March 6, 2010 Bob Moore's "News"paper Report vs. Video

CFA, Citizens for Accountability, has been taping both city council and city finance committee meetings for months and months without any problems. At the February 16 council meeting, however, a small light that is about the size of a pencil eraser and that is built into the hand-held camera accidentally came on during the taping.

The lady taping the meeting couldn't see the light, but when Councilmember Claude Jinks complained about a light, she apologized and immediately moved to the other side of the room to tape. After the meeting, she again tried to apologize to Jinks but he would not talk to her or accept her apology. CFA website is here.

Instead of talking with the lady or contacting CFA to see why there was a small light on the camera on  February 16--when that had never occurred before--the council prepared a formal resolution for its March 2 meeting to ban "certain lights" on cameras

Om March 2, Charles Cook, one of the founders of CFA, addressed the council about their resolution banning "certain lights."  "News"paper reporter Bob Moore was there and wrote an article on March 4 in which he described Cook as "angry," said that Cook interrupted Jinks--when it was actually the other way around, and called Cook's comments "invective."

in·vec·tive    (noun)

1.vehement or violent denunciation, censure, or reproach.
2.a railing accusation; vituperation.
3.an insulting or abusive word or expression.

Fortunately, CFA's camera was rolling during the entire March 2 meeting. Click here to see the video segment that shows what was really said, how it was said, and who interrupted whom.

Notice that Jinks interrupts Cook, "requires" Cook not to mention Jinks' name, and demands to see Cook "face-to-face." 

Jinks adds that it's council's policy not to endure personal attacks during the public comments portions of council meetings. Look and listen. Cook didn't "attack" Jinks.  The video shows that it was Jinks who interrupted Cook right after Cook mentioned that the lady who had taped the February 16 meeting had tried to apologize to Jinks twice and that Jinks had refused to accept her apologies. It was Jinks who demanded that Cook meet Jinks "face-to-face."

This type of exchange and this type of reporting is why all work sessions, committee meetings, and regular council meetings should be videotaped and aired on the local government/education channel that is set aside for that purpose.

Invective? That might describe Jinks' attitude and orders to Cook. That might describe Bobby Moore's reporting.

A video tells the tale far better than the nearly 400 slanted words that Bobby Moore used to describe Cook and the nature of Cook's comments to the full council.