Things you want Steve Lackmeyer to do an update on

[OKCisOK4me]

Well, thanks for clearing that up. Points get shredded on here all the time, as people take different things different ways.

I've read the Oklahoman, don't get me wrong. But you can look at my profile pic and know what school I choose to follow. And because I'm an OSU fan, I choose not to read any facet of the Daily Oklahoman in paper print (only if it's free) as long as Jenni Carlson works there. We may only be almost two years removed from that very article that was pointed out on that very day but you also have to realize the lack of articles on ANY kind of OSU sports vs. uo coverage. What's the format rule? The team with more wins gets color pictures for their articles...losers b&w only?! Gay...

All the uo fans are going to jump on me now and say whatever blah, blah, blah, but it's 100% true. A paper ran by the Gaylord family whose name is plastered all over uo's football stadium...

Not too far fetched. The day that paper covers all sports (and that's the only section I read) fairly, then I will maybe think about reading it. But Jenni has to be gone too.

I bet you go out for lunch. I can just see you smacking down a scrumptious chicken leg in the Oklahoman break/lunch room and out of the corner of your eye you see ole Jenni with a little notebook taking in every detailed observation of your moment with the chicken leg. Yeah, I'd be scared too but that's what she's known for...

[Steve]

For what it's worth, I like the OSU journalism school better than OU's and I like the OSU campus better than OU. Not sure if that bias beats the other perceived bias or not.
Glad there's peace between us.
-Steve

[Midtowner]

I hate wet noodles - they're bland and they ruin the taste of a good Italian gravy.

Hey.. I thought it was a good metaphor.

[Steve]

7.) Humphrey's Farris Wheel/ Downtown Airpark project
Set to be in Wednesday's paper.
One more to go for the week. Metro, you're going to have to buy the Sunday paper. Bonus: I've got a cool q&a with Keith Paul set to run that day.
(Pete, does this qualify as bringing the topic back full circle, or is it still hijacked?)
Work day: started at 8:30 p.m., still here.

[Pete]

I disagree strongly with this statement. The OKC media used to routinely ask tough questions and offend the powers at be. You may recall Vince Orza (and others) in their investigation of the OIA. E.K. Gaylord nearly landed his ass in prison but for the front page libelous editorials he ran daily against the Attorney General which eventually resulted in a less controversial A.G. being elected who proceeded to drop the investigation.

I'm not saying that The Oklahoman *shouldn't* be performing more investigative journalism, just that that expectation is unrealistic and a somewhat unfair criticism. You think this happens a lot at the Tulsa World or in other cities of similar size? Hardly. And for the reasons I outlined.

And if you think this kind of thing was much more common in past decades, I'd strongly disagree. It's easy to point out one example (a failed attempt, it should be noted) but the idea that OKC was filled with real journalists who routinely shone a light on the good ol' boy network and powers that be... Well, that simply wasn't the case. And I'm old enough to remember when there was a competing newspaper, the Oklahoma Journal, which I read daily.

Every town has an equivalent to the Gazette and most of them are far more provocative. They have lots more flexibility in their format which is much more magazine-like. And of course, their audience is quite different as well.

The reference to The Lost Ogle underscores many of the points I made in my preceding post.

[Steve]

And yet I suspect a lot that what we do isn't always remembered or appreciated.
Before I went to the business desk, I did investigative work. It included the uncovering of potential wrongdoing that led to the indictment of Brent Rinehart, the discovery of waste and abuse involving state purchase cards, the exposure of behind-the-scenes lobbying and pressure on city hall involving zoning issues, investigation into the mishandling of the city's police car fleet, exposure of nepotism at the sheriff's department, the discovery of $10 million that the county treasurer withheld from local schools and libraries (he then distributed the money after my stories), the exposure of questionable hirings within various county offices ... and that's just what I can recall at this moment. I also spent months working on a series about the working poor, and last January I did an in-depth week-long look at how a Tulsa company engaged in virtual slave labor.
The Oklahoman will always have its share of critics. And that's fine. And here's what should trouble everybody - in a declining newspaper industry it will be this very sort of reporting that is cut back first due to shrinking manpower and resources.
And while I have friends at The Gazette, I think they will be the first to tell you they can not and will not be able to match the amount of investigative work done by a daily paper whether its the Tulsa World, Oklahoman or the much missed Oklahoma Journal.
I'm not going to get into a back-and-forth over people's complaints about the paper - that's not my role. But I do want you to understand that the idea we've done nothing is pretty ridiculous.