The Buzz 02.09.23

FREE SPEECH

It takes humans to moderate online comments, to cull through the spam and the personal attacks that can quickly escalate in a digital space. That’s something the newspaper company Gannett has observed and, as a result of its continued staffing cuts, prompted Gannett to eliminate online commenting platforms on roughly 200 newspaper sites it owns. The USA Today network of newspapers announced on Jan. 30 that, effective Feb. 1, “The ‘View Comments’ button will disappear from our articles… While we continue to believe in the importance of comments, we had to make the hard choice to move away from the space due to changes in staffing and the time investment necessary to bring you a safe, moderated and productive discussion space.” At Gannett’s local newspaper, The Salinas Californian – where there are no longer any local, Monterey County-based staff members – online commenting has been disabled. “We feel strongly that public discussion and civil debate are crucial to our society,” the company’s statement reads. “But for all their benefits, we also know that comment sections across the internet can quickly devolve when they’re left unmonitored.”

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Coaching football is easy.” - Ron Rivera, head coach of the NFL’s Washington Commanders, after completing play at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Sunday. Rivera was paired with professional Kevin Roy.

GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK

GOOD:

Good news for Monterey Regional Airport and the region’s tourism economy is scheduled to arrive at 1:12pm on Thursday, Feb. 9 in the form of American Airlines flight 1128, the first Airbus A319 to take the route from Dallas-Fort Worth to MRY. That route kicked off with 76-seat Embraer 175 planes in 2020. The larger aircraft (up to 128 passengers) is a sign from airline officials that popularity has remained steady. “This significant upgrade of aircraft to Dallas-Fort Worth by American Airlines further validates the strength of the Monterey market and our partnership with American Airlines,” MRY Executive Director Michael La Pier said in a statement. “For the first time in nearly three decades, our region will enjoy daily nonstop service on a mainline aircraft.” The new aircraft will increase available seats by nearly 40,000 per year in the DFW market, and nearly doubles the daily number of available seats to 128.

GREAT:

A baby African penguin joined the colony at the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Feb. 1. That was good, but what made it great was naming the chick “Gerry” after Gerry Low-Sabado, a direct descendant of Chinese immigrants who over 100 years ago lived and labored near where the Aquarium is now located. Low-Sabado worked for years as a kind and patient activist to bring recognition to the many Chinese residents who made significant contributions to the community. She collaborated with the Aquarium to develop an educational program about her ancestors, and gave presentations there before her death in 2021. Gerry the penguin hatched at the Aquarium on Nov. 30, weighing less than 2 ounces, but had grown to nearly 5 pounds on the day they joined the rest of the penguins in the Aquarium’s exhibit. It’s too early to know Gerry’s sex, but keepers already know Gerry’s personality, described as “independent and feisty.”