1. Kravitz writes "Anyone who knows the neighborhood around the ramshackle Argonaut Tavern in Northeast Washington knows that money doesn't typically find its way there." Ok, the Argonaut is a bit on the edge of things, but seriously, ramshackle? No money? This sentence was the first tip off that Mr. Kravitz either a) doesn't know the neighborhood well, or b) doesn't care so much about accurate reporting as he does about telling the story he's already written in his head. I'm going to go with option b, and I'll explain why below. Actually by the end of the article I was surprised he didn't throw the term flophouse in there somewhere.
2. Kravitz writes "Think Red Lobster meets greasy spoon." Ouch, strong words from a dude that hadn't visited before, didn't try a bite of food, and didn't even glance at the menu. He just asked us to tell him the best selling item, and someone mentioned pub quiz. That's some quality investigative reporting right there. I'm guessing Mr. Kravitz looks upon Red Lobster with the same contempt that he seems to feel for the Argonaut, its patrons, its staff, and this neighborhood in general.
3. Kravitz writes "About a year ago, the bar's 29-year-old owner, Scott Magnuson, decided to renovate the restaurant he bought in 2005." Really? Because I always thought that Joe Englert had purchased and opened the Argonaut. Again I'm thinking that Mr. Kravitz ought to invest in a tape recorder because his notes (and he did take plenty of them) don't seem to be keeping him on the right track here.
4. Now here's the part I take a little more personally. Kravitz writes:
"Elise Bernard, who runs a neighborhood news blog called Frozen Tropics and recently graduated from George Washington University law school, said she has been searching for a job since graduating in May.
'I haven't been having much luck. I thought about going into real estate, but that seems like a bad idea now,' said Bernard, who was at the bar yesterday as a customer but works there part time when she needs an extra buck."
That's funny, I thought I spent my summer studying for the Maryland State Bar Exam that I just passed. That language about luck belongs to Mr. Kravitz, not to me. He asked me if I was having any luck finding a job, and I replied that the market was tight, and I was still looking, but working at the Argonaut while I look. As for the real estate thing, that was news to me. I've never considered getting into real estate. But here's where I think Mr. Kravitz got that. When I talked about areas of interest to me I also talked about the legal market and its response to the economic slowdown. I said that some sectors, like communications law, corporate law, and real estate law definitely seemed to be places you wouldn't find many jobs right now. And that (in Mr. Kravitz's mind) somehow transformed into me wanting to become a real estate agent. Interesting. As much as I enjoy playing one of the Joads in Mr. Kravitz's poorly written imitation of The Grapes of Wrath, I'd really prefer that he stick to the facts. He's a journalist, not a fiction writer, isn't he?
Now I know that people are always accusing journalists of twisting their words, or misquoting them, but in all of the interviews I've ever done, it had honestly never happened to me...until now.
27 comments:
It seems the reported already made up his mind on the tone of his story before gathering any information. SAD!
According to the Post, Mr. Kravitz is a "Summer Intern." Isn't the Summer over? Time to move on, Mr. Kravitz.
While I sympathize, you really can't say you're surprised by this? The post gave up on true local news years ago, leaving most of the coverage to cub reporters. At least Kravitz got the quadrant right
Contact this person.
The current Post Ombudsman is Deborah Howell . You can reach her by e-mail at ombudsman@washpost.com or by phone at 202-334-7582.
Wow, really bad reporting. I wonder why is the Argonaut is "ramshackle" while Dr G's is "hip?" They both look like crap on the inside. I guess "ghetto chic" sounds better than "we're too lazy and cheap to put in walls or ceilings."
Don't get me wrong, both are great places, despite the decor.
(sorry I had a typo in my earlier comment, and this is my corrected comment)
not surprising, since the Post's coverage of the Gallaudet protest in 2006 was blatantly one-sided, on the side of the administrators, with plenty of misinformation about the protestors.
but we bloggers are scaring the Post - newspapers are seeing the lowest revenue ever now (e.g. a summer intern in December?), and people are starting to rely on bloggers for accurate facts instead of newspapers who usually employ reporters out of touch with the actual community.
