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Jay Allen Sanford

Jay Allen Sanford is a Reader contributor. See staff page for published articles.

Who Killed Richard Swink?

>> Do you think the average reader is going to parse through the distinctions you write about when they come to this site? No, I don't. And that's why I feel compelled to clarify when someone assumes a stringer post is the same as a reporter's news story. It's a problem. A big one. >>I also wonder if, bsaed on your comments, the Reader isn't trying to have it both ways. Are you a serious news organization, as some of your articles seem to indicate? If only some of your work is serious, and some is in fun, and some is mixed together, then it would perhaps be in your best interest to take more care in the overlap. Just saying. I agree - the difference SHOULD be made more clear in the website presentation. I do not represent or speak for the Reader - I just work here. I bring up - and possibly belabor - this stringer-vs-reporter point by way of encouraging some kind of onsite clarification. I'm talking to website administration about this and similar topics - the site is always being tweaked and improved a bit as we figure these things out. In order to present this topic on a more up-to-date page - a page without a photo of an unfortunate murder victim - please post future related comments to http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/…
— October 27, 2009 1:58 p.m.

Who Killed Richard Swink?

The stuff that appears on the Reader site is NOT "published," not by the actual journalistic definition anyway. Just because some people have adopted the word "published" as akin to merely uploading, that does not make it true! The very act of accepting "uploading" as the same as "publishing" demonstrates the very lack of accuracy in language, interpretation, and intent that I decry. I feel my position is actually proven by the dissenting comments above - this thread started with someone assuming the Reader "published" a disturbing photo of a murder victim, when in actuality someone unconnected to the paper uploaded it, the same as they would a MySpace comment or a Facebook wall post. For site visitors to automatically assume the stringer is a Reader reporter, and that the Reader is responsible, is a PROBLEM. Real reporters must wring their work thru a system of checks and balances that (ideally, anyway) assures a level of accuracy and consistency, with an editorial staff examining each and every detail of each and every article, to assure this high level is maintained. A stringer? The only requirement is to avoid slander, libel, and/or incendiary rhetoric. The only time editing is done to stringer posts (or to comments, or to neighborhood blog posts for that matter) is when those most basic rules aren't followed. I'm glad we have stringer reports on the Reader site. A small percentage read as if from actual reporters, and those are the ones getting paid and - in some cases - being offered actual assignments, or even a job on staff. But for site visitors to assume stringers are Reader reporters, and/or that the Reader is behind and approves of whatever some yahoo feels like uploading, well, that's a huge problem. One I will continue to correct and educate people about at every given opportunity - it's a problem in my own back yard (the Reader workplace) that is endemic to the overall blog-ification of "news" all over the internet. Just cuz some guy with internet access says something, doesn't make it news. Doesn't even make it TRUE, especially when - like a stringer post - it lacks the rigid editorial process of checks and balances that REAL career reporters work thru every day.
— October 27, 2009 10:23 a.m.

Who Killed Richard Swink?

