Arash Kamiar: Dear Folio Weekly

[Metro Jacksonville]

Arash Kamiar: Dear Folio Weekly





Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2016-jan-arash-kamiar-dear-folio-weekly

[Tacachale]

I'll kick us off with some hopefully non-indecipherable robot speech comments. That Folio piece was phenomenally lame and probably deserving of a humorous response. Of all the things published on Metro Jacksonville - and all the things that could be reasonably criticized - THAT's what he goes after? You were on point to take him to task for that considering that it's not any worse than a lot of what Folio has taken to publishing lately. Higher standards in the media starts with one's own publication.

Still, it feels like splashing in the kiddie pool when folks are drowning in the deep end. This is no fault of yours, Arash, as you were responding to Folio. But it just scratches the surface of a bigger problem with the local media, of which the decline of Folio is just a symptom: it's all in pretty serious trouble. The Times-Union is a shadow of its former self itself and even publications that apparently make money like Folio can't seem to find their voice anymore.

I've said this before, but the real tragedy in the local media recently was serious failure to cover the various fiascos and red flags happening in the Alvin Brown administration. From his godawful budgets to slashing city services to working behind the scenes to derail the Human Rights Ordinance, his term was full of stories that would have derailed any previous mayor - or forced them to actually learn from their mistakes. But the media, from Folio on up to the big boys, largely passed on them. This is a national trend and there are a lot of factors behind it, but the fact remains that this is a bad time in Jax media right now.

[ProjectMaximus]

All I know is...you're famous, Cap'n!!! 

In the article's comments section, a needle-mover named Captain Zissou put it this way: "Sounds to me like 'cheap cost of business and abundant workforce.' I'd say we're the next Mumbai or Manila before the next Silicon Valley. Companies move operations to Jax in order to 'near shore' as a cost-cutting measure. That's still good, but we're not Silicon Valley."

Captain Zissou is right: That's still good.

[Captain Zissou]

All I know is...you're famous, Cap'n!!! 

In the article's comments section, a needle-mover named Captain Zissou put it this way: "Sounds to me like 'cheap cost of business and abundant workforce.' I'd say we're the next Mumbai or Manila before the next Silicon Valley. Companies move operations to Jax in order to 'near shore' as a cost-cutting measure. That's still good, but we're not Silicon Valley."
Captain Zissou is right: That's still good.

Thank you, thank you.  I'll be posting the time and location of my autograph session soon.  I don't know if the folio writer is calling me a "needle mover" in a positive or negative way.

[InnerCityPressure]

I'm team MetroJax, but I found it funny when I went to read the comments section and was met with this...



I'm not complaining about ads.  They are necessary.  It was just ironic 

[David]

Now now kids, don't fight. MetroJacksonville and Folio teamed up nicely when I had to defend my lady's honor with the Carmine's coupon incident several years ago.  The owner didn't honor Folio's "What's the deal" coupon, I ranted about it on here, I got a response back from Folio apologizing about the incident within a day after Stephen made some calls.  (Thanks again btw)

I haven't picked up a Folio in a while but I am on here daily. As for the style of topic that was critiqued, I never take those too seriously but I give them a read to see what they're driving at. It's like this. I see something like "Is Jacksonville the next New York?" No, I say to myself and then read the article.

And I do see Folio's website has more content than it used to. I might give it  another read since this article reminded me about them.

[BridgeTroll]

All I know is...you're famous, Cap'n!!! 

In the article's comments section, a needle-mover named Captain Zissou put it this way: "Sounds to me like 'cheap cost of business and abundant workforce.' I'd say we're the next Mumbai or Manila before the next Silicon Valley. Companies move operations to Jax in order to 'near shore' as a cost-cutting measure. That's still good, but we're not Silicon Valley."
Captain Zissou is right: That's still good.

Thank you, thank you.  I'll be posting the time and location of my autograph session soon.  I don't know if the folio writer is calling me a "needle mover" in a positive or negative way.

[TheCat]

I'll kick us off with some hopefully non-indecipherable robot speech comments. That Folio piece was phenomenally lame and probably deserving of a humorous response. Of all the things published on Metro Jacksonville - and all the things that could be reasonably criticized - THAT's what he goes after? You were on point to take him to task for that considering that it's not any worse than a lot of what Folio has taken to publishing lately. Higher standards in the media starts with one's own publication.

Still, it feels like splashing in the kiddie pool when folks are drowning in the deep end. This is no fault of yours, Arash, as you were responding to Folio. But it just scratches the surface of a bigger problem with the local media, of which the decline of Folio is just a symptom: it's all in pretty serious trouble. The Times-Union is a shadow of its former self itself and even publications that apparently make money like Folio can't seem to find their voice anymore.

I've said this before, but the real tragedy in the local media recently was serious failure to cover the various fiascos and red flags happening in the Alvin Brown administration. From his godawful budgets to slashing city services to working behind the scenes to derail the Human Rights Ordinance, his term was full of stories that would have derailed any previous mayor - or forced them to actually learn from their mistakes. But the media, from Folio on up to the big boys, largely passed on them. This is a national trend and there are a lot of factors behind it, but the fact remains that this is a bad time in Jax media right now.

