 1, and I think cvillenews.com would be, like, a 2. Sometimes a 3, but only on very rare occasions. I’d rather it be a 1, frankly. :) Kay Trammell writes that bloggers perform “random acts of journalism,” and I think that describes things around here pretty well.
Blogging pioneer Rebecca Blood wrote about this last year. I should quote her conclusion, since she sums things up better than I could:
The term she prefers is “participatory media.” Unfortunately, to get back to the original question, this doesn’t lend itself to the form of a title particularly easily. Perhaps I’d be a “participatory medium”? It makes it sound like I’m psychic.
You know, I kind of like that. :)
For the record, I actually was kidding about all the Media Insiders hanging out together. Even if it is more or less true.
Waldo Jaquith, you state you limit topics to the local level, but apparently, when the news questions people you are buddy with (directly or indirectly), you block it out from your site. You’ve stated you decline a lot of news submissions because many are either self-serving or boring. How can questioning the ethics and/or journalism practice of a local popular rag not be a good topic?
Fact: Christina Ball “reported” on an eatery, in minute detail on even the “fun” ordering process and the inexistent menu when the restaurant didn’t even have a license or a sign hung up yet.
Waldo says:
I kept you from making a fool of yourself.
You went asspants…
…you spend all your time looking for conspiracies where there aren’t any.
…funnel money to al-Qaeda…
You are like a bully trying to laugh away and ridicule your victim. I do not see a “conspiracy” here. I never said that. I do see an uncomfortable coziness between downtown hip businesses at the expense of others. Getting a write-up in the Hook or the C-Ville or any other widely dispersed media channel would be a tremendous boost for a restaurant. Ms. Ball didn’t choose to report on existing eateries but somehow managed to “review” glowingly a place near her office and owned by someone she and her boss know personally. To me, that is newsworthy. To me, this is worth exploring as to the consequences and ethical lapses of this and other news sources today.
The fact you do not even follow your own avowed guidelines makes you a fake. Just like Ms. Ball’s report and no doubt a too large an amount of other fabricated or otherwise distorted stories in a our local and possibly national news channels.
Lastly, her so-called “correction” manages to place a second free promotion for Vaughn with keep fingers crossed for a Thursday, April 1 opening. Pathetic. And double-pathetic to you Waldo for being part of this farce.
Ah, I see — that makes sense.
Guess they’ll be referring to you as "web journalist and unwitting crime fighter" in the future. ;)
Has anyone else noticed that the Hook gets credit for this story in the Daily Progress but not in any story on Channel 29? I wonder if it’s 29’s policy not to mention the Hook or just a problem of not enough time to give a story any detail.
WINA also gave the Hook credit as well.
Back when I paid attention, Channel 29 used to lift stories from the Progress every single day, and they never gave any credit. I think it’s just one of those things — like running corrections — that they just "don’t do."
That said, I’m surprised that the Progress didn’t find a way to leave the Hook out of the story too. There’s a sometimes-unstated but sometimes-stated-outright policy there of avoiding mention of other local media, too.
It was a long time ago that I retired my apron after a few years in "food service" — but back then, at least, it was entirely standard operating procedure to invite media and other talkative people (or local "mini-celebrities") in for a trial night before the new establishment opened. It was a good dress rehearsal for the staff and a good way to get the name of the new joint in prospective customers’ minds.
I don’t see your point.
Obviously, an eatery will do as much as can be done to promote his/her establishment. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s the journalist and the paper I have a problem with. Ms. Ball plays up a place as if it’s some kind of hotspot when in fact the place wasn’t even open. Is she a promoter or a journalist? Is The Hook an ad agency or is it a local newspaper?
Why promote that place when there’s plenty others that have recently opened or been upgraded? Why put a full-blown photo of the owner and in prime spot when at that time, Ms. Ball should have simply stated to watch out for a new place downtown which should be opening soon. That’s called a sidebar item. Ms. Ball plainly stated it was already open and that was not true. How clearer can I get?
The Hook published a false story. To me, this is worth discussing. To Waldo, it’s apparently off-limits. That stance, too, is worth discussing. A conspiracy? No. But lapses in judgment and maybe unethical behavior: yes, probably.
If it makes any difference, I have never met Waldo. But when I decided to start my own site for Fluvanna County that would be somewhat similar to cvillenews.com, I emailed Waldo and asked if he could do a simple story about it. Waldo did this and even put a block dedicated to my site on the left side of your screen. This wasn’t anything but Waldo being kind and generous to help promote a new site for a person that he has never met.