RE the enormous difference between a reporter and a stringer - CuddleFish says "If I were the family, or even a member of the general public coming to this website, I'd think it [a stringer report and photo] was published. The terms stringers implies a part-time reporter, doesn't it?" CuddleFish also says "How would a family member, or a friend, know the difference [between staff-written articles and "news from stringers"], and why would it matter? The picture is there, they presume it's put there by someone attached to the Reader...The word "news" implies, well, news. A news article or report." That's exactly the problem! A REPORTER is held to a number of professional guidelines and obligations by our publisher and editors - every story a staff reporter submits requires us to substantiate, and then confirm, each and every detail, from how the proper names are spelled all the way down to the veracity and truth of the report itself. Quotes from interviewees must be checked, usually by going over every word with the person being quoted, and offering a chance to correct or clarify. If multiple interviewees are involved who express differing opinions and/or accounts, opportunities must be given for reply and rebuttal. A level of balance must be maintained, as well as a level of journalistic integrity that guarantees accuracy, while still managing to inform, engage, and - pending topic - perhaps to entertain as well. A STRINGER? A guy types whatever he wants on a keyboard, uploads it, and hopes the Reader will cut them a check. Even if the check is NOT the motivation, it's very disturbing to think CuddleFish is correct, that someone coming to the Reader site will automatically assume News From Stringers is no different from staff-written reports. Just because the word "News" appears in "News from stringers," that doesn't make the stringer a reporter, any more than enrolling in grade school makes you a college graduate. I read most every post that goes onto the Reader site, since - in addition to reporting and cartooning for the Reader - I also do daily work on the website. Some of the stringer reports are indeed very informative, containing actual news and presented in a very professional manner. Even better, stringers have been known to cover topics and events the Reader may have otherwise never been aware of, let alone covered in report(s). Those are the stringer posts that deserve and receive the paychecks, and I personally welcome and encourage more --- However, in my opinion, such stringer entries account for maybe five percent of all stringer posts to appear on the Reader site. At most. THOSE are the ones you see appear the following week in the printed newspaper editions - THOSE are the "PUBLISHED" stringer reports.
— October 27, 2009 10:23 a.m.

Who Killed Richard Swink?

My condolences to all involved - however, does this really count as "publishing" the photo? A "Stringer" is just some guy or girl who doesn't work for the Reader and has nothing to do with the newspaper - it's just somebody out there sitting at home and uploading to a website that allows them to. If some guy posts a comment to your MySpace page that includes a pic, does that mean the guy has now been "published"? Stringers are not reporters - uploading a pic to a site is not publishing.
— October 25, 2009 12:42 p.m.

Ramona Will Have Its Green Jellÿ

After reviewing the edits to this comment section, I can see what russl means about potentially libelous statements. At issue is that there is no indication Matt's #4 comment WAS edited. To present his email fairly within the confines of site rules, here is his entire email again, but with notation as to the edits --- MATT: You would think I would be used to it by now, but I still don't understand how I keep reading Reader articles pertaining to the Jumping Turtle without both sides. This email is regarding your most recent article about Joe Troutman in Ramona/Jumping Turtle. I think you're missing a huge part of the story. Joe did not leave, he was asked to leave. Mainly due to policy violations and consistent overall poor show draws for about the last year in a half. Joe was ... [9 WORDS EDITED HERE] ... not following Turtle policies... [15 WORD SENTENCE EDITED HERE DETAILING ALLEGED POLICY VIOLATIONS] The majority of his shows drew 95 percent under 21 [patrons], which is not conducive to our venue. Ask around the local bands and you'll hear for yourself. If you are interested in the rest of the story please feel free to call me anytime. Joe was not with the Turtle for 4 years and there are a couple of other issues with this story. There is a reason this guy is in the middle of the desert. Once again, you don't have to listen to me, just ask around the local scene. I guess it would have been nice for you guys to once get our side of the story.
— October 23, 2009 5:25 p.m.

Ramona Will Have Its Green Jellÿ

NOTE - After I posted Matt's email (comment 4), it was edited by someone else, I don't know who or why. I don't blame Matt for being upset - so please note that comment #4 from Matt at the Jumping Turtle now only contains part of his email, rather than the entire unedited email I originally posted -
— October 23, 2009 5:01 p.m.

