The Star doesn't deserve to exist.
Their downfall doesn't mean anything for Democracy or Journalism.
Once again the paper-of-record has published an opinion column on the front page featuring Jason Whitlock offering his views on social justice though he has neither the credentials to write on the subject nor the insight to handle a nuanced discussion of race that doesn't simply devolve into middle-class cliché.
The problem at P&L is still the racist and inconsistent enforcement of a dress-code policy intended primarily to limit the number of black and brown men that frequent the entertainment district financed by all of our tax dollars.Sad:
Until the Cordish Co., city officials and P&L nightclub owners figure out a fair and colorblind way to deter troublemakers from turning the high-priced downtown experiment into Westport Central, Power & Light will remain vulnerable to the types of misguided and exaggerated claims of racism we witnessed with Jazzy Jeff.
THE STAR OFFERS OPINION SUBSTITUTING AS NEWS AND HAS NOW BECOME NOTHING MORE THAN A PRINTED BLOG!!!
At a recent talk I participated in The Star's Dave Helling, the veteran reporter had a number of good reasons why objective, professional journalism was important for a Democracy. Today, The Star isn't leading with any of that -- Rather, they are printing the rambling observations of some guy out at a club who is upset that his party was interrupted.
When this "controversy" first erupted . . . This knucklehead, bar talk discussion of disparity is exactly what I feared. Now this town is inundated with hipsters and other ignorant viewpoints like Whitlock's engaged in a crusade on behalf of (or inspired by) a DJ and offering their solutions without a modicum of community involvement. I just didn't think The Star would champion such misguided and simplistic viewpoints as a substitute for news.
So-called corporate champions of journalism are dying by their own hand. Whitlock's opinion on the front page in a news section signals either surrender or suicide from The Star when it comes to journalistic integrity or credibility. This cynical ploy to garner renewed interest in the dying daily paper puts The Star on a level playing field with every Internet publisher and blogger who also sees opportunity in a divisive racial struggle. Today, The Star continues their downward spiral and lowers the overall quality of news in Kansas City.
I wish I could take more credit for their demise, but they're literally destroying themselves.
Holy Sweet tits.
ReplyDeleteWhitlock should be arrested for theft, because he is robbing the Star blind with his "writing"....
ReplyDelete250K a year and he probably writes his column on the shitter.
ReplyDeleteThe Star's new motto -- ALL THE NEWS THAT FITS
ReplyDeleteHighest-paid Star Staffer Punk'd for Overpriced Outfit -- THAT should have been the headline.
Jason don't you dare get on top of those ladies until you lose some weight. Tony, you can stay fat because you'll never have the cash to be in that position.
ReplyDeletelolz, they look like some classy whoo-ers
ReplyDeletedat nigga de same color as my shit!!!! Dayummmmmm!!!!
ReplyDeleteI think both sides should be honest here. The P&L people should admit they don't want blacks in their establishments and the African American community should admit that a large subset of their youth simply cannot function in normal society. Whites would also have to admit that a significant portion of their youth can't either.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the lesson here is taxpayers shouldn't be put in the position of subsidizing discrimination or going broke.
true dat!!!
ReplyDeleteHey, that's my girlfriend on his lap! Sunnofabitch!
ReplyDeleteAgain: Where is Whitlock's outrage over the killing of a 16-year-old kid on his front porch earlier this week or the 40-year failure of the KCMO school district?
ReplyDeleteHEY!!!! he's the same color as my shit too!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteya'll are just the worst kind of people.
ReplyDeleteFuck I don't like agreeing with you Tony but I do.
ReplyDeleteThe P&L will not cash welfare checks or accept drug money. Jason knows that.
ReplyDeleteWhitlock masquerading as a journalist...THAT"S what is a crime!!
ReplyDeleteMore professional journalism as quoted by Mr. Helling. It is an opinion paper no reporting there.
ReplyDeleteDon't even want to think that we're talking about this so long.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to believe that a man is telling the truth when you know that you would lie if you were in his place.
ReplyDeleteI don't usually like Whitlock's "very special" columns. But I liked this one. He calmly de-bunked the DJ story, and calmly confirmed the dress code problem.
ReplyDeleteMy take: I strongly suspected that P&L was using discretionary policies to discourage young black males from gathering there. I had no idea that P&L's policies are so ridiculous that a fat middle-aged rich guy like Whitlock would have trouble getting in. I mean, WTF did the bouncer think was going to happen if Whitlock went in? The biggest risk he poses is that he'll break a chair. By sitting in it. Would the bouncer give a 70 year old Bill Cosby a hard time too? So I think Whitlock's article was actually helpful, at least to me.
true dat!
ReplyDeleteJason has become a walking shit stain, skid mark.....he belongs with the Star!
ReplyDelete