AN UPDATE:
Casandra Ulbrich
Thank you all for the very kind comments. As for “just another pretty
face”… I’ve been called worse 🙂
This
tongue-in-cheek blog post I wrote, which was intended to poke fun at the Freep
has become – hands down – the most misunderstood post I have ever written.
Below is a thread from Facebook after I received a number of complaints that I
am a sexist:
tongue-in-cheek blog post I wrote, which was intended to poke fun at the Freep
has become – hands down – the most misunderstood post I have ever written.
Below is a thread from Facebook after I received a number of complaints that I
am a sexist:
Chad Selweski
If
I may elaborate, this thread represents exactly what is wrong with Facebook.
People ready to pounce while assuming motives that don’t exist. This post was
intended by me as nothing more than snarky humor. After 34 years in the news
business, I am surely entitled to suggest that the Freep put Casandra’s photo
on Page One above the fold — even though she was a tiny portion of the
coverage — because of her looks. One more thing: I have probably known
Casandra longer than anyone on this thread, since she was barely a kid out of
college working as Dave Bonior’s newest press secretary. She is undeniably a
lovely and smart woman. Still one more thing: I must point out that my Facebook
post with that beautiful photo of Casandra drew more than twice as many hits on
my blog in the last 24 hours than my post on disturbing suggestions that the
Snyder campaign might be attempting to spy on Mark Schauer’s campaign. Drink
that in for a moment.
If
I may elaborate, this thread represents exactly what is wrong with Facebook.
People ready to pounce while assuming motives that don’t exist. This post was
intended by me as nothing more than snarky humor. After 34 years in the news
business, I am surely entitled to suggest that the Freep put Casandra’s photo
on Page One above the fold — even though she was a tiny portion of the
coverage — because of her looks. One more thing: I have probably known
Casandra longer than anyone on this thread, since she was barely a kid out of
college working as Dave Bonior’s newest press secretary. She is undeniably a
lovely and smart woman. Still one more thing: I must point out that my Facebook
post with that beautiful photo of Casandra drew more than twice as many hits on
my blog in the last 24 hours than my post on disturbing suggestions that the
Snyder campaign might be attempting to spy on Mark Schauer’s campaign. Drink
that in for a moment.
Casandra Ulbrich
Thank you all for the very kind comments. As for “just another pretty
face”… I’ve been called worse 🙂
Chad Selweski
Thanks Casandra (I’m hopeful I am included in your remark). Sorry this whole
thing got so out of hand.
In response to that last
remark, Casandra gave me a “Like,” so I’m hoping this whole thing has come to a
conclusion.
remark, Casandra gave me a “Like,” so I’m hoping this whole thing has come to a
conclusion.
Typically, the vice president of the state Board of
Education does not get his/her photo on the front page of a major metropolitan
newspaper … unless they’ve been indicted or ousted from office.
Education does not get his/her photo on the front page of a major metropolitan
newspaper … unless they’ve been indicted or ousted from office.
So, when Board of Ed VP Cassandra Ulbrich’s face showed
up on page one of the Detroit Free Press on Tuesday — above the fold and,
coincidentally, next to a photo of fireworks — I thought sure something
explosive was underway.
up on page one of the Detroit Free Press on Tuesday — above the fold and,
coincidentally, next to a photo of fireworks — I thought sure something
explosive was underway.
Well, it turned out that Ulbrich, a Macomb Community
College vice president, was a part of the Freep’s third installment of a hard-hitting
series on charter schools. So, I looked a little further – and further and
further – at the three pages of material on the inside. Thousands of words. No
mention of Ulbrich.
College vice president, was a part of the Freep’s third installment of a hard-hitting
series on charter schools. So, I looked a little further – and further and
further – at the three pages of material on the inside. Thousands of words. No
mention of Ulbrich.
The Freep included one quote from the VP-Times-Two at the “jump” to page three. One
paragraph. Yet she was the page one art for the story.
paragraph. Yet she was the page one art for the story.
Poor Casandra. Just another pretty face?
In case you’re interested, here’s what Ulbrich, who holds a PhD from Wayne State, told the newspaper about
for-profit companies that brush aside board members at their charter
schools:
for-profit companies that brush aside board members at their charter
schools:
“There have been board members who have basically said, ‘We tried to
make changes, we tried to instill our rights as board members overseeing a
public school’ and were essentially told to back off. You have to question who’s
really running the show here because technically and legally, it supposed to be
the board.”
make changes, we tried to instill our rights as board members overseeing a
public school’ and were essentially told to back off. You have to question who’s
really running the show here because technically and legally, it supposed to be
the board.”
Chad, maybe you should have talked to Cassandra. This is a truly offensive post. You could have actually used it to inform your readers. With all your experience, maybe you could have called Cassandra and asked her about her views on the issue of charter schools.
"Journalists" like you are the reason this country is in the shape it's in. You have a platform and this is what you choose to do with it. Shame!