Halloweenie

Jay Allen Sanford, local cinema expert, to the rescue - you're thinking of the Cinerama Theater at 5889 University Avenue near College. It only sat 940 patrons, tho, not 1,000. Designed by modernist architect Richard George Wheeler, it opened in November 1962 and was San Diego's first theater built for widescreen and 70mm - it was demolished in 1988 and replaced by the Cinerama 6. More than three San Diego theaters DID seat 1,000 and up - The bigscreen Cinema Grossmont (550 Grossmont Center Drive) started at 1,000 capacity, tho it later expanded the seat sizes to seat just over 800 - it closed in February 1992. The Cinema 21 in Mission Valley sat 1,100 in its largest configuration - it closed September 1998 The Valley Circle in Mission Valley (opened December 1966, demolished February 1998) sat around 1,200. The State Theater at 47th Street and El Cajon Blvd (built 1938, demolished 1987) sat around 1,000 (later 900, after a remodel), and the Loma Theater at 3150 Rosecrans Boulevard (1945 to 1987) sat almost exactly 1,000 (today the building is a bookstore). The Center Theater opened in 1965 and was divided into a three-screen venue in 1971, having previously sat 1,100. It closed in 1994, tho I think the building is still used as a retail space. The California Theater downtown sat up to 2,000! We just happen to be working on a Reader feature covering the history of our local bigscreen theaters, following up previous cover features on downtown’s grindhouse row theaters ( www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2008/jul/23/… ) and the city’s drive-in theaters (http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2008/… ) – There’s a terrific webpage on the old Cinerama Theater on University at www.myspace.com/sandiegocinerama .
— October 23, 2009 3:44 a.m.

Ramona Will Have Its Green Jellÿ

Matt at the Jumping Turtle sent below email regarding this Blurt, which I'm posting in its entirety with his permission: MATT: You would think I would be used to it by now, but I still don't understand how I keep reading Reader articles pertaining to the Jumping Turtle without both sides. This email is regarding your most recent article about Joe Troutman in Ramona/Jumping Turtle. I think you're missing a huge part of the story. Joe did not leave - he was asked to leave. Mainly due to policy violations and consistent overall poor show draws for about the last year in a half. Joe was not following Turtle policies. The majority of his shows drew 95 percent under 21 [patrons], which is not conducive to our venue. Ask around the local bands and you'll hear for yourself. If you are interested in the rest of the story please feel free to call me anytime. Joe was not with the Turtle for 4 years and there are a couple of other issues with this story. There is a reason this guy is in the middle of the desert. Once again, you don't have to listen to me, just ask around the local scene. I guess it would have been nice for you guys to once get our side of the story.
— October 23, 2009 12:02 a.m.

The Groove Tube

Tho 35 years old, Groove Tube looks a lot like actual TV today! Specialty niche networks (nude sports), a TV show about stoner drug dealers called the Dealers (ala Weeds, and even predating 1978's Cheech & Chong Up In Smoke), weird beer commercials (Butz Beer, no less bizarre than Bud Bowls), dirty-minded kid's clown Koko (shades of Pee Wee Herman), even Chevy Chase doing slapstick humor (a violent barbershop vocal duo) a year before his 1975 debut on Saturday Night Live. And thanks to the infamous opening sequence that earned Groove Tube an initial X-rating, I still can't hear Curtis Mayfield's "Move On Up" without thinking of naked dancing hitchhiking hippies ---- For similar sketch-style movies, see TunnelVision, Kentucky Fried Movie, Amazon Women on the Mood, Monty Python's Beyond the Fringe, Dynamite Chicken, and the Firesign Theatre's Everything You Know is Wrong.
— October 22, 2009 11:47 a.m.

Bonus Blog: Who Told These People They Could Write?

I can't/don't speak for website admin, but the Reader has rarely done fiction, other than serializing a handful of local-centric stories - in those rare instances, the fiction had usually already been published elsewhere and/or was written by regular Reader contribs, ie staff. It's been my understanding that those rare Reader fiction stories generated almost zero reader feedback, other than complaints that "Fiction doesn't belong in the Reader." Now that there are countless other avenues for short fiction writers online, and even CityBeat gave it a go for their print edition in hopes of beefing up their dwindling readership (finally, CityBeat does something that doesn't simply copy the Reader), I'm not sure the Reader would or should be the place for a fiction contest, short stories or otherwise. That said, tho, the neighborhood blogs are wide open for topics, and I'd personally enjoy browsing fiction stories posted by Reader site contribs - who knows what great talent awaits out there?
— October 19, 2009 3:15 p.m.

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Archives Reader by issue date Today’s stories All of the latest stories

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Close to Home — What it’s like on the street where you live Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

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