Memo to Morris Communications' creditors regarding the St. Augustine Record:
TO: JPMorgan Chase Bank; The Bank of New York; SunTrust Banks Inc.); Wachovia Bank; Bank of America; General Electric Capital Corp.; Allied Irish Banks; RBS Citizens' Comerica Bank; US Bank, National Association; First Tennessee Bank, National Association; Webster Bank, National Association; Keybank National Association; Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp.; and Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd.
Now that we've got your attention, there's a few things you need to know:
1. The St. Augustine Record and Florida Times-Union generate some 34% of MORRIS COMMUNICATIONS' profits worldwide.
2. News is not being reported here -- we get handouts and coverups, including those concerning serious environmental crimes and First Amendment violations by our City of St. Augustine. There are only three (3) reporters for a county of 181,000 (one of the reporters is pregnant). The Record is becoming a joke and people don't respect its coverage.
3. The Record will and can make money -- BUT it needs to report news. NEWS.
4. So long as the Record is perceived to be in the hip pocket of government officials, developers and their cronies, the "WRecKord" as it is known will not be respected. It will decline in readership and advertising. Worshiping the likes of Ann Coulter and other hate speech spewers reminds me of what President Obama said about ex-VP CHeney's autobiography: "How to shoot friends and interrogate people." The Record has been directed not to cover arrests of artists and other outrages due to pressure from local businesses.
5. Too often, the Record has "killed the messenger," again and again -- threatening reporters with firing for doing their jobs too well, refusing to cover news stories, disrespecting activists, even firing a political cartoonist (Ed Hall) for a a political cartoon approved by management, one criticizing Florida school officials for self-serving actions while cutting classroom instruction. In that instance, the Record was pressured by our local School Superintendent, JOSEPH JOYNER, and his friends PHIL McDANIEL, et al). One synecdoche: in 1994, the Record had a front page headline on its 100th anniversary, stating, "100 Years of Pubic (sic) Service."
6. Too often, the Record has missed the boat on journalism prizes, refusing to investigate environmental crimes and corruption adequately here in St. Johns County, where our Republican County Commission Chairman, THOMAS MANUEL, was indicted for bribery and is awaiting trial.
7. Too often, the Record's staff is forbidden or not allowed to use their God-given talents to report news, too often abusing their talents to distort and give the views of City of St. Augustine and other officials like Rep. JOHN MICA (and other unaccountable government officials and corporations).
8. The Record's failure to report the news is a breach of fiduciary duty to you, whom the Record is unable to repay loans that are due on May 28th.
9. JPMorgan Chase Bank; The Bank of New York; SunTrust Banks Inc. (NYSE: STI); Wachovia Bank; Bank of America (NYSE: BAC); General Electric Capital Corp.; Allied Irish Banks; RBS Citizens; Comerica Bank; US Bank, National Association; First Tennessee Bank, National Association; Webster Bank, National Association; Keybank National Association; Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp.; and Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd. you need to tell the MORRIS COMMUNICATIONS group to start covering the news, without fear or favor. That is what sells newspapers -- not sellouts who insult readers' intelligence (and insult and threaten activists).
10. If JPMorgan Chase Bank; The Bank of New York; SunTrust Banks Inc. (NYSE: STI); Wachovia Bank; Bank of America (NYSE: BAC); General Electric Capital Corp.; Allied Irish Banks; RBS Citizens; Comerica Bank; US Bank, National Association; First Tennessee Bank, National Association; Webster Bank, National Association; Keybank National Association; Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp.; and Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd. do not get suitable responses from MORRIS COMMUNICATIONS in the next five days, will you please: (a) call your loans and (b) sell the St. Augustine Record newspaper to people who will cover the news without fear or favor -- whether local residents or the New York Times.
With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed
Ed Slavin
www.staugustgreen.com
www.cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com
P.O. box 3084
St. Augustine, Florida 32085-3084
904-829-3877 (direct)
904-471-9918 (fax)
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