Tom Kenney: A Journalist Takes a Shortcut With Facts, Makes ProJo Look Like National Enquirer
Friday, January 22, 2016
Say it ain’t so, Mark Patinkin.
Not you, too.
Not Mark Patinkin – the journalist who writes passionate fluff pieces for the Providence Journal attempting to pull on the heartstrings of his readers.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAfter all your laudable efforts to show the truthful, human side of the story that many news journalists sometimes miss; it turns out that you’re just another one of “them”.
One of those whose writing ends up taking away the respect from real journalists.
A poster boy for the one-sided attack. Writing solely on the basis of the accuser, without ever getting the story of the accused.
Many of my friends have a stronger word for it. They call it slander.
Of your dozens of columns regarding firefighters and the fire service, every single one of them paints a negative picture of firefighters. Yet in every article you throw in the obligatory phrase, “… while I respect what firefighters do…”. It is plain to see that you have some sort of personal agenda against firefighters, especially Providence firefighters.
My peers say it’s “statistically impossible” for you to be unbiased toward firefighters when all your columns regarding firefighters are critical.
While you were writing your hatchet job on me did you ever feel that maybe, just maybe, you should reach out to me via e-mail to see what my side of the story might be? I guess your answer is no. Despite the fact that over the years you and I have had a history of scores of e-mail contacts going back about 5 years.
Instead you relied on the so-called facts stated by the Commissioner and reported by one of your fellow journalists at ProJo who had one short conversation with me prior to publishing his story. I guess you had a great idea for a column and didn’t want to take the chance of ruining that story by uncovering facts that told a different story.
Lazy journalism. Slanted journalism. Quite possibly slanderous journalism.
Such journalism wouldn’t be tolerated in most newspapers not titled “National Enquirer”, but I guess the Providence Journal allows such columns. Maybe because your editors don’t consider you a real journalist.
And worse, Mark, there doesn’t seem to be any sense of conscience on your part for publishing this personal attack. I’ve requested that you write some type of retraction several times since your column was published but you refuse. I guess that means you’re not as worried about the column being factual as you are about it being witty.
Of course, not all journalists are lazy, biased or play loose with the facts. Many report what the facts come to prove regardless of the outcome. Other columnists, such as you, come up with an idea for a column and use only the facts that support their story.
Journalists have a very important job in our society. People need to believe, and most do, that what they read in legitimate newspapers and periodicals is factual. Columnists who specialize in fluff pieces may be excused from the necessity of being true to the facts in some of their musings or human interest stories, but certainly not in their opinion pieces that attack the reputation and integrity of a real life person.
Your column, Mark Patinkin, destroying my reputation on the weight of the so-called facts provided by my attackers does an injustice to all journalists and your newspaper, the Providence Journal. Not all journalists, from ProJo or not, write a column without verifying the facts or getting an opinion or statement from the subject being lambasted.
Oh, Mark, say they printed the wrong column. Say it was merely a first draft and that you were awaiting my input. Say that this lazy, slanted and slanderous article was not supposed to be published. Say you’re too good a “journalist” for that.
Alas, we both know that’s not the case!
Related Slideshow: Providence Firefighter Tweets
Related Articles
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Caroline Vexler: Volkswagen Heartbreak
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Santos: Illegal Immigration, Washington & Wall Street
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Santos: America’s Veterans, Her Forsaken Sons and Daughters
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Tom Kenney: The Worcester Six
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Berwick: Mass Transit in Rhode Island
- Guest MINDSETTER ™ Berwick: A Blueprint to Improve Public School Education
- Guest MINDSETTER ™ Bob Sweeney: The Need to be Informed
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Santos: Reckoning 38 Studios, Conspiracy to Conceal, Careful What You Wish for
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Santos: Political Correctness, Weaponizing Social Engineering
- Guest MINDSETTERS ™ Benko, Kral, Mello: A Profile on Racial Profiling at PC
- Guest MINDSETTER ™ Joel Hellman: Lessons Not Learned from PARCC
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Chekrallah: Governor’s Overdose Task Force Sets the Right Direction
- Guest MINDSETTER™ John Tassoni Jr: The Silent Scream is Quiet No More
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Hewett: Dear voters in State Senate District 11
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Tom Kenney: Lies, Insinuations, Exaggeration
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Santos: The Ten Commandments of Capitol Hill
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Rep. Carson: RI Should be Vigilant About Protecting Waterways
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Rep. Tobon: The Benefits of Buying Locally
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Larry Girouard: It’s Working! What’s Working?
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Proudfoot: Providence’s High Schools Must Do Better
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Hindley: The Public Option for Payday Lending
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Nunnelly: Crisis Intervention Teams - Saving Lives & Decreasing Stigma
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Mundy: The Opioid Crisis & Our Veterans - We Must Do Better
- Guest MINDSETTER ™Bobby Kells, Jr: Time to Get Real About Refugees
- Guest MINDSETTER™ Tony Jones: MLK - The Doctrine of Non-Violence from Birmingham Jail
