The Phoenix

Barnicle to 'BUR?

The rumour du jour in Boston media circles has Mike Barnicle--the former Globe metro columnist who resigned in 1998 during a wide-ranging fabrication and plagiarism scandal--joining WBUR 90.9 FM, the BU-based NPR affiliate. (Here's a synopsis of L'affair Barnicle by former Phoenix media critic Dan Kennedy, who helped drive the story.)

According to WBUR general manager Paul La Camera, Barnicle hasn't actually been hired. But that doesn't mean that La Camera--who worked with Barnicle when he ran WCVB-TV, and Barnicle was a featured contributor to Chronicle--isn't interested in bringing him on board.

"I've been talking on and off with Mike virtually the full time that I've been at 'BUR--two years," La Camera tells the Phoenix. "I have the highest regard for Mike. We worked together for 23 years at WCVB, and I divorced his work with us from his episode at the Globe."

Only one of Barnicle's errors--namely, his decision to recommend George Carlin's Brain Droppings on Chronicle without having read it--involved 'CVB, La Camera adds. And, he continues, "I thought that was hardly the grievous offense that some peple tried to make it out to be. During that time, there were a lot of wild accusations about Mike.... I thought it did get wildly out of control.

"Right now, he's committed to NBC and MSBC," La Camera concludes. "He's been assigned several stories for the Pennsylvania primary; that's what he's doing now. But we will continue to talk. I think Mike is one of the great storytellers of Boston. I had nothing but the best of experiences with Mike for 23 years.... I think he's a voice that's missed in Boston. Whatever occurred at the Globe, that was their business. It was more than ten years ago. And it's about time to move on."

Published Mar 15 2008, 09:54 PM by Adam Reilly

Man who is a WBUR fan said:

Okay, I've been willing to overlook LaCamera's seeming obsession with bringing everyone BUT radio people on board to work at, imagine that, a radio station. (i.e. too many print and TV people)

But this is crossing a line. The bottom line is that IT DOESN'T MATTER what Paul thinks was or was not blown out of proportion. WBUR must be Caesar's wife; not only are they considered to be an exceptionally trustworthy news source for Boston...they're also a news source with thousands of listeners that are actively invested in the station's operation (i.e. they're contributing donors). Mike can, and should, feel perfectly free to have a radio career as a commentator or a talk show host where the stated purpose of the station is that it's a TALK station (i.e. entertainment), but it's unacceptable for him to be working at a NEWS station. He has lost his innocence, it can't be regained no matter how many years have gone by.

Besides, Barnicle was on WTKK for all those years - WTKK is the right-wing/conservatalker root of evil as far as most WBUR listeners are probably concerned. If Mike's stint at TKK is supposed to prove he's appropriate/ready for WBUR, I'd say it probably did the exact opposite.

I mean, would be "okay" for the NYTimes to hire Jayson Blair just because it's been 10 years? Somehow I don't think anyone would buy that. Why exactly is Barnicle any different besides that he's a friend of LaCamera?

(shrugs) If Paul thinks that this one's gonna slide past the bobos of WBUR, I suspect he's about get an earful.

I also see this as an escalating...and disturbing...trend by LaCamera to be more involved with editorial and news decisions than a General Manager probably should be. Certainly more than Jane Christo did (well, beyond her culture of fear that permeated the entire joint). For example, why isn't the program director (Sam Fleming) or news director (John Davidow) defending this announcement?

March 16, 2008 4:37 AM