Comments on: Highly technical water, land use issues need highly sophisticated reporting http://newmexicoindependent.com/11472/highly-technical-water-land-use-issues-need-highly-sophisticated-reporting New Mexico news and politics Fri, 02 Sep 2011 18:15:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: jfleck http://newmexicoindependent.com/11472/highly-technical-water-land-use-issues-need-highly-sophisticated-reporting#comment-22709 jfleck Tue, 09 Dec 2008 02:23:31 +0000 http://newmexicoindependent.com/?p=11472#comment-22709 VB - Thanks for your kind words. The feelings are mutual - I've long been a fan or your thoughtful analysis of the shape of our city and problems with how we think about approaching its future. But I confess that I can't extend the compliment to your media criticism. I think there are important criticisms of the Albuquerque Journal to be had, but they have to be based on reading the Journal, rather than a reflexive instinct to criticize us. To criticize our coverage of the desalination issue without having noticed the work Sean and I have done on the issue is to fall prey to the aforementioned reflexive instinct. It's fine for your attention to wane, but that leaves a poor foundation for writing media criticism. VB – Thanks for your kind words. The feelings are mutual – I've long been a fan or your thoughtful analysis of the shape of our city and problems with how we think about approaching its future. But I confess that I can't extend the compliment to your media criticism. I think there are important criticisms of the Albuquerque Journal to be had, but they have to be based on reading the Journal, rather than a reflexive instinct to criticize us. To criticize our coverage of the desalination issue without having noticed the work Sean and I have done on the issue is to fall prey to the aforementioned reflexive instinct. It's fine for your attention to wane, but that leaves a poor foundation for writing media criticism.

]]> By: jfleck http://newmexicoindependent.com/11472/highly-technical-water-land-use-issues-need-highly-sophisticated-reporting#comment-19598 jfleck Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:23:31 +0000 http://newmexicoindependent.com/?p=11472#comment-19598 VB - Thanks for your kind words. The feelings are mutual - I've long been a fan or your thoughtful analysis of the shape of our city and problems with how we think about approaching its future. But I confess that I can't extend the compliment to your media criticism. I think there are important criticisms of the Albuquerque Journal to be had, but they have to be based on reading the Journal, rather than a reflexive instinct to criticize us. To criticize our coverage of the desalination issue without having noticed the work Sean and I have done on the issue is to fall prey to the aforementioned reflexive instinct. It's fine for your attention to wane, but that leaves a poor foundation for writing media criticism. VB – Thanks for your kind words. The feelings are mutual – I've long been a fan or your thoughtful analysis of the shape of our city and problems with how we think about approaching its future. But I confess that I can't extend the compliment to your media criticism. I think there are important criticisms of the Albuquerque Journal to be had, but they have to be based on reading the Journal, rather than a reflexive instinct to criticize us. To criticize our coverage of the desalination issue without having noticed the work Sean and I have done on the issue is to fall prey to the aforementioned reflexive instinct. It's fine for your attention to wane, but that leaves a poor foundation for writing media criticism.

]]> By: jfleck http://newmexicoindependent.com/11472/highly-technical-water-land-use-issues-need-highly-sophisticated-reporting#comment-9811 jfleck Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:23:31 +0000 http://newmexicoindependent.com/?p=11472#comment-9811 VB - Thanks for your kind words. The feelings are mutual - I've long been a fan or your thoughtful analysis of the shape of our city and problems with how we think about approaching its future. But I confess that I can't extend the compliment to your media criticism. I think there are important criticisms of the Albuquerque Journal to be had, but they have to be based on reading the Journal, rather than a reflexive instinct to criticize us. To criticize our coverage of the desalination issue without having noticed the work Sean and I have done on the issue is to fall prey to the aforementioned reflexive instinct. It's fine for your attention to wane, but that leaves a poor foundation for writing media criticism. VB – Thanks for your kind words. The feelings are mutual – I've long been a fan or your thoughtful analysis of the shape of our city and problems with how we think about approaching its future. But I confess that I can't extend the compliment to your media criticism. I think there are important criticisms of the Albuquerque Journal to be had, but they have to be based on reading the Journal, rather than a reflexive instinct to criticize us. To criticize our coverage of the desalination issue without having noticed the work Sean and I have done on the issue is to fall prey to the aforementioned reflexive instinct. It's fine for your attention to wane, but that leaves a poor foundation for writing media criticism.

