UPDATE: We have a winner! I've sent an e-mail to Chris. Thanks for playing!
ORIGINAL POST: Now that you have pizza on the mind, here's a chance to win three coupons for TJ's Pizza Buffet. Each coupon is good for one pizza buffet and drink.
For the details about the pizza, salad bar, macaroni and cheese, soups, breadsticks and desserts, check out this story I wrote when TJ's opened in August.
Here's what Mike Oz had to say about TJ's: "I tried out TJ's Pizza Buffet out at Willow/Nees, which was pretty good. The pizza tastes a lot like Hero's, but it's cheaper and with better (self) service."
I'll give away the three coupons to the SEVENTH commenter on this post. The winner must pick up the tickets at the Bee's front lobby. Please remember: No multiple entries are allowed. We won't publish comments until we have a winner. Rules are on the jump.
Only readers who submit a comment on this post are eligible. The seventh commenter on this post receives the prize. One entry per person. To be eligible, a commenter must not have won a prize on FresnoBeehive.com in the previous 30 days. Recipients will be notified by e-mail at the end of each giveaway period. No substitutions or transfer of winners/prizes. Prizes are not redeemable for cash. Some prizes may have due dates for redemption/use. Employees and immediate family of The Fresno Bee, fresnobee.com and any/all of the participating giveaway sponsors, are not eligible to win. By accepting a giveaway, recipient consents to allow the use of his/her name and/or photograph for advertising or similar promotions without further compensation. Winner releases all sponsors of liability regarding use and enjoyment of the prizes. Tax liabilities and insurance, if any, are sole responsibility of the winner. No purchase necessary to win.
Sounds good
I would love to win some free pizza! :)
a pizza buffet?? count me in. i'm sure it's better than round table's buffet.
WHY AM I HAVING TROUBLE ENTERING!!! I WANT PIZZA
I want free pizza, I'm freaking starving.
Did somebody say pizza? I've heard really good things about this place and am looking to try it soon
Come on, number 7!
Apparently doubts about the integrity of this journalistic affiliate go straight out the window when free pizza is involved.
And apparently being petty is one of the aspects of journalistic integrity my professors forgot to mention. Oh, woe be to my frightfully underdeveloped education! I shall never recover from such a scathing indictment of my own personal integrity!
You're free to join us (my wife and I) for pizza, if you like.
I'll tell you why I think him winning is ironic.
In the other post, Chris is basically saying that The Beehive should abide by the strong journalism values that a daily newspaper should have. My counter argument is that "No, we're a blog. We have different rules." And we've been going back and forth on that issue -- in a civil manner, might I add.
Then, he wins something from the site on this post. Now, if we operated the strict "tenets of journalism," then we wouldn't be giving away stuff to readers (or holding movie screenings -- and that was funny, right?)
Basically, the very attitude that lets this blog do giveaways and use d-bag in headlines is the same attitude that lets Heather rant about Roman Polanski the way she did.
So, yes, it's funny that Chris will attack us for that in one post but benefit from it in another. I'm not saying he shouldn't, because heck, I want a lively community here -- one where we can argue and give stuff away. I just chuckled when I saw that he won.
Mike, you're talking about two different things as if they were one and the same. What does a contest have to do with journalistic integrity?
Nothing.
It is not uncommon for media and news outlets to hold contests and giveaways. It has nothing to do with journalistic integrity or responsibility.
In the other thread (you know, where all of this conversation SHOULD be taking place, instead of here, where it's slightly off-topic) I agreed that this was a blog, and subject to opinion. A quick note, however, is that you are paid to run this blog, meaning that it is NOT a personal blog. There is a responsibility to the readers and to your employer. My complaint is with the way certain things were written. Namely, the author of the Polanski post used a lie to twist the story to her own ends. I don't know why that's so difficult to understand. She used a blatant contradiction of fact in place of a real, absolutely relevant fact, to support her opinion. It's that simple.
The only real irony here is that a member of the press, who is, in my opinion, beholden to her audience to provide the truth, instead presented a lie as the truth in her opinion piece. Truth is expected, the lie is delivered. At this point it becomes less a matter of journalistic integrity, and more a matter of personal integrity.
I'd counter that, Chris, by saying that you're wrong in the way you dismiss us doing contests. Sure, "news outlets" do contests, but it's very rare that these contests are ran by journalists. Usually, it's through the advertising or community relations department. (The Bee does that too). I'll admit, it's a bit weird that the music writer for the paper gives away tickets to music events.
