[Stacy From Cali]

Originally Posted by billiefan2000

at least someone is saying the OWH is a liberal newspaper


no one, unless they are stupid


or believe the OWH isnt left enough


would say the OWH is a "conservative" newspaper

Well apparently I'm stupid because IMO the World Herald is incredibly conservative. Its not just about what particular columnists have to say but instead is about what the paper decides to publish...and what it does not. I could care less about the official political positions of the writers. I care about the paper publishing stories that do more than talk about downtown building projects and traffic snafus....and churches...bleah.

Add to that the fact the the so-called "World" Herald has the worst international coverage I have ever seen in a newspaper claiming to represent a major urban area. This is probably one big reason why so many people here do not know nor care about what is going on in the rest of the world. Its a shame.

[billiefan2000]

Originally Posted by Stacy From Cali

Well apparently I'm stupid because IMO the World Herald is incredibly "conservative.


Add to that the fact the the so-called "World" Herald has the worst international coverage I have ever seen in a newspaper claiming to represent a major urban area. This is probably one big reason why so many people here do not know nor care about what is going on in the rest of the world. Its a shame.

stacy I am ask this again:


how is the world herald conservative


because they arent like the San fransisco newspaper or like the Old York Times (aka the New York Times



or is it cause they dont pander to the far-left like MSNBC or Daily Kos does,


therefore they must be a "conservative" newspaper





you said:


I could care less about the official political positions of the writers.


so you dont know of any conservatives who work as columnists at the OWH?



how can the omaha world herald be called "conservative" if you cant name me at least 2 columnists who are conservative




BTW, I agree 100 percent with you on one thing:

I too care about the paper publishing stories that do more than talk about downtown building projects and traffic snafus....and churches...

[todd00]

everything progressive isnt wonderful either, but i never cared for the weird-herald. the columnists as they are called are just a waste of space. overpaid egocentric types that couldnt make it beyond omaha. i could care less about anything they have to say. and the writing, well thats why coffee is good with the omaha paper...to keep one awake. the weird herald does have a purpose...its great for lining the budgie cage.

[mattpoulsen]

Staci,

I'm a very moderate person and would classify myself as an independent (generally a social liberal and a fiscal conservative). That said, you act as though everything "conservative" is by definition evil or bad. Why is it any worse for a publication to be conservative than liberal?? If one city can have an ultra-liberal paper then why can't another city have an ultra-conservative paper (which the OWH is not)?

I'm no big fan of the World Herald but you make it out like its Fox News. Its not nearly as conservative as you make it out to be. Further, the idea that its the reason Omahans "don't know or care about the rest of the world" is 1) incredibly insulting and 2) incredibly inaccurate. The OWH is FIRST a local paper. We live in the networked electronic age. We don't need a local paper to explain what's going on in the rest of the world. Local papers first job is to stick to local issues. No one said it was on par with the Washington Post, the New York Time, and etc., which are national newspapers. The OWH IS a local papers that covers SOME international issues. If my interest is an international issue than I'm not turning to my local paper. But the NY Times is n't going to have a whole lot of content concerning the down town development in Omaha, NE or the Omaha City Police Pension debate!! You act as though Omahans don't access other information outlets, such as CNN, MSNBC, Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC, NY Times, Time, Washington Post, the BBC, and etc. The fact of the matter is if YOU are getting all of your information from your local paper than it is probably YOU who is uneducated and oblivious to the rest of the world. I assure you the vast majority of Omahans do NOT rely on the OWH for their international news.

The people of Omaha are absolutely just as educated about the workings of the globe as anyone else. The fact that many may disagree with YOUR view of the world or the solutions for its problems does NOT mean they don't understand the world.

Finally, just as you claim everyone who supports Omaha is a zealous and irrational defender of Omaha, I believe you have crossed over into the ridiculously zealous criticism of Omaha. Every time you attack Omaha on an issue its "Omaha is the worst..." "Omaha is the most conservative" "The OWH has the worst international coverage..." Come on! According to you Omaha is basically the worst at everything under the sun.

The idea that the OWH is the most conservative metro newspaper is just absurd. In fact, considering I read 3 or 4 newspapers a day and browse several others, I would classify the OWH as pretty much right down the middle. And there are much more conservative papers in much larger metropolitan areas.

[altajoe]

I totally agree with mattpoulsen on this one.

[billiefan2000]

Originally Posted by altajoe

I totally agree with mattpoulsen on this one.

I agree with matt also

[Stacy From Cali]

I obviously do not.

