One Media Network

I wonder how many media network, big and small,  have survived their trade this far.  If they didn’t, something definitely must  have gone and wrong and  not addressing them  died their natural death. Tragic.  incurring too collateral damage  as people exercising their  trade - from writer to publisher, cartoonist to columnist, news reporters to book critics among others -  are also affected. Here’s The Life and Times of Los Angeles Times, a book actually an old one published in 1984 yet but tells the story of  a dramatic transformation of once a modest media network and ascend into an information empire staying there  over more than century of existence! Simply incredible. It’s actually a narrative work, yet written like fiction with all those plot, conflict and most importantly sheer narrative excitement minus conflict. You may read as it will give you invaluable insights what it takes  making  things happen. But most significantly, providing you how to cope up with problems in the industry coming out doubly strong  giving you back handsome dividend of  your hard earned  investments in the end. Make your day as you  relished  reading to your heart’s delight and hopefully, transforming your knowledge of media industry to higher level enhancing your journalistic talent all the more. Seems well going to have interesting stories to tell here. Yes sir.

How is it then running a giant information conglomerate sustaining blistering pace in newspaper network producing million of daily circulation throughout the world surviving against the test of time and competition. It looks like a sick joke but  it seems nothing has surpassed the drama that is Los Angeles Times capturing general reading audience without any let-up until today.

The saga started with merely $5,000.00 loan by Marrsison Gray Otis, a lieutenant colonel during Civil War buying editor’s job and one-fourth ownership of the Times. It was Harry Chandler, his son in-law however who  did the dirty job building the Times into bigger outfit  through holding various civic development activities for huge fee. The dynastic torch of leadership passed on to Norman Chandler, the third generation leader earning the reputation as cautious and resolute publisher. But it was Otis Chandler, the fourth publisher who really set the tone of what is now the modern Los Angeles Times.

Incredibly but true, the Times’ office was blown into bits and pieces during an era of bitter labor dispute. But unperturbed then Harrison Gray Otis persuaded the case in court battle winning the contentious legal battle. Surviving from the tragedy of the bombing, the Times would soon thrive and became successful for more than half of the century that followed. The rest of course already history as it has surpassed the century mark moving past first quarter of second century.

As Marshall Bergees, the author puts it: this is the story of the making of journalistic enterprise.  It ventures out to describe the diverse, workings of a modern newspaper. It reports what the newspaper business is really like, how -stories and journalists – are made.”

Calling the shot of course in the newspaper network other than the chairman and publisher himself among others are review editor, columnists, cartoonists and all that. We may add lay-out artist, sports editor etc in our modern newspaper industry today. In Los Angeles Times’ case, the character of the paper was apparent from the very start. The people and all staff didn’t waver in exercising their trade against hostilities, criticism,  politics whatever  holding on where they stand. And in thousands of articles written, stories given and shared never did a dull moment caught  Los Angeles Times. The legal counsel simply did their job defending the truth against harassments employed by union-skinned officials. Once Timothy Cardinal Manning, Bishop of Los Angeles, wrote Paul Conrad, the cartoonist, complaining the cartoon of a pope holding an identical infant pope on his lap with an identical face calling it was an affront to the Holy Father and two million Catholics. Conrad simply answered swiftly and defended writing swiftly “to be good, a thing must be good in all its parts; to be defective, it need only be defective in one.” He knows. After all,  he is a Pulitzer-Prize winning cartoonist. Today I think issue like this one  shows how indispensable public opinion is inside the church. And why really not if we have to be a good practicing Christian and maintain to be well-spiritually grounded.

There were many other important  issues cleared like repetition in  writing. But there is no such thing as repetition in the trade, the Times corrected. Why? People change everyday, it further  clarified. Treating an old issue in new way? That could indeed qualify as another meaning of originality. With one very important clarification though any writer should observe and sustained specially columnists or they  become outdated. Jim Murray, who writes minimum of five columns a week with handicap to boot (72% only is restored to his right eye having suffered detached retina!) clears: “The trick to writing a column is to avoid boredom. You have to keep people interested, but first you have to keep yourself interested. That isn’t always easy. Boredom is the joker in the deck, the loose board at the top of the steps in the dark,” he cautioned. Just make sense. As he clarified: “There’s story in every man and woman. The challenge is to find it.”

So you want to be a writer. Accept it maybe as a thankless job but no way you should take it lightly or you’ll come up with merely journalistic piece that merely fills up space of your paper in waste. Find interest in people and write ringing a sheer narrative bell of excitement. With that you’re not only doing great service to yourself as writer but most importantly to your audience spending time reading good things in life. Enough for trash talk. That’s good for dustbin of history.

Looking back in my own backyard, it is hardly imagined that partisan politics lord over world of ideas in this republic.  Our public officials are too onion-skinned and that libel despite effort then staged by Sen. Raul Roco to be de-criminalized and lately, its punishment was cut short,  is still posing as threat  like Damocles blade hanging over the media peoples’ head. Well taken as the law so stipulates the provision on slander and libel but what if you don’t have money your detractors have in influencing  lawyers and  people in the court. But thanks that there are politicians who see how crucial the role media  plays in the country.  This column despite it addresses important lapses among our officers is giving  tribute specifically Vice Mayor Dongkoy Emano for his tacit respect and recognition and defense for media. Well said and exactly, local officials should not  be   onion-skinned.