Robert Urbanek
Platinum Member
In the mid-1970s, after graduating with a journalism degree from Cal State Long Beach, I worked at a couple of community newspaper chains, covering city council and school board meetings, taking photos, and writing feature stories. I was also responsible for designing the layout of each twice-weekly issue.
At one Bellflower-based chain, where I covered Paramount, the school board had rejected some maintenance utility vehicles from a car dealer because they failed to meet specifications. In retaliation, the dealer pulled the complementary vehicles he had lent to the school district for its driver education courses. I wrote a six-inch story about that, which the managing editor killed because the car dealer was a major advertiser with the newspaper.
In another instance, the United Farm Workers were staging marches through communities in the area. I wrote an article about it. The publisher decided he needed to personally review the story, which he trimmed considerably. But then he decided the story shouldn’t run in any form.
While in Paramount, I spotted picket signs at a small factory making vitamins. I interviewed the strikers then tried to interview management, but they would not speak to me. I took a picture, which I put in the layout with a caption. The managing editor said he would let it pass this time but told me that just because there is a strike, that doesn’t mean it’s news.
So, now the tables have turned, and conservatives are complaining about censorship in liberal news outlets.
At one Bellflower-based chain, where I covered Paramount, the school board had rejected some maintenance utility vehicles from a car dealer because they failed to meet specifications. In retaliation, the dealer pulled the complementary vehicles he had lent to the school district for its driver education courses. I wrote a six-inch story about that, which the managing editor killed because the car dealer was a major advertiser with the newspaper.
In another instance, the United Farm Workers were staging marches through communities in the area. I wrote an article about it. The publisher decided he needed to personally review the story, which he trimmed considerably. But then he decided the story shouldn’t run in any form.
While in Paramount, I spotted picket signs at a small factory making vitamins. I interviewed the strikers then tried to interview management, but they would not speak to me. I took a picture, which I put in the layout with a caption. The managing editor said he would let it pass this time but told me that just because there is a strike, that doesn’t mean it’s news.
So, now the tables have turned, and conservatives are complaining about censorship in liberal news outlets.