This is the final essay in a series from supporters/readers on why you should join the Scene Press Club.
Recently, I was invited to speak to a group of Northeast Ohioans to discuss “The Changing Face of News.” I enjoy these conversations but these days I need to bring security!
“How can we trust you guys…you’re all tainted!!”
“It’s all driven by the (fill in the blank) party, anyway!!”
And the inevitable, “That’s fake news!!” — an expression whose meaning among some has morphed from its true definition of “news presented that is deliberately factually wrong”…to ”news that I disagree with.”
It’s easy to live in a bubble and get your information only from sources whose views mirror yours. But honestly, how fun…and, sorry…how smart is that? Just like a balanced diet for your body, a balanced diet for your brain is a winning prescription. In my world, Scene Magazine is one part of that diet. An important source of news and a perspective that I don’t get anyplace else. It doesn’t always speak to me, for me or reflect my beliefs about an issue or individual but here’s the thing: it’s not supposed to. In my mind, some key roles of what is known as an “alternative publication” are to push buttons, sometimes make us uncomfortable and be another voice asking tough questions.
With journalism under attack and so many of my colleagues in print and broadcast losing their jobs, when I have the chance to show my support of journalists, I’m in. I encourage all of us to do what we can to help keep that steady diet of information flowing. It makes us all better citizens and, as history has shown, improves our communities.
That was basically the response I gave to that group of citizens I mentioned earlier. While I don’t think I was able to totally win them over, we left agreeing that a strong free press remains a cornerstone of our democracy..and there’s nothing fake about that.
Russ Mitchell is Executive Editor and 6 and 11 p.m. Anchor at WKYC/3 News.
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This article appears in Jun 3-9, 2020.
scene is not press. They are a leftist blog site focusing on destroying the Cleveland area.
That may be true, but at least they don’t advocate for or endorse EVERY single ma$$ive property tax levy renewal AND increase that’s on the ballot at EVERY single election cycle by our local crooked and utterly incompetent politicians such as Taxin Jackson and thief Budish!!!
I just lost a lot of the respect I had for Russ Mitchell
Russ, a couple of classics from the sam and vince show over the last week included ‘things to burn the next time we riot and a ‘conveniently’ inflammatory (read: “race baiting”) “mistake” about who the manager at town hall made a comment about.
Take that along with all the articles published that mention the police escalating the situation downtown (which has now been thoroughly debunked with video evidence) and you should be able to see the Scene does not really concern itself with ‘news’.
Hyperbole, bad acting, inflammatory statements and flat out lies yes!
These are what they are attempting to pass of as news.
You can tell us whatever you like, you posted an article that called for targeted rioting.
You are, at best, Antifa enablers. You are marked with that stink forever.
I will do anything within my legal right to prevent you from existing as a publication.
I respect Russ Mitchell very much. I just have a problem with the journalist of Scene bashing every politician or developer in Cleveland. How, how could they ALL be so terrible, HOW? Scene is so afraid that a risk taker will be rewarded for their efforts. I have lived in 6 major cities and they all have a group of “SCENE ” anti- progressives. The rebirth of Cleveland in the last 20 year has been nothing short of spectacular. Just explain how they did it with these looser city leaders? Waiting for a reply- this ought to be good.
I don’t trust the Media.
The Media is pushing a political agenda.
I don’t even watch Late Night talk shows, because they are pushing a political agenda too.
I just want news from an objective, neutral, and detached source, but I can’t find one locally and it is even difficult to find one nationally.
Anyone else find it weird that one day they went in and replaced 75% of Cleveland News Anchors & Reporters from all four networks with brown people?
I don’t care, because local news is for rubes but I definitely noticed and something that drastic isn’t coincidence.
“I don’t care, because local news is for rubes”
But you watch it enough apparently…
I know it’s impossible to believe, that in my travels and my own channel searching, I may have inadvertently come across the 4 Local news channels.
Thanks for validating my comment by trying to pick it apart instead of addressing the point.
What’s with Laura Caso’s hair always covering her left shoulder? Can’t she afford two earrings? Is she related to Rapunzel or something? It’s just so strange. I’d send her outside to cover breaking news on a ridiculously windy night. Only Remeisha Shade of WEWS-5 has stranger hair.
I noticed the replacement of news reporters based on their race too. I’m sure the white reporters who they replaced are fine with it since they are literally licking the boots of black people over a media fueled guilt trip.
James: The reason our local leadership is so terrible is because all they do is fleece the taxpayer at every possible opportunity so that they, and they’re wealthy developers can cash in on one downtown boondoggle project after another!!!
One would think we live in a utopia city and county based upon our outrageous property and income taxes that we have to pay in this corruption-filled, crime-ridden, dump of a city and county!!!
Unfortunately, until crooks like Taxin Jackson, and cohort thief Budish are finally, and forcibly, removed out of office, nothing will likely change here except paying more and more taxes for more and more of their neverending shenanigans!!!
I agree with “no news is bad news” as long as it is FACTUAL – the problem is that 90% of what the MSM in all forms is currently putting out there in non-factual, subjective, heavily biased, divisive BS.
Start presenting objective news with facts only, keep you opinions and spin to yourself, and maybe people will start paying attention once again to the news.