Matt you have a problem with me..ok I see that. But look...I work at a college, my husband at a university, and we do not see much international consciousness in either place. If not in higher educational facilities than where? I believe that one reason for this is the dismal representation of international news in the local newspaper.

I teach world history. The sophomores I taught in Napa know more...and care more... about world affairs than most students/people I have met here (the obvious exception being international students). It is what it is. Think what you want...Omaha is much more insular than the west coast.

I hardly see how you can justify that I have somehow "made it out to be like Fox News" when all I have said is that they are very selective about what stories they choose to cover. Give me a break. The stories that I wish they would cover? More about the social problems that exist in the city, more about the educational system, more about local poverty, more about gay issues, more things that matter! These are all local issues that are routinely covered in more progressive newspapers. I think that a balance could be struck between stories that are actually contraversal and the pandering to local businesses that happens now.

Many of the students I have had here don't read any paper, online or otherwise. The ones that do...good for them! I agree that in this day and age the internet is the primary news source, but one would think that a local paper would know this and try to compete.

I never said that I thought it was the most conservative newspaper, just that I thought it was conservative. The title of "most conservative" I think should be awarded to the Oklahoma City rag.

Matt you think any criticsim I have of Omaha is ridiculous, you have made this clear, so I don't put much stock in that.

GoNe...you tell me...how much international focus do you have in your classes? Tell me its a bunch and make me feel good about the future of education.

In a nutshell I do not think the labels "conservative" or "liberal" have as much to do with political affiliation of columnists as with a media source decides to cover...and what it chooses not to cover.

[mattpoulsen]

No Staci. I do NOT have a problem with you. Further, I completely agree that Omaha is imperfect. I have never said Omaha was the greatest city and I have never claimed that Omahans are superior in anyway.

What i have claimed is that your painting of Omaha and Nebraska as the "worst" is just plain silly. I don't have a problem with you, but you cannot expect people not to respond to your posts when make claims like you do.

My point has always been Omaha is NOT the best...but its NOT the worst either. I actually try to apply some objectivity.

I have worked in academia myself and never have seen a problem with people's understanding of international issues. And it is no less or no more than what I have observed in other academic institutions around the US and the world. The fact that you say CA students are more internationally versed does NOT make it so. In fact, that statement is so unbelievably unqualified that it completely lacks any intellectual consequence. It would be like saying "Nebraskans are better looking than Californians" or "Nebraskans smell better than Californians."

I don't disagree with you that the OWH doesn't necessarily cover all that important LOCAL topics. But your critique related to INTERNATIONAL issues. You are just now mentioning things like "local gay issues" or "local poverty issues." I openly stated I'm not a big fan of the OWH, but you are faulting the OWH for a downfall that shouldn't be the OWH's primary focus.

Finally, my experience is the idea that CA students are less insular than NE students is just ridiculous. Sorry. I've been all over too, in a number of college and university settings, and I see zero material difference. So, would you be annoyed if I said my experience at universities is that Nebraska students are far more intelligent than California students?? Or, Nebraska students are far more capable of grasping reality than California students? Or, Nebraska students are far less likely to suffer narcissism than California students? I'm guessing you'd have a problem with those statements -as you should. But your statements are just as baseless.

I guess my whole issue is you simply don't apply any objectivity. Its always..."California is better than Nebraska" or "Californians are more in tune with this...or with that." You go all the way down to saying things like "all Nebraskans care about is working...and therefore have a low quality of life." (paraphrasing). THAT IS WHY I THINK YOUR STATEMENTS ARE RIDICULOUS!

[Raphael07]

Originally Posted by Stacy From Cali

GoNe...you tell me...how much international focus do you have in your classes? Tell me its a bunch and make me feel good about the future of education.

Well, I'm in the International Baccalaureate program which focuses on internationalism and a different way of thinking, but some of the kids in my grade wouldn't be able to identify the United States on a map........

[greyduk]

You know... this might be just another baseless observation, but I agree with Staci on two things.

First off, I agree that the political leanings of a few reporters/journalists do not determine the leanings of the paper as a whole.

Second, I have spent a few years in California. I've definitely noticed that they are more in tune with international affairs than Nebraskans. I don't think this should be taken as an insult though, they are certainly exposed to a much more dense presence of these cultures out there, so it only seems fitting. I also noticed that while they might be more internationally aware, they seem to be less aware of national things. In my job, I meet a lot of people from all over the country, and it always seems that the majority of people whom have no idea where Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska are on maps are from California. Sure, that's not very scientific, I know. I just got the impression that they felt they represented America well enough to not worry about learning much about it. The whole "5th largest economy" has really gotten a little too much attention.