Who am I? And what am I trying to do?

“Biased.” “Just trying to stir the pot.” “Hates the city.” “He’s just trying to sell papers.” Yep, I’ve heard it all. Readers of the North Coast News, circa my time as editor there 2008-12, probably don’t need much introduction, and long ago formed an opinion of me: good, bad or ugly. 

Those who moved to the beach after I blew out of town probably are wondering, as some have: “Who is this guy? And what’s his agenda?”

As Milton Cantellay put it, responding to one of my posts: “Tom Scanlon I would like to ask a serious question, not meant to start an argument. The name and the image present the intent to be a reporter of news. I have read many of the postings and find a lot of editorializing and outright side-taking. I am not a current OS admin fan. I think the mayor should have resigned over the issues that have cost tax-payers many dollars. Are you trying to be actual news for the OS area or is this a veiled political arm for anti-current-admin candidates. Either one is fine with me, but if news is the objective, then you need to attempt to cover both sides of issues fairly.”

(To which Judy Gow replied: “Milton Cantellay having lived here for a long time, I have never found Scanlon’s ramblings to be unbiased.”)

My response: “Milton Cantellay I know little about the current candidates and have not endorsed any. My post here asked what people think of the city government. Other posts analyzed the judge’s ruling in a $750,000 lawsuit. The judge considered both sides; I reported on it.”

Mr. Cantellay promptly responded to that: “The North Beach News Thanks for the reply. I posted my comment on this article simply because it was the first one that I came across when I opened FB. I have clicked on many of them. I usually find the information, well, informative. However, I do also find a lot of reporter editorializing or aside comments. It makes it hard to take the reporting part seriously. It would seem that if your intent is to bring up topics of interest and then provide your commentary on them then the “Press” hat and the “North Beach News” title are ill suited for the intent. Take it for what it is worth, it’s just my opinion, but I’m willing to label it as exactly that, my opinion.”

My response to that: “Milton Cantellay I agree with many of your observations, but don’t feel your conclusion is strictly linear. I enjoy wearing many “hats”: reporter, critic, columnist, satirist, even occasionally fluff-throwing feature writer. Add it all up, you get “Press.” This is what I did as investigative reporter (Street LID overruns, employee salaries, various city mistakes etc), columnist and editor of the North Coast News 2008-13, and what for various reasons I am resuming. Keep an eye (even a suspicious one) on thenorthbeachnews.com. As far as I can tell, no one else is taking deep dives into Ocean Shores’ issues. But if it’s not for you, so be it. I’m no Walter Cronkite! (But who is, these days?)”