Rejected Rapid City Journal "Rapid Replies"

Here are some posts to the Rapid City Journal's Rapid Reply about recent articles on the BHSO published by the RCJ.... comments the RCJ refused to post, so you can see them here.

First of all, Mary Garrigan, I'm sure you're patting yourself on the back for creating this tabloid garbage.? I knew there was a reason I don't subscribe to the paper (and never will again).?

Second, quoting Tom Bennett is a waste of space due to the fact he has had quality conductors fired based on "the bottom dollar" and his own bias.? Of course you wouldn't know that living on this side of the river now would you???? I know the BHSO greatly appreciates the few supporters in Rapid City, but being an "east river native," the overall support in Sioux Falls puts the supporters in Rapid City to shame!? There's a reason the South Dakota Symphony can pay the conductors who audition.? Oh Mary, have you ever attended a concert?? That would be great if the journal would like to help sponsor a concert!!!!? The Argus Leader is a big supporter of the SD symphony in Sioux Falls (isn't that ironic)????

Third, this whole process was created so the board DIDN'T just hand Bruce Knowles the job.? As for you Coral White, according to this article the board had not made a decision about this matter, so how dare you criticize the process (for someone who no longer plays or contributes a dime to the BHSO).

Here's why the Editor said it was not published, though he says it's not up to him (I thought he was the Editor??)

I don't oversee Rapid Reply, but I can tell you why the post was killed. You are critical of a local business which is not the subject of the news story, not to mention that it's not factual: The Journal has done many feature stories on the symphony over the years and have promoted/advanced many of their concerts. Your nasty sarcasm directed at our reporter is inappropriate for our site, as are the insinuations you make about others.

Here's the (fair, I think) response to THAT lame excuse:

For the record Mikel, the Argus Leader is listed under the $3000 to $5000 support category for the South Dakota Symphony in their program and I don't see the Rapid City Journal listed any where in the Black Hills Symphony programs. The Argus Leader also has feature stories for every concert and have writers make critiques after the concert (I lived there for 22 years and read every one of them). So, that's called "covering the news and events." Yes, your articles may help attract audience members (and thank you for that), but newspapers are SUPPOSED to report local events. I don't see you blinking an eye when it comes to covering a local high school basketball game.

Here's another RCJ-rejected story comment...

In response to Rapid City Journal article Nepotism charges among criticism of conductor search:

This is now the FOURTH time I am attempting to post my comment. I don't know why my comment is not being posted, except maybe for the fact that I am (GASP!) critical of the person who wrote the article. Please be fair and post my comment. If you can't handle the criticism, then either don't run such awful trash, or don't allow people to make comments on your articles.

This has to be one of the most embarrassing pieces of journalism I have ever read in my life, if you can even call it that. I've always had a lot of respect for Mary Garrigan, but I am absolutely dismayed by this. Is the Rapid City Journal a newspaper or has it now become a tabloid?

Turns out, Ms. Garrigan is fast friends with Coral and Bob White, which makes the fact that this article got published even more shameful. Talk about an unprofessional conflict of interest. Mary has heard one side of the story over the course of many years, and she obviously has a bias against the Knowles family because of it.

Perhaps the worst part, however, is the damage that will most likely incur within the Symphony and among its members as a result. This is obviously about nothing more than a few folks who have a huge axe to grind, and want to share their giant bowl of sour grapes with the entire community. Well, to them, I say no thanks. You can keep your sour grapes, and you can all whine to yourselves.

This process is been hard enough, and this could very well tear the Symphony apart. Shame on Jeff Johnson. Coral White was once a respected musician and revered educator in this community. She has reduced herself to nothing more than a kid who didn't get her way, so she gathered her toys and went home. Shame on her too. And as far as the kid with the biggest bowl of sour grapes, well, WOW. At the very least, Mr. Peacock should win an award for Best Bridge Burner.

I don't care how much you despise someone, this has no place on the front page of the Sunday newspaper. Shame on the whiners for going to the Journal with their complaints, and shame on Mary Garrigan for not handing this story off to someone who could be more objective. And shame on the Journal for running this kind of trash. What an embarrassment. This is an issue that is far more complex than the public can understand, especially when given such one-sided and biased information.

shame shame shame

and, another, pointing out the inconsistency in what gets posted on Rapid Reply and what doesn't...

In response to Orchestra board votes to name new conductor but will wait to make announcement

I'm so sick and tired of trying to post things, and you guys pick and choose what's good for ratings and what's not, and who's comments are "appropriate" and whose are not. Either follow your posting guidelines or don't. I assume my comments don't get posted because they are supposedly critical of the RCJ, yet the post on May 8 at 2:18 gets posted and criticizes you no worse than I ever have.

In addition, if you're going to have a tabloid style article on the front page of the Sunday paper and drag a family AND and organization through the mud, then you should be prepared to get criticism for it, and have the backbone to post that criticism. If Coral White has the tenacity to share her petty little pity party publicly with the rest of the community, then we should be able to criticize her publicly as well.

You guys are the biggest piece of crap "newspaper" in 5 states. Either be a tabloid, or be a newspaper for the love of Pete.