Only in Auburn
Tales of Coping in a SmallTown

The Auburn Journal: A Crisis in Content, Part 1.1

June 27, 2007

By Gary Moffat

This is a follow-up to the first of two Internet columns condemning the Auburn Journal for failing to fulfill its basic responsibilities to its readers in this community. I was spurred to write these reports after the Auburn Journal was named “Business of the Year” for 2007 by the Auburn Chamber of Commerce. The title of my first piece, “A Winner in Business; a Loser in Journalism,” says it all, and you can read the lead-off story at www.onlyinauburn.com. A second and final installment of a “Crisis in Content” is in development.

“Only in Auburn” Compels the Auburn Journal to Update Ernest Shih Story

The June 1st edition of this column was hyper-critical of the Auburn Journal’s inept and biased coverage of the arrest and prosecution of Ernest Shih a year ago, as well as the newspaper’s failure to present updates fairly, accurately and in a timely fashion. Shih is the City of Auburn’s former IT Director and one-time “Employee of the Year” who was arrested for suspicion of fraud, weapons violations and other charges. He was “ambushed” in the City Hall parking lot by Placer County Sheriff’s Police and a tipped-off photographer from the Auburn Journal.

Although the Auburn Journal virtually convicted Shih in advance through its shoddy, opinion-laced reportage, all charges against him were dropped by the Placer County District Attorney on April 2nd. Even though it was clear this was an important story with many unanswered questions about the tactics of Auburn’s city government and police, the Auburn Journal’s editorial staff was MIA for 10 weeks.

It was not until after my criticism hit the Internet did the Auburn Journal bother to follow-up on the Shih story—lamely with a June 18th front-page piece titled: “Shih: Being arrested ruined my life and career,” the same conclusion reached in my piece, though I accused the newspaper of being culpable in the destruction of Shih’s reputation and for ruining his ability to make a living in the future.

Penne Usher, the Journal reporter who has mishandled the story since it was broken by columnist Jim Ruffalo, was assigned to write the follow up. For the very first time, she revealed that Shih is a 1982 immigrant from Vietnam and the fact that he and his family were forced to move from their home. While she again recited in detail the charges against Shih—charges that were ultimately dropped—she failed to note he was hailed as a City of Auburn “Employee of the Year.” She repeated the fact that Shih is still on paid administrative leave, something she failed to do until eights months after his initial arrest.

Though in my column I suggested dozens of questions screaming to be answered, Usher offered scant insight concerning the City of Auburn’s motivation in this case nor the true impact of the nightmare the Shih family has been forced to endure. What has Shih been doing for the last year? How much has he spent in legal fees? What kind of support has he gotten from fellow employees and his labor union?

Usher also failed to press city and county officials for answers. City Manager Bob Richardson stonewalled her by refusing to answer substantive questions, and Usher filed the piece for publication even though no one was “available” from Placer County to discuss the case. If Usher attempted to speak with City Council members or the Mayor, she did not note this in her piece, which you can read at www.auburnjournal.com/articles/2007/06/17/news/top_stories/02shih17.txt. Her piece was shallow, perfunctory and written purely in response to the criticism in my column (at the behest of her management, of that I am sure).

“Only in Auburn” has been pointed in its criticism of the Auburn Journal for failing to take clear editorial stands on key issues facing the community. On June 19th, two days after Usher’s follow-up report was published, the Journal finally stepped up to the editorial plate with “City needs to clear up the Shih Case” (www.auburnjournal.com/articles/2007/06/20/opinion/editorials/01editshih20.txt). Unfortunately, the only game the writers know is softball.

The tone of the editorial was set in the first sentence: “In theory, the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees all people accused of criminal wrongdoing the right to a speedy trial.”

“In theory,” bullshit. That’s the frickin’ law of the frickin land.

Instead of demanding that the truth in this case be revealed, the Journal pleaded, “It's time to move forward and get back to business - the business of running the city.”

Instead of demanding answers from city government, the editorial was meekly complacent with, “Auburn City Manager Bob Richardson confirmed Shih remains on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of a personnel matter.”

More stonewalling that the Auburn Journal meekly accepts and dutifully reports. A real newspaper would take Richardson and the city to task. Good God, famed AJ editor Vernon “Mac” McCann would be rolling over in his grave with the knowledge that Pablum like this was published in his once-proud newspaper.

This story is far from over. Shih’s attorney will not discuss the case, but the Journal reported he said, “there is an ongoing employment and civil rights dispute between Ernest Shih and the City of Auburn.” If I were Ernest, I’d be looking at a settlement ending with six zeroes, and I suggest that is why this case drags on.

This dispute, in my estimation will cost the city no less than $250,000, the precise level of the city’s anticipated revenue shortfall for its next, just-approved fiscal budget. The longer it goes, the more it will cost, and I have the distinct feeling this is going to be expensive.

In a perfect world, I would like to see five things happen:

1. The City of Auburn must reach a timely settlement with Ernest Shih. What’s fair? How about three year’s salary plus benefits and employment assistance? There is no way Ernest can ever work in this area again, so his family needs a grubstake to start over elsewhere. Oh yeah, the city needs to cover his attorney’s fees.

2. Someone at city hall must take responsibility for this fiasco. Someone initiated this nightmare, and someone must pay because this level of incompetence cannot be tolerated. Someone’s head must roll.

3. The Auburn City Council needs to get its head in the game. Forget about writing proclamations and attending the next ribbon-cutting ceremony. Get the toilets flushing at city hall.

4. The Auburn Journal needs get off its anemic editorial derrière and get this story right. . .finally. First thing is to assign a seasoned writer who has the stones to demand answers to tough questions; someone who won’t be rolled over.

5. The Auburn Journal needs new leadership capable of balancing the needs of the people to know against the business realities of making a fair profit.

Personal note to AJ Publisher Tony Hazarian: I’ve been told that in your opinion, the best way to handle my criticism of your newspaper is to ignore me. Tony, that is a monumental mistake, I assure you.

Personal note to AJ Columnist Jim Ruffalo: Next time you use information I feed to you, feel free to quote me when you report it in your column. And, oh yeah, better hope you never get nailed by one of Valerie’s new Taser toys. I hear they really sting.

Personal note to AJ Editor/General Manager Deric Rothe: Actually, I have nothing to say to you.

Personal note to readers: I’ve had many people ask me why I have invested so much effort in reporting the Shih story. The short answer is this whole thing really pissed me off, from the brutish tactics used by the city to the amateurish, remarkably inept way the Auburn Journal handled the story. . .essentially enabling the destruction of a human life.

I’m trained as a journalist, and it is painful to watch an already endangered occupation dragged down by a greedy publishing company and incompetent editorial management. All newspapers, even small town dailies, must serve in the public interest, reporting the difficult stories as well as those that celebrate the place where we live.

And, no, I’m not afraid of the possible ramifications of speaking out. I’m certainly not afraid of the cops. I grew up in Chicago, and I’ve seen and respect the real deal, cops who truly earn their chops on the street and really do face danger every day.

And, no, I’m not afraid of losing friends, losing business or making enemies. I’m afraid of three things: spiders, closed spaces and water over my head. The rest of it I can deal with, but I just can’t stomach it when I see people in a position of weakness being crushed. That shouldn’t happen in a place like Auburn.

The last word is yours. Write to me with the knowledge that I may run your letter in a future column, but I never identify any of my correspondents. Email me at gamoffat@pacbell.net. All nice, polite notes (no profanity) get answers.

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