Sad to see the New Times going the way of all the other newspapers.
The only thing that matters is the bottom dollar, and we all know, or should at any rate that you can't piss off the advertisers.
Myself being a news photographer for the better part of thirty years, can tell you first hand about how the publishers will, for the most part side with those in high places.
I have been arrested more than a couple of times and been the victim of police abuses,only because officials didn't want or like, worse yet understand why I choose to take some of the images I elected to capture.
What the public is receiving today in the way of news are handed out press releases.It's not often now days that a publication will do any in depth investigating to go behind the release, they'll just except it as their news story, and that's it. In all fairness there are still some that won't just relay on the hand outs.
It's truly sad that the youth of today can't see what it was like in the old days of reporting. I worked for the Daily Press in Paso Robles where, publisher, owner Ben Reddick gave me my break in the profession.
I was just starting out and didn't know just what my rights were, so when a deputy sheriff on a shooting scene demanded that I give him my audio tape of an interview I conducted with a witness, I complied. When I returned to the office and related to Mr. Reddick what had occurred regarding the tape, he came un-glued! The son of a bitch did what, and right away picked up the telephone and called then Sheriff Larry Mansfield. As I was listening, Mr. Reddick told the Sheriff,"your either the stupidest Sheriff we ever had, or you just don't know what your men are doing out in the field" Within an half hour that deputy returned the tape. Needless to say that deputy had it in for me, and on several occasions I was harassed and even arrested at one point by that deputy.
In contrast while working for KCOY T-V in Santa Maria I had received a citation for disobeying an officer while directed by my news director to cover a major accident on Cuesta Grade.I was attempting to gain access at a road block and when I questioned The San Luis Obispo police officer why it was KSBY was allowed on the scene and I wasn't, he replied," because this is their territory , they live here." I said"what about my first amendment rights" the officer said" the hell with your first amendment rights, I wear the badge, and I make the laws"!
Quote, unquote.
I went to the station manager after returning and told him about the citation I got for disobeying an officer and asked how they going to handle it. The manager said,"this is your problem, you get a speeding ticket, you take care of it" Of course if I got a speeding ticket, that would be on me, but you sent me up there to cover a story and I got a citation".
With that the station manager said,"we have to maintain our relationship with the police, end of conversation" Quote-Unquote!
Now if you want to get into the courts, well, that's another story for another time, way to involved, and I just don't have the energy to revisit a most unconstitutional situation that occurred because of a picture I had taken.