Good luck to Brad! Houston really is a miserable humid and smelly place. But, it’s all about career enhancement.

I’ve heard there are 2 kinds of people – Texans and those who wish they were. (Snort! Snort!) Brad leaves one group and joins the other. Yeah, I’ll miss his journalistic abilities, too. Will the celebration reception be held at City Hall, or the palatial Ada County building?

What a loss to Ada County readers! Brad was accessible, easy to talk to, and he tried hard to get the facts straight, which is more than I can say for some of the people he covered!

On several occasions, Brad also resisted the temptation to apply for the County’s PR position (with its higher salary) and instead chose to stay at the local paper. In his own way, Brad served the public, rather than allowing himself to be bought off by the people he tried valiantly to cover.

Best of luck to Brad, although I really can’t see the appeal of covering business news in Houston compared to covering Boise City and Ada County government here in Idaho! 😉

Mike Keckler is gone on to other things and where is John Hanion? I don’t quite understand why some of the best reporters quit being reporters except from the little I know about broadcasting is that the employees are supposed to live off the glory of it all. I have enjoyed Brad Hem….does his leaving say something about the new ownership?

EDITOR NOTE–He is making a new life, a new job, better pay etc. We see the news people as the best educated migrant workers in Idaho.

Oh – and by the way: KBCI put the story on its 5:30pm newcast that December day. A press release went out at 5:24pm. KTVB had it at 6 and the Statesman the next morning.

Let’s not rewrite history Osprey.

The guardian got it right, describing news people as the best educated migrant workers in Idaho.

Too bad about The Mistakesman losing one of its best; here’s hoping some of the many new names in the news bylines rise to the challenge and join The Guardian in trying to clean the dirty linen of our elected and appointed servants.

It was Brad’s willingness to listen, and publish, the rants of an unheard of east end resident that gave credence to the movement in opposition to the residential development of Hammer Flat.

And, it was a conversation with Brad that formed the basis for my complaint against the Commissioner’s illegal executive session, and their subsequent self destructive defense of the same.

Let’s hope katy Kreller is similarly blessed with an eye toward a good story and the legal requirements of public officials.

And, in November, let us also provide Katy with a set of county commissioners that are easier to work with and report on.

City Hall (mayor and council) is hoping that with Brad gone they get better press and have to explain less. The spin-doctors are very happy about the move.

Not Dave raises some good points, especially because the points unwittingly reinforce my argument that KBCI lapped the field covering the transgressions of the past administration at City Hall. Not Dave points out that KBCI had the sources, worked the beat harder, and got the money shot of our former Police Chief helping return the ill gotten goods. And they got the Murrow award. Scoreboard. If you have the sources, the evidence and the awards, what’s left?

Oh ya, KTVB got the Disneyland story, so that’s their little pelt on the wall. It was not a factor with the Grand Jury and the ultimate convictions.

As for the salacious, I tip my hat not to KBCI but to the Idaho Statesman because I think they first reported the story that Lyman and Rice had sex in the Depot. But I don’t think Hem nailed that one. I think it was Rocky Barker.

“Surly snaggle of snits.” I like that. Channel 7 is really pretty pathetic. The management seems never to have met a crook they couldn’t like. It seems they are always making “nicey-nice” as if they think their viewers are all under ten years old. Also we have noticed that station rarely has any employee turnover and are curious why that is so when other stations have a fairly regular change of faces on air. Not that keeping employees around is a bad thing, just odd in the broadcasting industry. I expect someone out there knows the answer.

J and all,

Ace reporter, Brad Hem, is leaving for a perfectly normal reason. It has to do with following his heart.

I agree, the local paper IS hitting rock bottom but that is not what is making Brad move on.

Could it be that the local paper is becoming overly cautious? Think about it. Whenever they print a critical piece about anyone, they get threatened with lawsuits, the pulling of advertisements, and general havoc.

Would you go after hard news if that was hanging over your head?

Sharon,

The point I am trying to make you made for me rather well. We have all begun to transition away from standard media outlets by turning to the internet.

The BG can go after hard news precisely because there is no ad revenue at stake.

All this uninformed speculating I guess is exactly what the “blogosphere” is all about. But it sure ain’t about reality and the facts.

The Statesman doesn’t publish or not publish things due to their ability to generate or not generate ad revenue. That simply isn’t how decisions are made in the world of U.S. daily newspapers, and the Statesman is no different.

The Guardian is great – but let’s not pretend that it comes anywhere near the depth or comprehensiveness that the Statesman does on a daily basis. Hence, advertisers are willing to pay to get their ad in the newspaper.

Proof that print media is NOT dead? The departure of a reporter from the daily newspaper gets blogged about. ‘Nuff said.

Oh, and my understanding is that Brad left to pursue professional and personal goals. Good for him. It isn’t because the paper has hit “rock bottom,” far from it, I believe that The Statesman is as good as it’s been in the 3 years I’ve lived here.

EDITOR NOTE–Joe is correct about the GUARDIAN vs STATESMAN role. GUARDIAN tries to stimulate intelligent discourse and thought by offering a different perspective. We could never “cover” the news, but often offer up stories the mainstreamers miss or refuse to cover–for whatever reason.

Thanks to the Guardian and the rest of you for your kind words. I already miss Boise, especially as I sit here in 80% humidity.

Just for the record, I did not leave the Daily Paper because it is going downhill. I actually think they are on the right track over there, and as you’ve already noticed, Katy Kreller is having no problem filling my shoes, which are only size 11 by the way. For me it was a chance to move to a major metro and be with a very special lady. It’s worth the humidity! Plus, my pathetic Cubs will come to town a few times a year.

–BRAD