Jackson Jambalaya

No lover of the C-L but that is little more than another LADD grist mill story. Not worth the time.

"There's no telling what people are getting away with that we'll never know," Hood said. "A newspaper can make government better, make sure that your tax money is spent right. A newspaper with moral authority—as much as a governor or a speaker of the House—sets the agenda for a state or a community. Who's going to stand up? Who's going to take care of these people? It's life and death.

"Who is going to raise hell?"

Sure as hell not the Jackson Free Press Orley. Sure as hell not Donna Ladd.

She recently spiked a story about Eddie Fair's office and his firing of the employees. I found out when some of the people interviewed for the story several months ago contacted me mad as hell about it.

The Junior High Free Press running an article slamming the Ledger? What crap!

Dont' for a minute believe the c-l is a victim of the internet blah blah blah. They have lacked serious leadership for many years. The basically drove themselves into the ground as they evolved (devolved)into a common tabloid publication. The utlitmate irony is that the lead driver (Agnew) has been hired to run a state agency. Now that is irony.

Internet had something to do with it. Losing money because of Craig's List and Ebay is common knowledge. The car business in 2008 and 2009 hurt them as well. They do have a niche and that is reporting local news for people who want more than the five minute run down on the tv stations. They should've started charging for content several years ago online. No brainer in my opinion.

However, there is the matter of the reporting. If you read this website, you know my criticisms of the paper. Then there is the matter of beat reporting. They rotate the same stories among different reporters so no true subject matter knowledge is developed and the reporter is usually starting from scratch. They also seem to operate under the rule if they don't discover it, it didn't happen. Take the reporter responsible for Hinds County. How many stories has she broken this year about Hinds? Me and WLBT have broken a plethora of stories about Hinds County this year yet the CL coverage has been milquetoast at best. Sadly, that has become typical. Elizabeth has turned into a pretty good reporter but she is about it.

9:39 I submitted a comment here a few weeks ago about the inevitable decline of MPB now that a proven incompetent has been put in charge but it never appeared. I don't care how badly the C-L performs (or fares in the marketplace) but I AM forced to pay taxes to subsidize MPB so I am royally pissed about this development.

As far as the source here (Ladd), well that's just the pot callnig the kettle bl, no, oppressed ;-)

Nice, extensive, apparently well researched article....but way, way too wordy (long).

Hodding Carter III was quoted early on. Just imagine the damage the Carter family could have done to Jackson, even statewide, had they lived in and operated a newspaper in the capitol city rather than Greenville.

The liberalism of the Carter family left a poisoning influence in Washington County that was never overcome and assisted in the eventual moribund state of that city. Hodding Carter is nothing more than Bill Minor with good hair and nice shoes.

From my meager knowledge of 'old Jackson', I submit that the Clarion and its various liberal owner-operators were able to poison the minds of some with their liberal ideas and ideals, but not nearly to the extent of the damage with which the Carter family defoliated Greenville.

Both cities (at one time the most heavily and third most heavily populated towns in the state) share in common total decline, minority leadership, impoverished neighborhoods, revolving police chief's doors, abhorent school systems, transfer payment underpinning, sky high black teenage pregnancy rates, gang and drug warfare and families (both black and white) who cannot wait to escape.

While Orley Hood flagpoles the idea that a newspaper hold immense power and authority, I submit community destruction is the real power of a newspaper.

I stopped reading O'Donna Bin Ladden and the Jackson Freak Press years ago. I won't even visit the website. She's had a hard-on for the Clarion-Ledger since day one. I assume she was turned down for a job there. That said, I no longer subscribe to the Clarion-Ledger. It's no longer worth the price. I scan it online each morning for state/metro news, but that's about it.

It was a fascinating piece and I'm just stunned that the part dealing with Ladd is anyone's focus.

I worked with government during the years agencies went from having a reporter who actually knew something about how government is supposed to work attend meetings to the agency faxing their press release about the meeting to a reporter.

The decline of The Fourth Estate should be a serious concern to everyone. An independent press which attempts to be factual and is willing to investigate is essential to freedom.

The Internet is not proving to be a substitute with those who own search engines using algorithms to prioritize information search results based on the user's personal preferences.

That is a guaranteed way to read only what you want to know rather than what you may need to know.

He who controls the flow of information controls power and now that corporations are " individuals' who can both buy influence and control what information is known , a new oligarchy is in the making.

That is why I posted the link.

Corporations have always been individuals 11:07, sorta like law firms and doctors' offices are.

It was a fascinating piece ...

Other than area specifics factoids the story is hardly unique. What specifically did you find fascinating?

And since you present yourself as concerned about freedom and the vitality of 'The Fourth Estate' please share what you think, in the final analysis, the story actually accomplishes vis-a-vis your two noted concerns.

11:28 get a life. You stalk this site and have gotten OLD.

