Journalism sucks in Memphis and is part of an operating elitist conspiracy to keep Memphians, across all demographics, ignorant. For the purpose of this blog, journalism is defined as “the collection and editing [selection] of news for presentation through the media”.

In this way, journalism should not be confused with writing or broadcasting craft. After all, Memphis has numerous highly competent professional writers and broadcasters which are in part pictured above. Those pictured are local anchors, editors and some with tentacles into both print and local broadcast television. Given the former framework, it can be opined that:

Joe Birch and Joyce Peterson are great broadcasters but Suck as journalists.

Otis Sanford is a great writer but an atrocious journalist.

Another standard applied specifically for this blog is “broad story coverage”. Examples of this would be the coverage of Wanda Halbert and Steve Mulroy across all media and multiple channels. Then there is over coverage. Over coverage of Halbert and Mulroy equates to fake news, while hogging the media discourse in Memphis away from journalism that could better educate the public.  

To that extent, below is a collection of stories not reported or broadly reported that would further public education in a majority black community in need. This collection helps to confirm an operating journalistic conspiracy to keep Memphians public affairs ignorant.

STORY COLLECTION

The expectation applied here is that Mark Russell, with the Commercial Appeal, Eric Barnes with the Daily Memphian and WMC TV 5 where Joe Birch anchors cover all these stories. Then as far as Otis Sanford and Wendi Thomas with MLK50, it would be the expectation that they cover just some of these stories.

But these vitally important stories either recieved no coverage or only spotty converage with no broad based media coverage across multiple channels. This reality helps to confirm the Memphis journalistic conspricacy to keep Memphians, across all demographics, public affairs ignorant. 

Systemic Local Public Revenue Crisis and Economic Development – It can be said that crap journalism catapulted the FedEx employed County Commissioner Mickell Lowery to victory in the Democratic Mayoral primary. I have nothing personal against Lowery but just reporting facts here. Lowery led County Commission economic development efforts as Chair of the County Commission Economic Development Committee from 2020-present. Economic development results under Lowery are 38,000 in Shelby County job losses since 2019 (BLS). This result put Shelby County at the bottom of its peer group for the period, while authoring, in large part, the local public revenue crisis. Conspiratorial crap journalism ensures voter ignorance on this issue, while protecting elitist led excessive tax incentives.

Estimated Memphis/Shelby Taxpayer Annual Loss: $80M

Excessive PILOTs (Mostly Corporate Tax Abatements) – Fox 13 has done some reporting on excessive PILOTs. But that’s about it. Per the most recent 2025 Comptroller PILOT Report, Shelby County has 537 PILOTs compared to 161 combined for Davidson, Hamilton and Knox County Tennessee. The former occurs with Shelby County having declining economic growth as expressed through countywide employment outcomes and Davidson, Hamilton and Knox counties having robust economic growth. This is another example of the journalistic conspiracy to keep Memphians ignorant.

Estimated Memphis/Shelby Excessive Incentive Annual Taxpayer Costs: $40M of $70M

Chamber Workforce Development Botch – Highly tied to economic development, local workforce development has been a botch for the last 10yrs with multiple workforce initiatives being phased out to include WIN, GMACW, UpSkill901, Workforce Mid-South and the Accelerated Skills Center. The Greater Memphis Chamber has been directly involved with or in close proximity to all of these workforce botches. Most recently, the Greater Memphis Workforce Development Board was placed on level 3 sanction by the TN Workforce Development Board for deficient fiscal agency executed by the Chamber. There has been no comprehensive reporting by the local press on the systemically failed workforce development system or the recent level 3 sanctioning of the GMWDB due to Chamber botched fiscal agency.

Estimated Memphis/Shelby Taxpayer Annual Costs: $10M

MLGW Tree Trimming Ripoff – The MLGW ongoing tree trimming rip off, valued at $50-70M if current contracts payout in full, was never covered by the local media. The story went viral on social media but was never picked up by the local media. The rip was initially estimated at $100M but after accommodating all of MLGW’s McGowen arguments that included more expensive back lot trimming, the rip was adjusted down to $50-70M depending on the variable cost of 3-5x backlot cost to standard cost, as cited by McGowen on the record.

$10M South Memphis Depot Ripoff – Fox 13 reported on the Depot Ripoff with multiple stories. Executed by the Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE), the South Memphis Depot Ripoff involved the direct disinvestment of approximately $10M in public funds from an impoverished area in the center of Memphis. From an economic development perspective, publicly ripping off an impoverished central part of any city is nuts. Among other stories, this story was especially ripe for Wendi Thomas and MLK50. But the publication walked away from the story. The lack of broad-based reporting of the $10M Depot Ripoff furthers the Memphis journalistic conspiracy to proliferate public ignorance, while protecting runaway elitism.

MATA Implosion – Keeping Memphians ignorant, reporting on the MATA implosion has primarily indicted Bacarra Mauldin, interim CEO 2024-25. Mauldin took over for Gary Rosenfeld who served as MATA CEO for more than 5 years. Local conspiratorial reporting has centered on the MATA Board's approval of a contract renewal during Mauldin’s brief tenure that originated under Rosenfeld, of a Grizzly Suite and the use of an executive credit card, which was policy originated under Rosenfeld. Mauldin’s alleged contribution would not implode MATA. While there are several drivers, the predominant drivers of the MATA implosion had to do with excessive public expenditures for non-working technology, while not buying buses and a botched procurement system. The massive technology MATA public rip occurred 2019-23 under Council oversight led by JB Smiley and J Ford Canale. Again, since MATA public transit serves primarily challenged impoverished populations, reporting on systemic Council  botched oversight and the real causes of the MATA implosion was ripe for MLK50. But MLK50 walked away from the story as did all other media outlets. Besides, how Redneck is it for a City to botch their public transit system?

Downtown and $30M+ Sheraton Ripoff – All outlets have failed to compile and sustain reporting on recent downtown development history regarding the intentionality by local leadership to run external investors out of town. The fact is  that 3 proven international investors were run out of town when their investment proposals were not embraced by local leadership. Those proven investors are Hard Rock, Schulte and Starwood. To that extent, City of Memphis taxpayers were required to fund an initial $30M so that local developers in the Carlisles can develop and operate the downtown Sheraton as opposed to embracing the Schulte/Starwood proposal. And get ready, $30M is just the start. And without the proposed Hard Rock Hotel Development, Beale Street development lacks momentum. Local media outlets have failed to present the facts to City of Memphis taxpayers, that through intentionality, taxpayers are required to unnecessarily subsidize organic demand for the benefit of local developer interests.

Public Private Partnerships Managed Agreements – These managed agreements are never scrutinized by the local press and include Memphis River Parks Partnership, Zoo, Brooks, Tennis Memphis and Botanic Gardens. What is typically found, when looking at the financials and performance of these agreements is financial mismanagement and deficient philanthropy by the private sector in our “most generous City in America of Memphis”. For example, the Zoo is an exhibit of grandiose financial mismanagement. MRPP is an exhibit of deficient private participation and contract performance. Botanic Gardens really does need the money from taxpayers to carry on with their work. And the private philanthropic contribution for Leftwich Tennis Center was not much at all. All uncovered by the local press and keeping Memphians ignorant.

Estimated Memphis/Shelby Taxpayer Annual Costs: $10M

CONCLUSION

In a majority black community in need, there is an operating journalistic conspiracy to proliferate public affairs ignorance, across all demographics, at great costs to Memphis/Shelby taxpayers.