“if you don’t; read the newspaper, you’re uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you’re misinformed.” – Mark Twain (1835-1910)
Media Inattention
This section covers my attempt to engage media to get more attention on Colorado judicial system irregularities. However, if you prefer to learn even more about my court and neighbor situation, read the blog posts “More to the Story” and “The Short Version,” yet I promise this section will be informative, if not also disheartening to read.
Many newspapers, reporters, special interest groups, and even engaged individuals have covered problems with our Colorado judicial system in the past so I thought a first-hand report would be of interest. I believe that my experience, and then chasing justice and accountability has weight and validity; seems newsworthy. Wrong; mostly I encountered silence, and puzzling reaction to my inquiries. The ghosting I experienced was unexpected. Hey, if you don’t find my story worthy, say so and I’ll move-on, but don’t go silent or get snippy. This disappointing lack of courtesy ruins their credibility. I may at some point post the e-mail chains with these individuals and organizations from which you can make your own assessments.
The Denver Post
I initially got eager attention of political reporter Shelly Bradbury but after a few e-mails, she went cold. So I contacted her boss Lee Ann Colacioppo asking what was up. She replied that it was safe to assume that Ms. Bradbury did not see a story; excusing no reply as a poor substitute for ‘no.’ Me being me, I pressed her to demand more of her subordinates, and suggested just what I have here; that no reply was poor form. Her response was reactionary, I thought; she countered with this terse reply: “Perhaps she found you rude?” This despite that there was no evidence or language to support her claim; seemed an off-the-wall comment befitting a child. Besides that, none of her e-mails opened with a salutation or closed with her name or title; another off-handed slight from someone lacking business professionalism. The tone of Ms. Colacioppo’s communication advertised blatant contempt. I may have contempt too, but it is somewhat civilly disguised.
What a curious experience that all was. Later, I contacted her boss Bill Reynolds and asked that he measure all of that; suggesting he expect more of his employees. Quite a while after, I contacted his boss Tracy Ulmer with process improvement suggestions. Never heard a word. And that is a telling difference between me and them.
CBS Television, Denver
Contacted CBS Colorado senior political reporter Shaun Boyd. At her request, send her information based on her promise to talk once she returned from holiday. Never happened; she too went dark. Ghosted again. Regardless the reason, it still rings as a clear indicator of lack of common courtesy.
Bush League
The overt unprofessionalism I encountered from media representatives seems to be irritating, lazy arrogance. Even if they get barraged with inquiries and requests, how hard would it be to generate a canned reply? Too much work, I suppose. Turns-out the talking heads who read from a teleprompter or foist printed news on you are not as trustworthy and deserving as we might think. My guess is that they see us as ratings numbers, and unworthy, faceless sheep.
I sent my summary plus a link to this web site to one newspaper reporter who e-mailed back that he needed details and could not work with brief, general information. So I asked if he had even reviewed the web site – with names, dates, places, copies of communications. Perhaps embarrassed that he had not looked closely at my initial communication and seen the web link, he went cold; a so-called news reporter acting more like a fresh copyboy. So I moved on. Others were kind enough to say they hadn’t time. That’s all one needs; a respectful reply. I’m not trying to cram this story on media; it’s their prerogative. Another reporter said that she stopped reading my web site because it did not reveal my name. Incorrect; it’s on the footer of every page plus given in the introduction page – which you would think someone would read first. Apparently not. I suggested that she brush-up on her reading and comprehension skills. These are some of the people and enterprises in Colorado that we rely on to present real news.
Going to the Dogs
I rely on esteemed news sources and impeccable print media from outside of the USA for information, not cookie-cutter media outlets owned by mega-corporations that make overt business decisions based on demographics, viewership, and income-generation. Compared to real television news broadcasts in some foreign countries, we get a narrow slice of cleverly crafted ‘news’ snippets punctuated by seemingly endless consumer commercials not so much to educate as to temporarily amuse. In one country I visited recently, the nightly television news runs for two hours – something that would have many Americans desperately channel-flipping for something less intellectually demanding and more fun to watch.
I’m no conspiracy theorist, but serving-up packaged television ‘news’ jammed with numbing commercials especially, is another clever way to keep people distracted, placated and ignorant. Roman poet Juvenal (Decimus Junius Juvenalis), circa 100 AD said something along those lines when he referred to “panem et circenses” (bread and circuses); his assessment of how the populace was willing to be appeased and give-in to authority with trifling hand-outs and amusements. Now it’s reality TV and shiny things that people are trained to covet and enjoy. It’s another reason why I have dim hope for our civilization; we have sold our souls to consumerism and superficiality; the comfortable path to becoming pliable human flotsam with zero attention spans. Ah yes, there’s my contempt.
Of course, my first-hand account of a rascal judge, the questionable process of judicial appointments, and lack of accountability, reliability, and transparency of the judicial performance and discipline process remains largely untold as citizens who have a right to know the truth are being deprived. What will it take to get our government to pay attention? Answer: more than a few voices. But how to get the brainwashed masses to realize that they (we) are being screwed?