That "article" is awful. Where on earth did he come up with a mix of Red Lobster and a greasy spoon? That is a major insult to Argonaut! Regardless of whether the reporter is an intern or full-time staff, the Post should have the same integrity for every story in puts in print. Stories like this make me glad I canceled my print edition.
Despite all its errors, I liked the story myself. Made me wish I had stopped by Thanksgiving night. And if it made others out there who had never been there feel the same way, just think how pleasantly surprised they will be to find the menu is nothing like Red Lobster.
Why is "Red Lobster meets greasy spoon" derogatory? I think the Red Lobster reference is probably a comparison to the nautical theme of the bar. And the greasy spoon, well, that's not the worst thing to call a bar that serves food is it. The Argonaut is great and I love the food, but it's not a high-end eatery.
You have to admit that the Argonaut is pretty dark and ratty looking. He's lucky that he didn't have the screaming out of control kids running around too.
wah, wah ... the solution is, don't talk to reporters or let them take your picture.
Call me crazy, but I enjoyed the article. Sure, the reporter got some facts wrong, but I found it to be an overall positive piece. It sounded like the folks that spent Thanksgiving at the Argo had a damn good time, and to be honest, it made me wish that I had spent the holiday there.
Anon 733,
reporters don't typically make up quotes and facts [it isn't something they are supposed to do]. Maybe someone will offer you the same advice next time the guys from the credit card company steals your id, or your contractor uses cheaper parts, but still bills you for the expensive ones.
i know there were a lot of errors in this article, but it made me want to be there and hang out with y'all too.
I sent Kravitz an e-mail and basically ripped him a new one. I told him that fiction and prefabricated decisions and shoddy reporting have no place in journalism or in the Post. And I found out that he graduated from one of the top J-schools in the country, which is really sad. Maryland (where I got my Master's) would never have allowed me to put out an article like that, and taught me better than to put out an article like that.
I thought the article was puzzling and left me scratching my head, as I didn't think it portrayed the Argonaut correctly. Thanks, Inked, for all the info. I was really wondering about some of the stuff that was written.
IMO, this is typical Post. Other than the A section the paper is dismal. And, as this article attests, any reporting on style on culture is not worth reading(which is the rest of the paper).
Inked looked hot in the accompanying photo, so that's really all that matters in the end.
The Red Lobster reference was lazy and stupid, sortof what you'd expect from a high school paper.
My only question was why they were even running a puff piece about a bar being open on Thanksgiving.
Hey I used to live up there sort of (4th and M)in a nice little basement. I loved it up there. Had some great times at Argonaut! Great food! Great jukebox! Kravitz is stinks.
Hey Elise, sorry to hear you were misquoted. After reading the article, it seems to be a positive one overall, and I don't think that "Red Lobster meets greasy spoon" was meant as an insult.
As we've talked about, I'm not a big fan of the changes at the Argonaut over the past year-- basically, the food's good but costs more than I'm willing to pay to sit in a place with "Capitol Hill yuppies" and their kids.
Wow. the Argonaut is "yuppie hipster"? Really?
If it makes you feel better I still consider it a dive, renovations and all.
@anon939: "Capitol Hill yuppies" was a quote from the article. But, yeah, Argo has changed to cater to that crowd. As much as I hate that, I don't blame, as they need to make a profit too.
Never, ever talk to the "Make it up" Mass Media. If a restaurant wants a good review, they need to let the reporter know they have an all you can eat pizza special for journalists.
While you can count me as someone who misses the old, grungier, less-expensive and less yuppie- and child-filled Argonaut, I think this article is horrible and the Post's editorial staff should be ashamed that they allowed such garbage to be printed. I really hope you've been in contact with the Ombudsman.
Adding to the pile-on, here's a great example supporting the commonly held notion that reporters can't do metaphor.
Kravitz wrote "In the face of a weak economy denting thin pocketbooks..."
1. In what circumstance does to dent imply a decrease or shortage? (e.g., I'd pay for dinner tonight but my wallet's like totally dented this month.)
2. Since when are pocketbooks made from dentable material?
3. As Kravitz states, pocketbooks are thin, which already implies lack of money, so any "denting" is frivolous.
Top J-School eh?
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