Yeah, and my neighbor’s cat meows at night. So the f**k what?
Sympy writes: Is she [Ms. Ball] a promoter or a journalist? Is The Hook an ad agency or is it a local newspaper?
An earlier version of this debate is here, RE: the opening of the Vespa showroom.
I give you the "Hijack a thread" award with this one. If Waldo won’t publish your idea, then by golly hijack the thread.
I can see what you are saying Symp but you have to look at it like CVille and the Hook are just running their business occuringly. Like for instance, you will never see the Fearless Consumer go after any big name sponsors for the Hook. If you got a big ad in the Hook, then you get the "Get Out of Jail" card from the Fearless Consumer. Not once (and you can correct me if I am wrong) have I ever saw the FC go after a big name Hook sponsor. Ha, in one section you got a half of a page ad then you got the FC ripping you a new asshole.
On the other hand, if you are spending the big bucks with the Hook, of coarse they will make you newsworthy. I mean if your business does great that will mean more advertising dollars for them. It is all business and the journelism has to take a beat seat.
Well, you’re right about hijacking. But: 1) Waldo did talk about his "ties" with Hawes et al so it was a great opportunity 2) Waldo asked for it by being so blatantly uneven about what he will publish 3) THIS IS LOCAL NEWS (and more…) It’s an endictment of the widespread decay of our societal mores. Everything goes today. Whether it’s acting like the Communists proclaimed during the Cold War (remember? ideological expansion was top-priority for the Kremlin? Well, what the @#$& do you think we’re doing in Iraq?) Or it’s sport-sex (call actually sport f**cking) or it’s hyper-dissing youths or it’s a part-time journalist that promotes on an intermingled acqaintance’s latest business venture by "cooking" the facts.
These things are the things we SHOULD be including in our little discussions. Moyer getting caught in Mexico is newsworthy, but it’s only a little factoid. So too for the CPAK to MLK name change. There’s not much meat to these news clips. But a local reporter pumping out false reports and then again plugging the biz with her phony apology, that to me, is only the tip of the iceberg.
It is his website so he does have the right to pick and choose what content he wants to discuss. Now I can understand your viewpoint about something is fishy with the fact he might be friends with the Hook’s EIC and you feel he won’t post anything that might make the Hook look bad. But it is his website and Waldo has the right to add any story he feels ‘newsworthy’. If the Hook helps Waldo help, then Waldo can help them out. Granted some of his choices were snoozer lately.
I do recall Waldo talking about what types of stories do get submitted. He said people were trying to announcements about yardsales or stuff to sell. Heck I was trying to get him to do some UVa football stories since they are in Cville and they are newsworthy :P. But Waldo only give me a link for thesabre.com which is a good compromise i guess.
Symp, well this site could be worst. Take a look at Cvilleindymedia.com. That website is all over the place. At least Cvillenews has some type of organization. Indymedia is a joke for a forum. You can’t what is local or national. The articles are hilarous to read. A few of my favorites are comparing Bush to the evils of Lord Of the Rings. Also I like the article on why people vote for Bush it is because they are morons plain and simple. Funny stuff.
Hello? Waldo doesn’t need an apoligist. I think he can take care of himself. No one said this site sucked. But just like that girl from Fluvanna wrote in to defend Waldo, don’t talk to me about how good Waldo has been. It’s like saying a cop should never be questioned because he’s caught some bad guys in the past. Waldo appears to be an okay dude, it’s just that he’s not acting in the best faith in *this* case.
I’m a liberal, as you seem to be sometimes, but even I preferred it when you shut the hell up for a few weeks.
Thanks and I love you too.
BTW, I’m no liberal.
you make Cvillenews interesting!
liberals and conservatives both sux
You’re maybe 1 out of 100 to think that. See, many posters here feel cvillenews is a way of socializing or "making nice" or making friends. I feel this forum medium is much more conducive to real discussion and yes, discourse. There are enough other places and times to comment on the weather, thank you very much! …or how cool net archiving is.
The Vespa thread delved very little into the media / business cosponsoring. But I will note however, that Waldo then found the coverage by The Hook not newsworthy, yet now finds *another* quickie food place that’s not even open good for celebratory mediation. Maybe Vespa isn’t "downtown" enough for Waldo?! As a sidenote, I personally think the Vespa opening far more meaningful than allegedly swanky burritos on the Mall.