Camp Chase Gazette and the Watchdog

[Kevin O'Beirne]

I received the following letter in my snailmail today. Does anyone know who this guy is?

*******************

Dear Kevin,

I am the new Editor of Camp Chase Gazette and want to thank you for the past contributions you have made to the publication that has made it the leader in Civil War reenacting. We want to maintain the working relationship the magazine has enjoyed with you and hope I can turn to you for future articles.

There are going to be a few changes, but none that will affect your contributions. The Camp Chase Gazette will be moving it's deadline to the l0th of the month for editorial content and photography so we can get into production sooner and compensate for any last-minute changes that might have to be made on an issue. We are looking for articles/photographs that can be aimed towards people just starting out, stories covering a unique aspect of reenacting we don't often see and old-time know-how that will give readers a clear view of how it was done. I would also like to broaden the scope of the magazine to cover all parts of living history related to military life in the Civil War and incorporate stories on military tactics reenactors can use in the field.

The Camp Chase Gazette staff and I believe the reenacting community in the U.S. is a vital educational resource for schools and students and their living history events and reenactments need to be as authentic as possible. We will continue to provide an entertaining publication, but know that we also serve an educational role to make sure we provide information to assist our readers in meetinf61heir goals on the battlefield. With your continued contributions, I am sure we will continue to be the nation's leading reenacting publication.

If can be of service or assist you in any way, please feel free to contact me at the enclosed numbers and address.

Sincerely,

Ed Hooper

**********************

So, what do YOU think about the editor, if you know him, and what do you think about the text of this letter?

A Google search of Ed Hooper shows a guy with this name who is employed by the Tennessee Journal, with some mention on websites having to do with history. I sent the fellow an e-mail to see if he's the one who wrote me this letter. (The letter itself was on CCG letterhead without a direct e-mail address.)

[billwatson]

Re: New CCG Editor

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/iraq_conflict/text/0,1406,KNS_9217_18724,00.html

That's the dope on Hooper, he's first and foremost a journalist. You'll have to register to get to that story, sorry, but it would be wrong to just cut and past the Knoxville paper's work.

As for the letter: Empty calories, kind of a place-holder letter to former contributors, but really, doesn't the situation kind of require letting folks at least know there's a new editor and attempting to assuage fears about change?

Just for folks who don't realize the economics of journalism -- being editor of the Camp Chase Gazette hasn't been a big enough throw weight to constitute a livelihood for anyone. It's something you do in addition to whatever your main gig is. That's why those who worked for the publication made all those jokes about the gleaming seven-story building that was Camp Chase corporate headquarters, etc. It was actually run out of a couple of rooms in the former publisher's other business..... My expectation is that Ed Hooper is taking this on in addition to some other gig, perhaps out of a chance to blend his interests in journalism with his interest in history. It will be nice to hear from him.

[dusty27]

Re: New CCG Editor

"You'll have to register to get to that story, sorry, but it would be wrong to just cut and past the Knoxville paper's work."

Bill, why is that? As someone who "cuts and pastes" all the time, as long as credit is given and no money is made, what is the harm? The story is written for public consumption, no? What if someone buys a paper in Knoxville, flys to DC, leaves the paper at the airport and 20 people read the article while having lunch?

Never understood a newspaper site that required registration and/or payment.
Not knowing the law here, can someone enlighten me?

[billwatson]

copyright and "value"

[QUOTE=dusty27]"You'll have to register to get to that story, sorry, but it would be wrong to just cut and past the Knoxville paper's work."

"Bill, why is that? As someone who "cuts and pastes" all the time, as long as credit is given and no money is made, what is the harm? The story is written for public consumption, no? What if someone buys a paper in Knoxville, flys to DC, leaves the paper at the airport and 20 people read the article while having lunch? "

"Never understood a newspaper site that required registration and/or payment.
Not knowing the law here, can someone enlighten me?" -- Dusty


The newspaper is copyrighted and everything that appears in it is protected and to reproduce it without permission is wrong. That's the first point.

Newspapers exist by selling information. At the airport people are looking at the paper, and at the ads, and the number of eyeballs (readeship) has a relationship to the amount the newspaper or publication can charge for advertising. It is carefully tracked. So we want "readership," not necessarily just a price paid per copy.

In the case of most websites, the "sale" involves an exchange other than money. The newspaper IS getting value in two ways, first by the number of eyeballs hitting the site and second by requiring people to register. Demographic information about its readers is extremely valuable information, information that costs thousands to get through surveys and polls.

