the Newspaper About Nothing
Some communities enjoy a fairly free public discourse. Unfortunately,
Dana Point is not one of those communities. In 1977 south Orange
County had the benefit of five independent newspapers: The Los
Angeles Times, the Orange County Register, the Dana Point News,
the Daily Pilot, and the San Clemente Sun/Post. Today, in 1998,
there are only two media interests in south Orange County, even
though such nameplates as the Dana Point News and the Sun/Post
still exist as publications. This is because the Times and the
Register have bought out the three independent papers.
Of all these publications, only the Dana Point News specializes
in news that is of particular interest to Dana Point residents,
and it touts its monopoly on the dissemination of information
in town by using the pretense of being a small-town newspaper.
The problem with this, however, is that the editor of the Dana
Point News appears to be unconcerned with the standards of real
journalism. With editor Dennis Kaiser at the helm, the local
newspaper for Dana Point has all the depth of a Neighborhood Watch
newsletter. And if one were to attempt to psychoanalyze Mr. Kaiser
from the topics and perspective he insists upon in his publication,
one might come to the conclusion that Mr. Kaiser only came to
journalism because he failed to qualify for what his true aspiration
must be, which would appear to be that of policeman.
The editor's bearing has all the hallmarks of a boss who revels
in his role as local newspaper tycoon, who is admitted into the
confidences of all the powerful and influential people in town.
It is the typical attitude of a little fish in a little pond,
imagining that what he has to say actually has importance. Only
that sense of imperious power could justify front-page "news"
like "Reading Safari in Rain Forest," or "Tut of
Tallships May Visit." Here is a front-page news item on
the possibility that an event may take place in the future. What
school of journalism did Mr. Kaiser attend?
Most tellingly, however, is not just the inane articles he wastes
front-page space on, but the fact that really significant news
is buried in the Police Blotter. Near-riots at the beach, and
public mass fist fights at the Ritz-Carlton, get buried in the
back pages, and take up about 5 inches of copy. Instead, Dana
Point residents are treated to "A 'Tail' of Two Animal Charities,"
(which is not to imply that there is nothing important about animal
charities, but you can be certain that most people would not mind
reading about the local animal charity on page 3).
On the other hand the editor assumes the bureaucratic perspective
of the police and the City Government, holding the people of Dana
Point at arms length, as potential law breakers. The best article
that really exposed this attitude had to do with the PAL lanes
at the San Onofre police checkpoint set up by the INS. No one
at Dana Point On-Line has ever encountered any Dana Point native
who holds the opinion that the checkpoint is a benefit to the
community; instead, there is a general consensus of the checkpoint
being a burden and a threat, not because Dana Pointers are all
criminals, but because it violates the basic spirit of American
concepts of justice. The article in question posed the issue
in such a way, that it insinuated that anyone who opposed the
checkpoint must necessarily be up to no good, implying that
all the Dana Pointers through the years who resented being challenged
by uniformed officers over one hundred miles north of the Mexican-American
border, must have criminal intentions. The article also very
blithely dismissed the fact that the FBI was running 5,000 background
checks on motorists who applied for the new PAL dashboard unit.
How more arbitrary can one get than motorists seeking to use
a car lane on the freeway?
A more recent example of the editor's love affair with law enforcement
can be found in the front-page picture of the police services'
new ATV, which accompanies the bicycle officers, who sneak up
on teenagers in the harbor and on the streets, who may be doing
harmless -- yet illegal -- things like smoking marijuana.
This relates to the recent bust of two men for impersonating
police, and robbing a victim of $300 with a fake gun. We certainly
expect the police to enforce the law, but when does some sense
enter the picture?
We have to ask ourselves if a $4,000 ATV is worth a few arrests
of juveniles, and more importantly, if the $40,000 we pay officers
each, per year, in salaries, and the millions we spend equipping
them, is worth spectacular successes like apprehending a couple
of dropouts with a fake gun. There are serious criminals at large,
and while Mr. Kaiser heaps laurel wreaths on his heroes for catching
some of the stupidest men in the case books, hard debates go unreported,
such as why the police almost started a riot at the concert put
on by the Monkeys rock band.
As evidence of the poor journalistic standard being practiced
at the Dana Point News, in one columnists' article (who shall
remain nameless because it would not be fair to blame the employee
for the employer's failure), the sub-title is : "NON-NEWS
FLASHES
include good report Renaissance Café
business is up sharply since the change of management and attitude
my companion didn't think the food was special, but liked the
ambulance
" It is safe to assume that what the
author intended to say was "ambiance," but then again,
the art of communication being so low on the priority list over
at the News, who knows what was intended by the author.
On
July 9th Kaiser decreed in his "Setting the Letters Standard"
editorial, a whole regime for publishing letters to the editor sent in to the News.
The first thing about the "Letters Standard," however, is that
if Kaiser doesn't like your opinions, they won't see the light
of day. But he goes on and on, implying that by just following his newly imposed ukase, anyone's letter might be published.
For the common people anxious to be heard, they are informed that letters that express the same sentiments will not be published,
only the one Kaiser likes the best; and he defines this in terms of an example
of how many people support developing the Headlands by building
a McDonalds' there. While he declares that he will allow criticism
of ideas, he will not allow "personal attacks." The
fact that only he will decide what the difference is, makes the
whole standard unenforceable. Then, of course, he asserts that
he will print facts and not fiction, but this is without acknowledging
the fact that the whole process of freedom of speech and dialogue
and press has to do with flushing out the facts, and they are
not always immediately obvious. By putting evidentiary requirements
on ordinary letter writers (and you can be sure that city council
members, police officers, state legislators, and political party
members will be exempt), the end effect is that they will be silenced.
Then as proof of the efficacy of his new policies, there is a
letter published in the very same issue of the Dana Point News,
that should be recognized for what it is, a portent of things
to come: the new level of discourse in the Dana Point News
as Dana Point's hometown newspaper. In order to demonstrate
what Mr. Kaiser's new policy edict has already resulted in, the
reader should take into consideration the following letter, because
it speaks for itself:
I would like to suggest a modest proposal for our
fair city of Dana Point. My proposal? Dog Poop, California.
The new name identifies us as citizens who glorify in our dogs
and their scatology. An added bonus, we are able to easily identify
locals as "one of us" by their ability to not only side
step dung heaps without breaking stride, but also to talk without
actually inhaling. Most ingeniously, we never look down and we
never pick it up. It is a part of who we are and we embrace that
independence - that "we don't need no stinkin' poop laws"
spirit. First we need a monument for our harbor. If need be,
we'll set up a task force. Then we sell the island statue of
Henry to Laguna Beach (a back-up Greeter - perhaps), let's throw
in the Pilgrim statue of the two sailors. We replace them with
some sort of interactive, though always tasteful and artistic,
rendition of our new namesake. Killer Dana could become Killer
Dog and expand their merchandise to carry Pit Bull T-shirts, thus
cornering the "gangsta" market as well as the surfer
venue. The Headlands Plan will finally satisfy everyone by eliminating
the million dollar homes and installing an Ocean View Bark Park.
Fiscally, it's no crapshoot. Just a modest proposal. Think
about it.
(The writers' identity will be kept anonymous to avoid
the further embarrassment of someone who obviously has too much
time on their hands).
This is an editorial of Dana Point On-Line, and is published
as a form of critical journalism for the betterment of the art
in Dana Point.
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