The press hasn't been independent since Thomas Paine. Newspapers and other media are controlled by people, and people are fallible. For every Benjamin Bradlee and Katharine Graham there are a hundred local hacks and ad men who let advertising dollars and political pressure influence their work. You are reading from the new independent press right now, and we all need to support blogs like this so we can continue to be informed. Bill Billingsley

Now that the Pearl River is cresting at 32 feet has anybody seen even one word or one photograph of the high water from the recently hyperventilating JFP about it?

I'm with Bill on this one, although, those who control the first page of Google win. The question is, can they own it and keep it?

@Tired Of Yo Ass: KMA. I have as much right as anyone to participate and contribute as I see fit to this site. If by 'stalking the site' you mean reading and enjoying it on a daily basis, I guess you got me there. I contribute in a manner that allows others to put my posts together, like 'em or hate 'em. Matters not to me. If Kingfish invites me off the site, I will leave it. If you have a problem with it, grab the KY and take it up with your pimple-faced roommate.

"Its a nice read although I can almost tell where Her Laddness inserted her own words into the second half of the story"

Was reading the story and had to laugh when I got to what I suspect is part of the 'inserted' words. Made me laugh, KF.

11:28/2:39 please get a life. You continue to stalk this site and have gotten OLDER. Do you have a JOB?

3:52. Thank you. Old does not even begin to express how tiring this self-important zero has become.

I read all forms of news, I know KF is not a Ladd fan but she does a lot of good things to promote causes and charities in JFP , I read it all summarize it and then read jackson Jambalaya to get the nitty gritty! I love this site! It's mt Go To for the real scoop!

And a 'real' collection of whiney, liberal anons.

ps: note that I am not whining.

You certainly provided a one sided view of the Hederman family. Where is the description of all the good the Hederman family did for the City of Jackson and the State of Mississippi?

8:08, Jim Eastland did good things for Mississippi, too. But you have to admit that those are overshadowed by some rather defining qualities of his.

Also, isn't Rea a member of the Hederman family? He comes across pretty well in the article.

Bravo Shadowfax! As I sit enjoying my morning coffee I enjoyed a finer experience of blowing it out my nose! Your fine use of two abbreviations beggining with K was amazing.

I agree with 3:52. And I am not spitting coffee out of my nose. Rolling eyes would be a better synopsis.

1. In the beginning the internet was not doing in Gannett or any other group, they have been there from the beginning.
2. Management is what impacted Gannett.
3. A core belief that what is written by anyone as long as it it in print or online would be believed. This is not 1950 0r 1960 people of all ages are smarter and more independent thinkers than before.
4. Gannett is scum, yes.
5. Examples; Gannett, UASTODAY and C-L a few years ago wrote a detailed story about car mileage allowance for employees. If you were not being paid the Gov. base you were going backwards, yet Gannett papers were paying 15 cents for the first 500 and 9 cents over. A huge difference.

Starting with the 2009 layoffs-firing-dismissals-position re-aligments you first had to qualify for MS umemployment, if you did not no severance. If you did they took away the that amount from severance. So they found a way to take your job, put money to the bottom line (at your expense)and screw you out of you full severance.

Gannett change insurance around the country a few years ago MS and LA got stuck with UnitedHealthcare, the corporate guys kept Blue Cross. Now remember it was Gannett that wrote all those stories about United and their crooked dealing.

5. Yes I was laid off after many years there.
6. No not bitter, just glad it happened when it did. Working on pins and needles is not my idea of a fun place to work.

The history of a despised newspaper and business as forced through the lens of said newspaper's vindictive and insecure competitor/editor doesn't make for compelling reading. Not a single comment above sheds light on how the article serves a greater good.

Bill,
I generally agree with your posting except, I think after WWII, the guys who came home had their priorities right and guys like Murrow and Cronkite understood the critical role of the press. Journalism, for a brief period, became a profession...who ,what , when and where and one didn't quote the insane person shouting on the corner for a " differing view".

I don't share your confidence in the Internet. There's more garbage that accuracy.

As serious problem is that the same legal protections do not exist.

Dear DL, there is a God, and it ain't you1

Alas,10:02, people are not smarter nor are they better at independent thinking. The average IQ in the '60s was 100 , it is now 90. An IQ of 120 is needed to compete at the college level.
People are not engaged in critical thinking, rather they are " emoting" . One only has to watch the Presidential debates and contrast today's debate with the Nixon/Kennedy debate to get a hint.
BUT, people believe they are smarter because there are bombarded with more information but are unable to discern the hogwash from the factual.

The average IQ in the '60s was 100 , it is now 90.

Source?

Dang. That started out like a good article.

But we went from Orley's spin cycle to Citizens' Councils, so I quit reading.

My favorite 9th JFP Birthday moment was when DonnerKay urgently reported that there was a death vigil underway at Melton's St. Dominic bedside only to later discover that his family was actually there to take him out of the hospital and back home. She never apologized for the reporting error either.

I think my fondest memory of Free Press reportage was the lengthy story that made Judge Bell's confounding and circuitous actions that delayed George's eventual apprehension seemingly vanish into thin air.

CHICK BALL. CHICK BALL. CHICK BALL.