Additionally, the laws banning telemarketers from making "cold calls" to sell subscriptions or whatever have an "out." A business can call someone with whom it has a prior relationship. Registering to see an article on their website often meets the legal definition of "prior relationship" and therefore gives the newspaper the ability to have telemarketers call to try to sell a subscription.

Finally, some newspapers and publications and websites use the information they obtain from registration to create lists of people based around certain interests; that carefully gathered and catalogued information is then sold to people who sell services or products that cater to those interests.

That's why linking to the site is universally welcomed by those who make a living by finding out what's going on and telling people, but just taking their work, cutting it and pasting it somewhere else is unwelcome.

Hope that provides some light in the odd world of information....

[JimKindred]

Re: New CCG Editor

As an advertiser I have written to CCG twice about Nicky Huhges leaving, asking if the stories were true. That first email was about two months ago, the second was about a month ago, so far I have not heard one of word of a reply from CCG regarding this. I knew what the answer was going to be before I wrote the emails to them but I wanted to hear it from the new owners.

From what I have gathered from various sources, on and off line, there is an ill wind blowing in the direction of the CCG from its subscribers. They owe both the readers and the advertisers some announcement regarding the change of editors.

Something tells me the new owners have entered an area of the hobby they don't know a lot about.

[dusty27]

Re: New CCG Editor

Bill,

I would like to continue this conversation if you have time, but not here as it is not related to CW. Is there an email I can reach you at?

Mine is mj-chapman@nga.gov

Thanks

[Tom Ezell]

Re: New CCG Editor

From what I have gathered from various sources, on and off line, there is an ill wind blowing in the direction of the CCG from its subscribers. They owe both the readers and the advertisers some announcement regarding the change of editors.

Something tells me the new owners have entered an area of the hobby they don't know a lot about.

Well, I held to my promise, and sh_tcanned the CCG renewal notices that I received earlier this summer. Receipt of the June edition (or whatever the last one was) pretty much cemented my decision not to renew.

I believe that in addition to the Nicky affair, they have some substantial, adverse reputation issues to overcome as well. I've perused each copy of the Civil War Courier since January 2003, when Reese Sexton handed out free copies at the N/SA meeting out around Memphis somewhere. In the intervening year and a half, I have not seen a single reference or mention of the authentic side of the hobby -- despite their being home-based somewhere in middle Tennessee, stomping grounds of the WIG and a quantity of other like-minded groups and events. CWC is strictly by farbs, for farbs.

I cancelled that one, too...

Tom

[Charles Heath]

Re: New CCG Editor

Perhaps inviting this new editor fellow to fall in with a fine group at a good event in the near future would be a smart idea. He may report well on a side of reenacting he hasn't seen, or he may turn out to be one of those lampooners in the mold of Horowitz or Greystone. His base in East Tennessee appears convenient to a number of better events, including one this weekend.

Charles Heath

[JimKindred]

Re: New CCG Editor

Charles,

That is a darn good idea, one of the best I have heard in a long time.

[billwatson]

Re: New CCG Editor

The new editor undoubtedly will be at Franklin, and probably at other events. I think if he were a reenactor already we'd have heard about it.

Meanwhile, it just seems like some kind of "meet the editor" campaign would have been good, simple business sense.

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: New CCG Editor

Meanwhile, it just seems like some kind of "meet the editor" campaign would have been good, simple business sense.

Agreed, but many organizations and events can't grasp this simple concept.

That said, I wish to address the comment above about "The Civil War Courier" not "covering" better events. I'll reply with a question: Why should they? Does that segment of the reenactor population represent increased circulation? Does anyone at CWC know about more-authentic events? Has anyone on this forum contacted them to tell them about more-authentic events? Has anyone written an article with photos on a more-authentic event and submitted it to CWC?

I know the answer is no. Heck, there's little coverage of "more authentic" events in even a more-respectable competing publication like "Civil War News". Folks don't write for them because they're farby publications, and then justify not writing for them because no one on the authentic side writes for them. It's a vicous cycle.

I'm gonna see what CCG turns into before I get my undies in a bunch about it, or quit writing for it. I've got a few more articles nearly done that I intend to send them, but after that will be a "wait and see", and those articles will probably go in slower (more months in between) than I used to send them to Nicky.

