The Virginian-Pilot
©
Don't you just love candidate forums? Most of the time, they're dull affairs featuring scripted statements, dyed hair and silly campaign slogans. If one candidate has a commanding lead, he (or she) will go out of the way to avoid controversy.
Every now and then, though, a local politico tells you what he really feels - and how little he really knows.
That was apparent over the weekend, when a candidate for Portsmouth mayor confused my employer with news outlets in the former Soviet Union.
Before it collapsed in 1991, the Soviet government dictated what ran in the media. Violators of that policy could be tossed in the gulag - or shot.
That brings us to Lee Cherry, the erstwhile leader of a now-disbanded unit in the Sheriff's Department. He criticized city leaders for a photo that ran in The Virginian-Pilot of a convicted gang leader. "Why in the world didn't we put a picture of Chief ( Edward) Hargis shaking Kenny Gavin's hand?" Cherry said, referring to the police chief and the detective on that case.
He also said Portsmouth needs "a salesman" who is good with public relations so the city will get positive photos in the paper.
Forget the fact that, less than a month before the election, only 45 people cared enough to show up on a weekend to hear the candidates. Most voters, I'm sure, enjoyed the lingering Indian summer. Forget, too, that many readers thought a photo of a convicted gang leader meant cops were getting thugs off the streets.
Instead, focus on Cherry's unmistakable vocabulary.
He used the word "we," suggesting that city government is a monolith that always operates with one clear voice.
Cherry is also of the misguided notion that government officials, harking back to the days of Pravda, dictate what appears in an independent press. He doesn't seem to know the difference between "news" - reporting of legitimate events by journalists trained in the craft; and "PR" - activities and photo-ops with minimal value that are designed to distract from weightier issues.
Of course, the city of Portsmouth is always free to buy an ad in the newspaper. I know ad reps who will gladly quote Cherry a fee - and make sure the word "Advertisement" is displayed prominently in the copy.
Plenty of editors and reporters here at The Pilot spend a lot of time, every day, working on the best mix of articles to present to readers. They jettison tons of news releases, alerts and other nonsensical e-mails that are glorified propaganda. Election season produces more of that junk.
Cherry and his fellow candidates need to concentrate on improving the city, from enticing business to lowering the crime rate. That's a huge job for whoever wins.
Leave the reporting and publishing to us.
Roger Chesley, (757) 446-2329, roger.chesley@pilotonline.com
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word of mouth
The most disgusting thing about this article is that you were not even at the forum because I was one of the 45 people there! For you to compare this man as a communist is ridiculous and hurtful to the people that know him. He has given thousands of hours volunteering in this community. Mr. Cherry was simply saying that he would be Portsmouth's biggest cheerleader. He has dealt with criminals for years and knows that this gang member would want nothing more than to be in the paper and you gave him that luxury. It is no wonder that the Virginian Pilot is getting thinner every year. With the economy and the loss of hope that people feel these days it would be nice to focus on some positive news for a change!! You think that people crave negative, you are wrong. I seriously do not know how you sleep at night when you can degrade someones character because your feelings were hurt. Shame on you!
"Leave the reporting and publishing to us."
Suggests that that The Pilot is a monolith that operates as the only voice.
One for the other...
"They jettison tons of news releases, alerts and other nonsensical e-mails that are glorified propaganda."
The do this while substituting their OWN propaganda to peddle in the paper, to advance the Democratic Party agenda.
Just let us know
"Leave the reporting and publishing to us."
Well, isn't that a little arrogant, as thought the Pilot is the ONLY entity capable of reporting news (when it actually does report news).
No wonder subscriptions are tanking....
just loved this one
As far as 45 people showing up for this fourm it was at 9 am on a sat. morning who in the word gets up at that time and people do WORK. Check out the ones in the evening there are more people.I feel that Mr.Cherry was trying to say I just went back and reread the last paper on this from my veiw as far as the picture of The cheif and the gang enforcement leader's picture that is something good in Portsmouth,Good news that they are getting the gangs off the street.The Child that is a gang member got all the fame yes he is a member of a gang but who put him in jail not himself.I feel that is whatMr.Cherry was talking about the good of our leaders Not all the bad stuff that happens. We need people in other parts of the area to see the good of Portsmouth also so they might want to move here.(If I did not already live here and wanted to move with them pictures I would not move here) OHHHHHH the big one Why in the WORLD would you even think Ms.Psimas would give you a nioce anwer on Sheriff Watson Yea well ask her where the money in the first year that the ceu was put on the street where did it go? As far as the CEU that was the best thing that the city had going for it they were on t
Positively impossible
Wow, if saying Watson "is a good sheriff" is taken as bad-mouthing him, there is obviously nothing Ms. Psimas could possibly say that would be taken as positive. Let's see, she's been cast by Lee and Bill as "Queen Elizabeth" I believe, and "her Highness," etc., in the most derogatory way possible. Yet she hasn't retaliated with similar attempts to lower the level of dialogue. Good for her!
Personally, I'm very tired of Mr. Cherry try to scare the life out of everyone by pretending Portsmouth is the crime capital of the commonwealth. It isn't. And courtesy of our city manager, who was chosen by council members including Ms. Psimas, we now have a more-than-competent police chief--as proven by the article Mr. Cherry was so concerned about. Our police chief's ability to think outside the box brought in the federal assistance necessary to do more than just round 'em up and let 'em out as happened in past efforts by joint PPD and CEU forces. Point is, we are better off with our PPD being in charge than dealing with an unfunded CEU. Ms. Psimas and other members of council chose not to raise our taxes to pay for services that the new chief was able to provide within the budget. I applaud
ok like always you want
ok like always you want to bash someone i have not read in here that anyone has has wrote that Mr.Watson was being bad mouth here get your head out of what ever it is up and read Just because some people do not like what he is doing every chance you get you do bad mouth him Who else in this city will go out and do for the kids or the people of Portsmouth sure as heck not city council will you see ANY of them out cleaning ditches cause they flood people's yards and city streets do you see Any of them out putting up goal post for the school football team BECAUSE THE CITY did not have time to do it Do you see any of them out cutting the grass on the school softball feild because the CITY did not have time to do it do I need to go on yes Sheriff Watson is a good man all the way around he has the city in his best intrest.
as far as the queen thing if the shoe fits wear it,But the last time i checked Lee Cherry said it as a joke they were friends before all this started and he apolized to her for saying it.oh let me guess you must live in Downtown Portsmouth and if Ms.Psimas does not become mayor than the money for ONLY downtown might dry up some. AUUUUH last time I checked
If you're interested in local politics...
It seems to me Robin, if people are as interested as they appear to be via the online comments, they would make every effort to get up and attend a forum of the candidates. What I really want to know is, how did you affiliate Mrs. Psimas' name with this editorial piece. Oops, that was a little too literate for you. How did you tie Mrs. Psimas' name into this article?? She wasn't mentioned, but you managed to bring her to the forefront again. Maybe you're doing your job of slamming her too well; soon people will recognize that you're in this as an anti-Psimas campaign, not a positive voice for Mr. Cherry and vote for the only qualified candidate, Mrs. Psimas.
if you read the comments
if you read the comments from other post you would see why her name is brought into it
Great article, but...
As one of the attendees of this forum, it was apparent to me that Mr. Cherry was pleased with the article mentioned. What he took issue with was the large picture glorifying a gang member. As stated in countless previous posts by many others, criminals love for their faces to be seen. They love the publicity it gives them, and the Pilot should not pander to the criminals but to those in the community, such as Chief Hargis and Detective Gavin, who are working to make things better for all the law abiding citizens that live here.