The Bunster vs. Laika Swego

The Bunster insisted at a Lake Oswego City Council meeting that he was a member of the news media and therefore, under Oregon statute, allowed to sit in on executive session meetings.

The demand struck a raw nerve, apparently.  The local politicians went nuts.

Lake Oswego is considering defining media organizations as "institutionalized," "well-established" and producing at least 25 percent news content.

The proposed definition demonstrates just how insular the folks in Lake Oswego have become.  They have no real grasp of reality:  if Bunster does something that causes him to go to jail or to spend time in a hospital, he is "institutionalized".

And the demand that a media organization produce at least 25% news content effectively eliminates virtually all mainstream media.  The major newspaper is roughly 90% ads and other non-news.  Television stations?  They don't even come close to producing a 25% news content - mostly, they run syndicated material such as "Dancing With The Stars".

Wittingly or not, the Bunster has ignited a firestorm that PFD won't be able to extinguish - and one that Laika Swego won't be able to contain.

Now, if this is the same blogger that posted under the name of "Torrid Joe", then this is the guy who ticked off the local loon, BoJunk.  Bogdanski got all upset because the guy was posting comments from (gasp!) a city workstation!  BoJunk lambasted him for using employer resources.

That's reasonable.

Yet BoJunk uses the resources of his employer (Lewis and Clark College) to manage aspects of his own blog.

Somehow, that's okay.

Apparently, a tax law perfesser can rationalize anything.

Comments

[ZZMike]

"... producing at least 25 percent news content."

If he writes 1 item a week, and it's news, then he's got 100% coverage.

"Does it mean that any individual can come into closed session?"

I don't suppose there are any guidelines on what makes a "closed session". Mostly, they're a big no-no in government, unless they're deciding personnel issues.

Why do you (Oregonians) let them have these closed sessions?

[Max]

It's because we're so "progressive", Mike. We don't need to know what's really going on.

[OregonGuy]

Ozera Oswegova? Don't blame the dog!

Very little of my time is spent on straight news, but if I want to attend an executive session of a local board, you can bet that I'll be admitted. And the percentage of news to other content is drastically less that 25 percent. Only News/Talk stations would theoretically qualify. Think KGW would put up with that? Me neither.
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