Hamilton Nolan is Right

Writing for Gawker, St. Augustine native Hamilton Nolan, formerly with Folio Weekly has made his family (the Hamiltons and the Nolans) proud, and he has made many a heart leap with joy here.

Nolan was responding to the St. Augustine Record's new editor, who moved here a few weeks ago, casting aspersions (and asparagus) at the New York Times for "parachuting into" St. Augustine and not "making friends" with our corrupt Sheriff, DAVID B. SHOAR.
What noisome gooberishness.

Journalist Hamilton Nolan rightly skewered the St. Augustine Record earlier this week, calling it a "crap paper" for its inane response to what he correctly termed the "Pulitzer worthy" New York Times and PBS Frontline investigation.

There, I quoted it -- Hamilton Nolan called the Record a "crap paper" -- I'm not so Puritanical that I won't quote another journalist calling the St. Augustine Record a "crap paper."

As William F. Buckley, Jr. once wrote, "we must cut the crap." The Record must at long last "cut the crap" and start giving us the real deal, real scoops and real news, and stop pussyfooting around like pusillanimous pussyfooters.

"No matter what you say, it's still a newspaper," in the immortal words of Knoxville News Sentinel reporter Jim Dykes once opined of his newspaper (subject of a Newspaper Guild byline strike that predated the one at the Wall Street Journal)

As a newspaper, this 14-year resident, 14-year subscriber expects the Record to start acting like one. Start investigating, and stop perseverating about our "image" -- what you see is the fault of all of us, for not asking mroe questions.
As Edward R. Murrow quoted Shakespeare when discussing the power of Senator Joseph R. McCarthy (R-Wisc.), "The fault ... lies not in our stars, but in ourselves."

The Record needs to report on what it long ignored -- racism and corruption

We're glad to have an actual local newspaper here, now.

The Record was once owned by racists who publishe the addresses of African-American local school children integrating local schools, and the address of Dr. King's temporary residence, resulting in firebombings and shootings.

The Record has much for which to atone. In the words of Gilbert & Sullivan's "Mikado," "I've got a little list."

At long last, the Record needs to "cut the crap" and for once, distinguish itself as a newspaper, not a KKK rag.

The Record needs to show it has learned from the past.

The Record needs to show that, under new managemen, it now knows the difference between journalism and press release publishing, as practiced by erstwhile hate site operator MICHAEL GOLD's (Sheriff DAVID SHOAR's erstwhile $250,000 fundraiser in 2004) "Historic City News," which the Record this mmorning somehow mistook for a journalist.

Here's Hamilon Nolan's critque, in haec verba: http://gawker.com/heres-the-difference-between-a-crappy-local-paper-and-1476699597

In words written by Robert Kennedy in signing a copy of his book to racist segregationist U.S. Senator James O. Eastland, let me advise the Record: "Repent now, there's still time."