]]> By: jfleck http://newmexicoindependent.com/11472/highly-technical-water-land-use-issues-need-highly-sophisticated-reporting#comment-2865 jfleck Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:23:31 +0000 http://newmexicoindependent.com/?p=11472#comment-2865 VB - Thanks for your kind words. The feelings are mutual - I've long been a fan or your thoughtful analysis of the shape of our city and problems with how we think about approaching its future. But I confess that I can't extend the compliment to your media criticism. I think there are important criticisms of the Albuquerque Journal to be had, but they have to be based on reading the Journal, rather than a reflexive instinct to criticize us. To criticize our coverage of the desalination issue without having noticed the work Sean and I have done on the issue is to fall prey to the aforementioned reflexive instinct. It's fine for your attention to wane, but that leaves a poor foundation for writing media criticism. VB – Thanks for your kind words. The feelings are mutual – I've long been a fan or your thoughtful analysis of the shape of our city and problems with how we think about approaching its future. But I confess that I can't extend the compliment to your media criticism. I think there are important criticisms of the Albuquerque Journal to be had, but they have to be based on reading the Journal, rather than a reflexive instinct to criticize us. To criticize our coverage of the desalination issue without having noticed the work Sean and I have done on the issue is to fall prey to the aforementioned reflexive instinct. It's fine for your attention to wane, but that leaves a poor foundation for writing media criticism.

]]> By: vbpriceauthor http://newmexicoindependent.com/11472/highly-technical-water-land-use-issues-need-highly-sophisticated-reporting#comment-2819 vbpriceauthor Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:25:35 +0000 http://newmexicoindependent.com/?p=11472#comment-2819 Thanks for your comment, John. As you know, I've long been a big fan of yours.I think you're one of the most credible science writers in the West. But I don't hold the Journal in similar high esteem. It lost its credibility with me long ago as it became more deeply conservative and booster oriented. And since the Tribune folded, the Journal has just seemed to become more and more like the Arizona Republic. So I have to admit my attention has waned. And a couple of good pieces don't really alter the direction of the paper. But now that I know you're going to do heavy pieces on desalinization, I'll pay closer attention. Thanks again, V.B. Thanks for your comment, John. As you know, I've long been a big fan of yours.I think you're one of the most credible science writers in the West. But I don't hold the Journal in similar high esteem. It lost its credibility with me long ago as it became more deeply conservative and booster oriented. And since the Tribune folded, the Journal has just seemed to become more and more like the Arizona Republic. So I have to admit my attention has waned. And a couple of good pieces don't really alter the direction of the paper. But now that I know you're going to do heavy pieces on desalinization, I'll pay closer attention. Thanks again, V.B.

]]> By: jfleck http://newmexicoindependent.com/11472/highly-technical-water-land-use-issues-need-highly-sophisticated-reporting#comment-2749 jfleck Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:17:14 +0000 http://newmexicoindependent.com/?p=11472#comment-2749 VB -<br><br>I appreciate your endorsement for the quality media outlets you describe here, but I don't think it's fair to implicitly dismiss my colleague Sean Olson's work in the Albuquerque Journal on desalination as you seem to with your comment that "the local media gives overwhelmingly more coverage to expressions of booster glee than to it does to those with serious reservations."<br><br>Sean's latest desalination piece, which appeared on the Sunday Nov. 23 front page (the newspaper's most valuable real estate) gave primary emphasis not to the boosters, but to the criticisms of Mike Hightower, Bruce Thomson, Kerry Howe regarding cost, energy consumption and sustainability.<br><br>These are the critical questions, Sean did a great job of raising them, and he did it on the Sunday front page.<br><br>(And FYI, Sean's story is only the latest of a series that he and I have done over the last year that have repeatedly gone beyond "booster glee" to discuss the serious reservations experts have about the viability of desalination as a water source) VB -

I appreciate your endorsement for the quality media outlets you describe here, but I don't think it's fair to implicitly dismiss my colleague Sean Olson's work in the Albuquerque Journal on desalination as you seem to with your comment that “the local media gives overwhelmingly more coverage to expressions of booster glee than to it does to those with serious reservations.”

Sean's latest desalination piece, which appeared on the Sunday Nov. 23 front page (the newspaper's most valuable real estate) gave primary emphasis not to the boosters, but to the criticisms of Mike Hightower, Bruce Thomson, Kerry Howe regarding cost, energy consumption and sustainability.

These are the critical questions, Sean did a great job of raising them, and he did it on the Sunday front page.

(And FYI, Sean's story is only the latest of a series that he and I have done over the last year that have repeatedly gone beyond “booster glee” to discuss the serious reservations experts have about the viability of desalination as a water source)

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