Knee-jerk reactions to the hobby periodicals won't help "our side of the hobby" much. A few more writers will, and there's lots of good writers and reseachers on this forum.

[billwatson]

Re: New CCG Editor

Actually, I used to write for Civil War News, but stopped for two reasons. One, it's too much like work (that is, what I normally do, day in, day out, report on stuff.) Two, and far more important, I'm much to involved in advocacy for both specific events and for a specific method of reenacting to be able to give readers the guarantees of dispassionate journalism they have a right to expect.

It is probably a good time to mention that the Civil War News will PAY YOU for your feature story about what it was like to stand picket duty at Franklin or whatever. I'm not sure everyone is aware of that, and it is certainly a matter of some concern to younger folks who are pressed for spending money. Just query them first. Paying people for their work is probably one way the "new" Camp Chase Gazette could drum up some new contributors, too, and I believe that would also work in favor of history-heavy writers -- when one is actually buying articles, one is much happier to pay for a researched, carefully thought out and effectively written article and one checks the articles to see if they are worth the bucks. If you want the most bang for the buck, you want guys like Kevin O'Beirne and John Tobey, not somebody ranting about their right to be militantly farby or explaining how to turn a London Fog raincoat into a duster.

Meanwhile, there's the old "good service" issue on top of everything else. Apparently some have gotten a new issue? I have yet to receive my first edition under the new editor's guiding hand, and I'm eager to see what the new publisher will say in the end column that Bill Holschuh always wrote. Curiosity is a curse.

[MissAnnaMae]

Re: CCG Articles

FYI...Actually the CWC does have some redeeming value in that they publish articles of authentic civilian interest written by Vickie Rumble. These articles usually do not highlight reenactments, rather they cover period material culture which can be useful to any reenactor- military or civilian. If they are willing to publish civilian articles, who's to say they will not cover the authentic military side?

[paulcalloway]

IMHO: What's wrong with the CCG

I wanted to post something over on the CCG but I can't seem to get their system to generate a password reminder.

Brad Peery is over there asking a lot of questions about what we expect from a magazine. Bill Keitz is saying give the new editor a chance. Bill Holschuh says "if [we] kill the only [magazine] we have, there may not be another."

I mean this post to be informative and not insulting. Please take it constructively.

When I pay $4.95 for a Newsweek or 50 cents for a USA Today, I'm paying for a service - quite literally, I'm paying for them to tell me something I didn't already know.

Before Nicky took over - and I'm not insulting the previous editors - I wasn't finding anything in the CCG that was the least bit educational or informative. It was all just filler - it was whatever sludge that could be put into the magazine to get it out the door to the printer. That started to change with Nicky at the helm. But now that Nicky has left, I'm very skeptical of what the new editors are going to be putting into the CCG.

I don't need a periodical full of 2 month old information about upcoming events that have already happened.

When I started in this hobby you HAD to get the CCG. Everyone did and we all took it to our monthly or annual meetings to discuss the events and articles therein. Now, I don't know anybody that still subscribes and if you brought it to our annual meeting - you'd get laughed right out of the room, unless of course if you were buying the beer.

As I see it, the CCG needs to get far more fluid. It needs to get ahead of the game, not months and months behind it. It needs people in charge who will lovingly and knowingly guide it - not folks who are alien to the central themes and driving forces that are changing living history and reenacting on an annual basis.

What used to be important to your average reenactor has changed - hog-roasts, beer-bashes and dances are no longer the type of activity that draw the cutting-edge reenactor to an event. Nor are "for-profit" events, bad uniforms and 6 page AAR's filled with dull, running inside-jokes.

Get current or yeah, the CCG will wind up being the central focus of retirement-age reenactors, fondly remembering the golden years of when this hobby had its own magazine.

Click Click Click. Now if I had just fired that off to the editors of the CCG for inclusion in the Camp Gossip column, how long would it take for it to actually reach the printed page? Its an enormous challenge, and not one that will be successfully handled by the uniformed.

[1stMaine]

Re: IMHO: What's wrong with the CCG

Comrades,

The problem with the CCG is that it became pedantic, repetitive and just plain boring. It was filled with (mostly) poorly written articles submitted by reenactors that covered and recovered the same beginner's questions.
A magazine for reenactors ought NOT to contain beginner's how-to articles. It is encumbant upon the individual's home unit to give him the basic outline of drill, uniforms, etc. In short, basic training for the new recruit should be the responsibility of the member's own unit, NOT the CCG.
respects,