Author Archives: Bob Hunter

Covering ceremonies, press conferences

By Bob Hunter | Published: March 8, 2010 | 0 Comments
We’ve had a couple of questions raised about why we didn’t cover a few recent events. The short answer is that we want to cover the news, not necessarily the event. The two events were a candidate’s press conference, announcing that he would run for a county commissioner’s seat, and the city of Medford’s 125th anniversary [...]
Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments

News to you?

By Bob Hunter | Published: February 8, 2010 | 0 Comments
If you believe what you read in the blogosphere, the days of newspapers and other traditional media are numbered. Our news will come not on dead trees or via broadcast airwaves, but instead in a digital rainfall of information from thousands, nay, millions, of bloggers and new media outlets. In fact, that’s already happening. But is [...]
Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments

Stealing our stuff

By Bob Hunter | Published: January 28, 2010 | 0 Comments
Got this message on an editor’s listserv last week and definitely could relate to this editor’s concerns: We are a small (and I mean really small) newspaper in American Samoa always struggling with readership issues.  Right now there is a big (to us) trial going on in Washington D.C. which is about 8,000 miles from here.  [...]
Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments

Scaling the pay wall

By Bob Hunter | Published: January 21, 2010 | 0 Comments
The New York Times has announced plans to charge users for access to its Web site, which no doubt will be greeted with unhappiness in some corners. After all, nobody wants to pay for something they’ve been getting for free. The Mail Tribune’s parent company, News Corp, is headed on the same track, with the big [...]
Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments

Who’s a journalist?

By Bob Hunter | Published: January 12, 2010 | 0 Comments
The First Amendment Forum sponsored by SOU on Monday night focused on the need to protect reporters from the inquiring minds of federal prosecutors. That effort has gained some traction in recent months, with Congress tantalizingly close to passing a federal shield law. A shield law — which three dozen states, including Oregon, already have — essentially says [...]
Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments

And we’re back

By Bob Hunter | Published: December 21, 2009 | 0 Comments
It was with great trepidation excitement that we reluctantly eagerly announced last week that our unpopular popular readers forums will return, allowing people to attack the innocent and each other to weigh in on the issues of the day. OK, so we’re a bit conflicted over the prospects of the the forums’ return, because we know all too well [...]
Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments

CNN steps toward the middle

By Bob Hunter | Published: November 13, 2009 | 0 Comments
Anyone else happy to see the news that CNN and Lou Dobbs are parting company because the cable network has decided to move away from “advocacy journalism”? Dobbs announced Wednesday that he was leaving CNN immediately and some have speculated that he may run for Congress. For years, Dobbs was a staple on CNN’s business report, [...]
Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments

Where did the forum go?

By Bob Hunter | Published: September 14, 2009 | 0 Comments
This question and answer ran in Saturday’s Since You Asked column, but since we continue to get questions about the disappearance of the Mail Tribune forums and the story comments, here it is again: My question is simple: What happened to the Mail Tribune’s (online) forums? — M.I., Medford Your question is simple, M.I., but alas, the [...]
Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments

Auchincloss coverage

By Bob Hunter | Published: June 22, 2009 | 0 Comments
We’ve had a number of concerns raised by readers over our coverage of the investigation into Ashland resident James Auchincloss’ alleged possession of child pornography. Auchincloss, the half-brother of the late Jackie Kennedy-Onassis, has not been charged, but several stories have been published based on information compiled by police after they served search warrants. Acquaintances [...]
Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments

More bad news to come

By Bob Hunter | Published: May 21, 2009 | 0 Comments
We get a rather steady stream of criticism for publishing bad news. Well, brace for more. On the heels of last week’s announcement that the state budget shortfall is not quite as bad as feared, Gov. Ted Kulongoski paid the Mail Tribune a visit Wednesday as part of a push to create a program that he [...]
Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments