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Matt Jones on “Burnt Hair” radio, Mitch, poverty, and Kentucky culture

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Kentucky Sports Radio founder Matt Jones popped by my radio studio today to talk about his upcoming book MITCH, PLEASE. It was more than comedy gold, Jerry! It was a great piece of broadcasting about Kentucky, politics, poverty, and promise.

Matt and I trust each other enough to go deep on lots of subjects that would make other broadcasters squirm. Regardless of school rivalry silliness, I want it stated for the record (again) that I think Matt Jones is one of the smartest, most effective media personalities I’ve ever experienced.

Great media material is always a treat. Enjoy.

LISTEN to our 840WHAS chat with Matt and his co-author Chris Tomlin here.

Chris Tomlin, Terry Meiners, and Matt Jones at WHAS studios, January 2, 2020

Communication Breakdown – media mayhem

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Communication is life. Communication creates peace, understanding, and domestic tranquility.

What if someone tried to prevent communication over a cheap little postal stamp?

Exactly.

FRIDAY THE 13TH FINAL
Quite an ecclesiastical roller coaster ride on today’s front page of The Courier Journal 🔥 “Rot in Hell!” 🔥 goes above the fold as 🙏🏽 Jesus Christ Superstar 📸 rides caboose. #loumedia

Friday the 13th of December 2019

And now back to my latest invention. The art of electronics understanding hillbonics.

MMJ means MultiMedia Journalist, sometimes working around Malicious Menacing Jerks

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So far the management at Alexandrea Bozarjian’s TV station WSAV hasn’t made any comment in her defense. Incredibly tone deaf.

It didn’t take Twitter sleuths long to identify Alexandrea’s perpetrator. This youth minister from Savannah is going to have a rocky ride with charges of assault, menacing, harassment, and other legal wrangling.

UPDATE: A few days after the incident, Bozarjian appeared on CBS This Morning and is not interested in her assailant’s apology. “He took my power,” she said. “And I’m going to take it back.”

WSAV is an affiliate of NBC and Bozarjian’s appearance on CBS finally spurred her Savannah station to tweet and report about her ordeal. Most of the WSAV report was based on what Alexandrea told CBS, an odd missed opportunity for WSAV to interview one of their own.

Louisville TV viewers saw a similar unwanted harassment incident a few months ago with WAVE3 reporter Sara Rivest. The ironically named Eric Goodman had to go to court last month to answer the harassment charge and pay legal fees. TV kisses can get pricey.

Men reporters are also harassed while doing live shots. I’ve been pushed, bumped, and had liquid thrown at me while I am broadcasting but no one has gone to the level of physical sexual assault shown in the stories above. I’ve always had producers in my earpiece letting me know if someone is coming up behind me so that I can steady myself for protection.

The MMJ life is tough, particularly when working during dark hours and in sketchy surroundings like vacant lots, sparsely populated sections of town, or embedded among massive crowds. They are all dangerous when a reporter’s back is turned to unknown encroachment.

Sometimes, it’s the reporter who crosses a line. But since this scene involves two women, my male perspective is irrelevant. Carry on, friends.

Hide yo kids. Hide yo wife. But don’t hide yo news video.

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Armed man robs frequently robbed Dayton, Ohio store. Clerk shoots robber. Robber got off at least one shot but the clerk was unhurt. Robber stumbles to the outside of the store, collapses, and dies.

Karma, right? Witnesses say the robber did indeed point a gun at the clerk. Stand your ground. Self defense. Kill or be killed.

That’s how rational people interpret a scenario like this.

As the above tweet illustrates, the siblings of the robber are somehow incensed that the clerk had a weapon and say the clerk should have called police and “let them handle it.”

WHIO-TV aired the interview with the siblings. Viewers are surely puzzled by the notion that the robber’s siblings are angry with a man defending himself.

Suddenly, TV station WHIO eventually deletes its interview with the angry siblings.

Why? Gun control sensitivity? Racial upheaval? Personal responsibility avoidance? Editorial distaste for self defense?

A media outlet is supposed to retain all broadcast materials for further review.

A search of the WHIO website offers only this account of the robbery and its questioning of store management regarding its weapons policy for employees.

The interview with the robber’s angry siblings is no longer available on the WHIO-TV website.

Deletion of previously broadcast materials is media malpractice. All trust is lost between the news organization and its customer base. FAIL.

from the conservative website REDSTATE:

Internet mob rolling up on Charles Barkley after off-the-record comment agreement is violated by a political reporter

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On the record, a violation of off-the-record agreements extinguishes all trust of the deceitful reporter.

Bad form. Bad judgment. It only ramps up cries of FAKE NEWS.

If she wanted the story to get out, she could have used the method of lighting a spark and letting other reporters inquire of other present parties to validate the original “story.” That’s how that’s done.

It’s a little thing we like to call verification. Practice it, pleas.

Trump rallies for Bevin on election eve 2019

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President Donald Trump and Governor Matt Bevin, Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky (November 4, 2019)

President Donald Trump rallied in Lexington’s Rupp Arena on behalf of Governor Matt Bevin on the night before his re-election bid. Trump talked about Bevin’s many achievements, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s successes in getting federal judges confirmed, Kentucky’s overall progress, University of Kentucky basketball, and many random quips about various national Democrat stars.

“Matt Bevin is pro-worker, pro-life, and 100% pro-Second Amendment,” Trump said to a rousing response from the audience.

As for the chance that Democrat attorney general Andy Beshear could take the governor’s seat from Bevin, Trump stated emphatically “You can’t let that happen to me.”

Trump referenced the all-time high Dow Jones industrial average, intense trade negotiations with China, America’s global standing under his administration, and the challenges that slowed prior presidents.

The Lexington Herald Leader’s takeaway centered on a Trump joke about Bevin’s persistent requests to persuade company owners to consider expanding in Kentucky. Trump kidded that Bevin can be “such a pain in the ass, but that’s what you want.”

There’s the “gotcha” phrase that the Herald Leader can use to mirror its own editorial summary of Bevin, his administration, and anything Republican.

The POTUS mocked Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, The Washington Post, “fake news” media, and other liberal faves like gun control and the Paris Climate Accord. “These people are lunatics!” Trump blasted from the stage.

Days earlier, the Louisville Courier Journal delivered its usual affirmation for the Democrat du jour.

The state’s two largest newspapers remain perpetually blue, trying to sell their products in a decidedly red Kentucky. No national Democrat rallied on behalf of Andy Beshear over the course of the campaign. With Democrat 2020 presidential candidates’ overt promotion of socialism, free healthcare for illegal immigrants, and climate change prioritization, no Kentucky candidate needs friends like those.

A packed Rupp Arena crowd even cheered when Mr. Trump referenced Ford’s business investment “in Louisville.” Peace is possible.

Earlier in the day, I spoke with Governor Matt Bevin and his challenger Andy Beshear in separate WHAS Radio interviews. Both candidates gave their projection of what Kentucky will experience in the weeks following this election.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell traveled with President Trump on Air Force One for the Lexington rally. Both of Kentucky’s senators were called to the stage to make brief comments.

President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, November 4, 2019

Senator Rand Paul and President Donald Trump, Rupp Arena, November 4, 2019

And just like that, President Trump is back in Washington. Gov. Bevin texted me a few minutes ago with a smiley face and thumbs up emojis to signal his joy with the rally experience.

We will know how Kentucky’s future political landscape is shaped in 24 hours.

A peculiar twist – did UK twist media arms to scrub video – and is the word LIAR embedded in peculiar?

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The University of Kentucky’s football series with the University of Florida has taken on a peculiar twist. Last year in Gainesville, the Kentucky Wildcats snapped a 31 game losing streak to the Florida Gators. UK linebacker Kash Daniel celebrated on the visitors’ field.

This year in Lexington, the Gators won a dramatic contest over UK and a Florida player returned the gesture.

Beyond Florida’s victory came an outpouring of angry Gator fans who saw Kentucky’s Kash Daniel twist the ankle of their quarterback Kyle Trask. Daniel denied any wrongdoing, but further video angles affirm Florida claims that the UK player tried to injure the the QB.

Kash Daniel talked to media the day before that video surfaced from WYMT, a member of the University of Kentucky sports network to televise games.

WYMT offered the clearer angle that does not jibe with Daniel’s explanation. But as pressure mounted from Kentucky fans, WYMT officials removed the video from their web site.

WYMT is a sister station to WKYT, Lexington’s flagship station for Kentucky sports programming and S.E.C. games.

The University of Kentucky is not above pressuring media to remove content it finds objectionable or embarrassing. A few years ago, The Courier Journal apologized to UK basketball coach John Calipari for using an image of the coach wearing a diaper. The newspaper explained that the illustration was provided by a contract employee and the content did not measure up to the newspaper’s standards.

This is a parody photoshop of the original Courier Journal image that riled Calipari and UK officials.

photoshopped image inspired by the Courier Journal illustration that irked John Calipari

The caricature of Caipari was satire, a parody of coaches who doth protest too much. The Courier Journal runs political cartoons and other opinion oriented illustrations every day. So what really happened?

It is likely that a university athletics department administrator informed the Courier Journal that its beat writer would have vastly reduced access unless a published retraction and apology were issued. The Courier complied.

Five days after the Kentucky/Florida football game, flagship WKYT lists no archived content for the Kash Daniel video. They did run a story on Wednesday night that showed the leg twist but the narrative was centered on Kash Daniel’s denial. The story closed with Daniel telling his side of the incident, adding “End of story.”

—from the Lexington Herald Leader—

Lexington Herald-Leader

Revenues for WKYT and WYMT would take a severe hit if UK severed ties with Gray Television, the parent company of both signals. Don’t look for the Kash Daniel video to become featured content on either of their web sites.

Meanwhile, is Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau now a Kash Daniel fan?

Never mind!

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Inadvertent media errors are understandable. Punctuation and camera angles sometimes get the short shrift by media workers.

No one gets hurt by minor mistakes in media. However, lives are ruined when media manipulation is in play. This adds to the burning tire fire that is fake news. Ouch!

This is really helpful to our media business. Thanks for the punch in the face, New York Times.

Rest in Peace, Cokie Roberts. She had the decency to be honest about her Liberal bias in her reporting. At least she owned it.

Liberal “journalists” Cokie Roberts and George Stephanopolous

Vicious, vulgar values know no era. It’s time to end Fancy Farm’s annual hate parade.

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Read the comment thread following this reporter’s tweet announcing that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell fell and broke his shoulder. Here’s a sample from over 600 comments.

So sweet. Perhaps an angry Highlands progressive could pretend to be a home nurse and throw his food tray on the floor. That wouldn’t be the first time.

A group of protesters led by Black Lives Matter activist Chanelle Helm posted this Facebook live video outside Mitch McConnell’s home that included invectives like “fuck you, fuck your wife, fuck everything you stand for.” Helm gave McConnell’s address and encouraged others to shout at him while he recuperates at home.

Chanelle Helm

As her group of progressives shouted various vulgar chants disrupting everyone in the neighborhood, Helm continued her narration: “You better call whoever the fuck you need to call” and “somebody needs to stab the mother fucker in the heart.”

Vicious, vile, vulgar, violent values from those who proclaim NO HATE IN OUR CITY.

Helm first came to prominence with a 2018 LEO Weekly column explaining how white people could become allies of Black Lives Matter by giving up their homes to black or brown people, distributing their estates to black or brown people, and encouraging the firing of co-workers who refuse to be WOKE.

None of the protesters shouting between 9:30 PM and midnight in front of McConnell’s home thought to use the word play proclaiming that the senate majority leader was now literally WOKE.

Liberals are quick to assign America’s incivility to to caustic tweets and comments from President Donald Trump. They’ve conveniently forgotten the daily abuse they heaped upon George W. Bush and his daughters during the internet’s explosive growth between 2000 and 2008.

This one is from the Trump era, validating the internet-never-forgets theorem.

America is suffering today from two mass shootings that killed 29 people and injured nearly 50 more. Vigils calling for America to “come together” are popping up in abundance.

Then McConnell falls hard enough to break his bones and vicious Liberals – the tolerant people – can’t stop celebrating.

Keyboard snipers attack with reckless abandon. Racists attacked Barack Obama and Black Lives Matter pursuits. Misogynists attacked Hillary Clinton. Homophobes attack gays and lesbians. LGBTQ advocates attack anyone who questions their hyper-sensitive agenda. Agnostics and atheists cannot tolerate anyone with a fish emblem on their bumper. Xenophobes despise anyone who doesn’t look like them.

Seattle Times from Barack Obama’s first year as president (2009)

In the wake of weekly mass murders, Second Amendment advocates cannot be persuaded to remove weapons of war from American society.

White nationalists, white supremacists, and unhinged conspiracy theory believers are the overwhelming majority of mass killers. But the NRA advocates can’t see their way to separating weapons of war from the rest of privately held protection weapons like shotguns and pistols. Hardheaded gun owners cannot fathom a slight adjustment to 2A just as pro-choice advocates cannot fathom a slight adjustment to Roe v Wade.

This is where the dam breaks. After all of these deaths at the hand white nationalists, disgruntled workers, and improperly medicated mental health casualties, the weapons of war must go. Period. Any weapon that can be modified to shoot 100 rounds in seconds is essentially a weapon of war.

But vulgar virtue signaling won’t get the job done. Calmly persistent, passionate imagery of those who were killed should flood the inboxes of all elected officials. They also should be exposed to graphic photos of shooting scenes to fully grasp the carnage. Images so raw that it keeps the politicians awake at night.

That will lead to a ban on weapons of war. Meanwhile, people just curse and accuse each other of not having pure hearts. Or worse, suggesting that someone stab them in their “mother fucking” heart.

The Squad: Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ayanna Pressley

How many of these elected officials have used sewer language when addressing constituents? Answer: all of them.

Class doesn’t come in a moving van.

Political commentary is a welcome and necessary component of our republic. But all vulgar political commentary is distributed by partisan dirtbags who feel no empathy for their philosophical opposites.

It’s sad and pathetic, but for people who revel in harsh politics, vindictiveness is a comfortable blanket.

Vicious, vile, vindictive, vulgar values can be ignored. That other V word – violence – is the emotional surge that must be neutralized by WHATEVER MEANS NECESSARY. Let’s figure it out, America.

As for the current online hysteria, blaming Trump for rudeness shows a complete lack of historical knowledge. The earliest American political barbs in the 19th century were 10 times more raw than today’s softballs. And Kentucky’s annual rude, obnoxious scream fest at Fancy Farm dates back to 1881.

Trump is a two pump chump compared to some of the mudslingers in the William Randolph Hearst era. But that doesn’t stop today’s news outlets from trying to achieve the same level of empty hype.

Sometimes the hype isn’t real. It’s just hype to fill a day’s news quotient.

Yellow Journalism contributed to the outbreak of the Spanish-American War

On Saturday everyone is screaming hatred for each other at Fancy Farm. The next day after two mass shootings, “we all need to light candles and understand each other.”

Ending the trash dirtbag Fancy Farm verbal abuse fest would be a good start at compassionate understanding of each other.

It’s been one year since John Schnatter’s n-word destroyed his legacy. He has one path to public redemption.

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One year ago, “Papa John” Schnatter contacted me to interview him on the radio. Schnatter’s glorious life was unraveling after intense blowback from the pizza magnate’s use of the n-word on a training call.

The interview got national media attention and online snark but Schnatter’s freefall was in an unstoppable plunge. Instead of reversing the narrative, our 28 minute chat only solidified the image that Papa John wasn’t ready to sincerely apologize. He said that was coerced into saying the n-word by people who were out to get him banished.

But it was Schnatter who was at fault. All he needed to do was literally say “n-word” instead of saying the actual word. But he chose to use the nuclear bomb of words and has never had a moment’s peace since.

It was one of several ignorant comments Schnatter had uttered in the past few years. In an earnings call, Schnatter worried aloud about the cost of paying health care for his employees. He later slammed NFL players who knelt during The Star Spangled Banner, leading to declining TV ratings. In Schnatter’s estimation, that led to declining pizza sales.

In July 2019, Schnatter is still MIA. He doesn’t answer texts. He doesn’t make public appearances. He just sells shares of of his Papa John’s stock and stays in hiding as his personal empire fades.

My opinion is that the public flogging of Schnatter was way overdone, a symptom of today’s WOKE virtue signaling gone awry.

Schnatter donated $1 million to the Louisville Zoo in 2017

A man builds a global company from a broom closet and creates hundreds of thousands of jobs and is simply swept away like tepid bathwater? Insanity.

Schnatter took offense to my question about whether he would move away from Louisville now that his image is so badly damaged. “Why would you even ask me that?” Schnatter snapped.

Over the past twelve months, Schnatter has been shoehorned out of philanthropy that had been his habit over the past 25 years. Charities in the city, state, and other parts of America are not feeling the same love that Schnatter used to throw around.

It’s time for a Schnatter Forgiveness Tour. Set up a foundation, beg for forgiveness for being detached from the pain of everyday working people. and throw lots of money into educational pursuits for African American children.

Schnatter screwed up but it’s not an unforgivable violation. Our overly sensitive culture overplayed this one.

Let’s revisit 1995. The Senate Minority Whip (not a pizza salesman)…the United States Senate Minority Whip Wendell Ford said the n-word live on WHAS Radio. A senator said N-word ON THE AIR and what came of it?

He’s a Democrat…so…crickets.

The Washington Post made note of it in one day’s news cycle. And that was it.

The senator served out his term. No outrage. No WOKE pandemonium.

Imagine if Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had said the n-word. You already know the answer.

Schnatter supported Republican candidates. I think we can all see that his real sin is political affiliation, not word choices.

It’s time to rejoin the human race, John Schnatter. You’re not Papa John. You’re not a political wing man. You’re not a has been.

You’re a guy whose mistakes knocked you out of business. Now is the time to get into the business of helping others, particularly struggling African Americans, move their lives to a more glorious position.