Colombia Reports renewed

PBHjon says on Sep 15, 2008, 11:57:

I like the new look :)

Keep up the good work. I might write a brief article or two for the travel section, and submit it.

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t-wiz says on Sep 15, 2008, 17:43:

you haVe a good service, I check it out daily. My annual migration is fast approaching.

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Atrevido says on Sep 15, 2008, 19:16:

Adriaan are you plural?

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Corey3368 says on Sep 15, 2008, 23:34:

great job!

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lampltr says on Sep 16, 2008, 02:53:

Nice touch, thanks...RSS auto feeds work great (I check them out every 4 hours or so for updates along with Intl. news), instead of extra work for you posting here, but not sure of the capabilities of most here.... Sure they will chime in.

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TobyBoy says on Sep 16, 2008, 06:52:

SHAMEFUL! The editor of this paper is a Dutchman, and like many in the Netherlands, this man has decided to be VERY anti American. Not only is the Anglo community residing in Colombia passed over for news, but he dares rip Brian Andrews apart (see bottom right-hand link of home page)!

Instead of this Newspaper choosing to work together with the rest of the expat community living in Colombia, they have chosen unprofessional, mean-spirited, and deliberate attacks on a hard working, Colombia-loving journalist, and it makes me very sad. Perhaps they are just jealous of how attractive and polished Brian Andrews appears on our computer monitors.

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romy says on Sep 16, 2008, 07:23:

How is relaying RCN "Colombia-loving"? if anything, it's doing Colombia harm

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Colombiareports.com says on Sep 16, 2008, 13:49:

Hi everyone :-)

Thanks for your comments so far. Let's get a few things straight :-)

I am not plural. When I speak of we, I speak of me and my colleagues (there's close to ten contributors now)

I am not anti-American. I am critical about RCN's reporting (no matter in English or Spanish), I don't see how that is anti-American, because I generally get along very well with Americans.

Tobyboy, can you tell me how you feel the anglo community is passed over? if you have ideas on how to improve it I'd love to hear them. I started the website in English mostly to serve the anglo community (but I give free Dutch classes to anyone interested)

Suerte,
Adriaan

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TobyBoy says on Sep 16, 2008, 18:16:

Adriaan,

While I appreciate your tacit acknowledgement of my commentary, I still maintain that your bellow-the-belt journalistic bashing on Brian Andrews (and his recently launched webcasts; http://www.rcnnews.tv/ ) demonstrate a great lack of professionalism, particularly when you are also in the process of cultivating your own news-organization. I regard this approach as highly imprudent, if not disgraceful to the expat community taking advantage of this marvelous country called Colombia, which unfortunately has to depend on the-too-often simplistic or ignorant views of foreigners reporting on the complex news events emanating from Colombia. It would be hoped, that journalists like yourself, who have come to learn a bit better about the Colombian reality, would want to collaborate with similar peers, instead of bashing them before either one of you have had an opportunity to metamorphose.
Similarly, while you claim not to be Anti-American, your words will yet have to prove it. I have spent enough time in Amsterdam and Rotterdam to know that if we had had a Dutchman broadcasting in any language for RCN, I would make any bet he or she would have received a different welcome from your website’s editorial. Moreover, it is disingenuous to infer that just because your site is in English, you may not be Anti-American. Like several of your readers, I am an international businessman (and expert polyglot) who is well aware of the fact that any news to be broadcast out of Colombia –to the world, should be packaged in English in order to maximize penetration. This does not necessarily mean that you like Americans. Please, do not attempt to blow smoke at me or anyone else on PBH.
While I thank you for asking for my advice, and while I wish you much success with Colombia Reports, please understand that if I have any future reportage-advice to impart, I will be compelled to share it with non-arrogant, seasoned professionals such as Mr. Brian Andrews.

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pedro says on Sep 16, 2008, 19:16:

Very impressive website. Congrats, and wish you much success with this project.

que nota!

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Desideria (Moderator) says on Sep 17, 2008, 06:17:

Keep up the good work, Adriaan. Good to see Colombia Reports back. I had already missed you guys.
Cheers,
Desi

BTW, I think it's GOOD to have two different newsfeeds in English and especially good if they have a slightly different political focus.

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

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Colombiareports.com says on Sep 17, 2008, 07:14:

Hi Tobyboy,

Thanks for your response. My criticism on RCN (Brian is nothing but the face of RCN) was merely professional and was my personal opinion about the journalism as performed by Colombia's largest broadcaster. I am not the only one to criticize the news they bring or refuse to bring. Criticizing media (including mine) is healthy at whatever time in whatever form, especially in a country where the freedom of press, self censorship of press and independence of press is an internationally recognized problem.

About being anti-American. You will simply have to believe me that I have absolutely nothing against Americans whatsoever.

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TobyBoy says on Sep 17, 2008, 15:33:

Thank you for your continued attention to my comments. Nevertheless, you continue to surprise me with your ongoing disparaging statements regarding Brian Andrews when you say “Brian is nothing but the face of RCN.�
If you have an ax to grind with RCN, than do not cloak that, and try not to use others as scapegoats. Your angst against RCN should not make you compromise your own journalistic integrity. Moreover, I doubt that you possess the world-class journalistic credentials that Brian has earned with his hard sweat around the globe –for you to come-off with such a superior tone.

I am further troubled by how you regard freedom of the press in Colombia.

There is a huge difference between living in a country where freedom of the press is deliberately suppressed by its institutions (as in dictatorships), and a valiant nation like Colombia, which struggles to protect its freedom of press against the many vandals from the entire political spectrum who would like it silenced. The current Colombian administration has held more international symposiums to exalt and protect freedom of the press in Colombia than any other administration in the past. In fact, journalists like yourself are more secure in Colombia to express your views, including those against the same government fighting for your protection than in recent decades.

I know of no nation where self-censorship is not an issue (I have even witnessed in Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland). No country is perfect, and as someone who has fought tenaciously the losing battle to protect the First Amendment in the United States against the current Bush administration’s policies, I am well able to distinguish a country (like Colombia) that is “truly� fighting to protect its freedom, and a country “that thinks� it is fighting to protect its freedom.

The biggest news-related problem facing Colombia is the massive amount of disinformation being promoted by foreign journalists who are not well informed, and who come to Colombia with an arrogant sense of socio-humane-sensibility that they somehow think it makes them superior to Colombians, and to some other journalists.

Nothing would have pleased me more than to be able to promote your organization in Colombia and around the world. It is efforts like these that I am most interested in helping and promoting, and I happen to be in an international position to do so. However, despite your cordial exchange, I remain saddened and perplexed by your disparaging remarks, as I feel that they do not represent an honest, and public difference of opinion. Once again, best of luck with your endeavors. Adieu.

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Colombiareports.com says on Sep 17, 2008, 16:28:

We'll agree to disagree then :-) Take care

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PBHjon says on Sep 17, 2008, 17:09:

both of you are wrong, and I am right.

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Colombiareports.com says on Sep 17, 2008, 21:15:

Don't you start! ;-)

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