I'm optimistic about news media. I'm reading some of the most insightful, thoughtful, investigative pieces I've read in a long while. I love the Atlantic! That's national, though. Locally, the times-union is not as unimpressive as it once was. I certainly pay more attention to what they are doing. The times held Brown to task on several issues. Denton did sue.

Folio, will get better. They just have to convince a lot of people to give them a try, again. I don't trust the Folio because I've been let down by too many of their articles. They're reaching for stories that don't exist. They're contriving controversy where there is none. Why not spend the ink on something real?

I can agree with you about Brown. It's easier to criticize someone with a perspective than someone whose decision making was ambiguous, at best; meaningless, at worst. Some of the things he did were so unreal that one couldn't believe it. For me, I liken myself to a "deer in headlights" for much of Brown's tenure.

At least with Curry, despite the political BS (and absolute fear mongering! ) he's someone you can grip and make sense of. I'm not confused by him. Brown, I still do not get!

[TheCat]

I'm team MetroJax, but I found it funny when I went to read the comments section and was met with this...



I'm not complaining about ads.  They are necessary.  It was just ironic 

Whoah, creepy historical images and Justin Bieber? Looks like we're on task.

[Tacachale]

I'll kick us off with some hopefully non-indecipherable robot speech comments. That Folio piece was phenomenally lame and probably deserving of a humorous response. Of all the things published on Metro Jacksonville - and all the things that could be reasonably criticized - THAT's what he goes after? You were on point to take him to task for that considering that it's not any worse than a lot of what Folio has taken to publishing lately. Higher standards in the media starts with one's own publication.

Still, it feels like splashing in the kiddie pool when folks are drowning in the deep end. This is no fault of yours, Arash, as you were responding to Folio. But it just scratches the surface of a bigger problem with the local media, of which the decline of Folio is just a symptom: it's all in pretty serious trouble. The Times-Union is a shadow of its former self itself and even publications that apparently make money like Folio can't seem to find their voice anymore.

I've said this before, but the real tragedy in the local media recently was serious failure to cover the various fiascos and red flags happening in the Alvin Brown administration. From his godawful budgets to slashing city services to working behind the scenes to derail the Human Rights Ordinance, his term was full of stories that would have derailed any previous mayor - or forced them to actually learn from their mistakes. But the media, from Folio on up to the big boys, largely passed on them. This is a national trend and there are a lot of factors behind it, but the fact remains that this is a bad time in Jax media right now.

I'm optimistic about news media. I'm reading some of the most insightful, thoughtful, investigative pieces I've read in a long while. I love the Atlantic! That's national, though. Locally, the times-union is not as unimpressive as it once was. I certainly pay more attention to what they are doing. The times held Brown to task on several issues. Denton did sue.

Folio, will get better. They just have to convince a lot of people to give them a try, again. I don't trust the Folio because I've been let down by too many of their articles. They're reaching for stories that don't exist. They're contriving controversy where there is none. Why not spend the ink on something real?

I can agree with you about Brown. It's easier to criticize someone with a perspective than someone whose decision making was ambiguous, at best; meaningless, at worst. Some of the things he did were so unreal that one couldn't believe it. For me, I liken myself to a "deer in headlights" for much of Brown's tenure.

At least with Curry, despite the political BS (and absolute fear mongering! ) he's someone you can grip and make sense of. I'm not confused by him. Brown, I still do not get!

Sorry, must have missed this.

I agree with a lot of what you say. Things do seem to be improving in some ways. Locally, the media does seem to be watching Curry more than they ever did with Brown. But that's not saying much. It's not hard to follow someone who's generally pretty communicative, and it doesn't take much to get news media to keep their watchful eye on a Republican. They did take Brown to task a few times, but it was far less than they should have.

Folio has always filled out their paper out with silly things, but they also had serious (or at least locally influential) journalism at least part of the time. I'm just not seeing that now. Your comment on them devoting a big story to a church preaching typical church things is spot on. This is not a serious story, at least not in the absence of covering other issues. How about the churches that are actually busing people in to meetings oppose the HRO? This week, their cover story is "Is St. Augustine cooler than Jacksonville?" It only makes it stand out when their writers try to jab other publications for putting out soft articles.

There are positive signs, but it's not enough to make me hopeful.

[Jimmy]

I feel like pushing back a little on one point.  If the story about 11:22 wasn't about 11:22, but about FBC, then yeah, no story.  Dog bites man.

But with 11:22, they hide their affiliations.  They dress up their church with coffee bars and rock bands.  They don't list their theological leaning on their website.  And, until very recently, their social media.  They do "new church" with a modern everything.  But you're going there a year, thinking about joining, and that's when you're hit with, "Well... we'd love to let you become a member, but we can't if you're gay. But, dude, totally keep coming (there's hope for you yet)."  That's man bites dog.  That's news to people who think 11:22 or Celebration are anything other than FBC with lipstick.

Otherwise, yeah.  Journalistic malpractice for letting Brown skate on too many things.  But it's getting better, and not just because the D has changed to an R.  For so long, the TU was reliably conservative and Folio reliably liberal.  There's been some drift away from the poles on both mastheads.  IMHO.