I'd suggest that a lot of people who believe in the "tenents of journalism" would say what we do here with giveaways is a compromise our of integrity. Therefore, I think the comparison between the two posts is valid. You're the one who called out our integrity, but then took advantage of those same lax rules we have here on our pop culture blog. The topics are different sure, but the point you're trying to make (that we suck at journalism) and the point I'm trying to make (what we're doing here is not traditional journalism) are valid in both discussions.
As for your complaints about Heather's post: If you're talking about facts, Heather is fact is true and not at all a lie -- Polanski fled the country. You're arguing his motive, which may or may not be viable, but in the end that still comes down to opinion. Some people (you) are going to think that his motive for fleeing is just. Some people (Heather, perhaps) is going to say all the motive stuff doesn't matter because he raped a 13-year-old.
So basically: You two disagree. Instead of just leaving it at that, you wrapped all of it up to question the integrity of The Bee and The Beehive.
I'd saw the whole thing has been blown way out of proportion -- and I'm willing to admit I'm guilty of contributing to that.
First off, Joan, I'm sorry that the comment section of this post has gone so off topic. If it's a problem, perhaps it's something that can be addressed with the Beehive staff.
Mike, I have a sneaking suspicion that we aren't going to end up seeing eye to eye on this (I know, call me crazy.). Holding a giveaway for readers, and lying to readers are, in my opinion, dramatically different subjects, and hold no relation to each other.
My point has never been that every single person working for this blog "sucks at journalism". Just Heather, and just with that post in particular. My anger at the irresponsibility of the mainstream media in general is just that; a generalization. It's not applicable to every single individual within that industry, only to the industry itself. As such, don't take my disdain for the industry as a disdain for yourself or other individuals within it. However, again, I've agreed multiple times that this is an opinion blog, and not a true news outlet. It just happens to be an opinion blog associated with a news outlet, and run by employees of a news outlet, with funding from a news outlet.
Now that I've taken your words out of my mouth, let's discuss the lie. He "fled the country to avoid punishment." If you won't agree that it is a blatant contradiction of actual events, at least you can agree that it is a lie by omission? Polanski served his time, and was given a deal that would end his jail time. After entering his plea, the judge decided to break his word and do what he felt like doing. A supreme court justice has called this action a miscarriage of justice. How, then, could he be fleeing justice, or punishment, when higher courts have already agreed that his plea bargain should have stood, and he already submitted himself to punishment up to that point? I'm sorry, you can argue it all you want, but the facts are what they are.
As for placing the blame on me for wrapping up the Bee and the Beehive in this question of integrity, may I remind you that my posts didn't mention the integrity of either of these sources until you, Mike, brought them into the conversation. That's the point where your replies started focusing on the integrity issue so heavily, and on the difference between the Beehive and the Bee. I understand that you're defending your industry, but the original topic on the original thread was regarding the omission of relevant information.
It has been blown far out of proportion, and I'm willing to admit to some of that as well. I could have stopped replying to comments that had nothing to do with my original thought (something I'll be doing very shortly).
Well, Chris, we agree in that we're not going to see eye to eye on this. I think I'm right. You think you're right. We're both probably too stubborn to give up. So I say it ends here. I have a lot of work to do today and I'm sure you do too.
Hello, everyone.
While I appreciate spirited debate on the Beehive, some of the comments on this post veered far from the relevant topics: Polanski, journalism, and yes, pizza.
So, just FYI, I've removed the comments that don't stick to the discussion. And The Beehive won't approve any more comments on this post because the pizza giveaway is over.
Go forth and enjoy the weekend, and if all this pizza talk encourages you to eat a great pie, tell us about it here.
haha, you won. with the way the world is, i shouldn't be surprised that a polanski apologist gets to have free pizza, haha.
Hi, mdub. Apparently I have to dignify your response as well. My very first comment on the Polanski post explicitly said that I in no way condoned his actions, and agreed that he committed a crime. Apparently this makes me an apologist for the only crime he committed that should spark even the slightest bit of outrage, and this means I don't deserve pizza.
That's too bad. I do so love pizza. I shall truly miss it once it's gone.
DID I WIN???
Ounds good
Awesome.
I know I complained about the pizza eating contest, but I could really go for some right now!
MMMMMMMM PIZZA
...whoah, killer disclaimer, it's like winning a car made of pizza or something...
Thanks, Joan! I'm looking forward to having some great pizza!
Wow, a pizza buffet for 6.999!!! that's great. i'm gonna try the TJ's special. Yum!