Em Espey is the new Bethesda Beat MCPS reporter

[Anonymous]

Welcome to the zoo!

[Anonymous]

BB far less interesting since the comment section was removed.

[Anonymous]

Welcome! Looking forward to in-depth coverage again!

[Anonymous]

It’s good they were able to find a replacement for Caitlin. I liked her reporting, although it was pretty obvious she needed to kiss up to MCPS and MCEA officials to keep her access. Hopefully they can create a different dynamic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Welcome! Looking forward to in-depth coverage again!

When did they ever have in depth coverage?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Welcome! Looking forward to in-depth coverage again!

When did they ever have in depth coverage?

NP but the education coverage was great when Caitlynn was there. Coverage has been much lighter since her departure. I'm excited to see how Em builds the coverage back up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Welcome! Looking forward to in-depth coverage again!

When did they ever have in depth coverage?

NP but the education coverage was great when Caitlynn was there. Coverage has been much lighter since her departure. I'm excited to see how Em builds the coverage back up.

“Great” would be an overstatement. If you wanted to read summaries of MCPS announcements, press releases, and Board meetings, then she did a thorough job. But she was almost never willing to question the narrative of her sources at MCPS and MCEA, presumably because she was worried they’d stop talking to her if she wasn’t supporting their message. She effectively acted as an arm of the MCPS communications office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Welcome! Looking forward to in-depth coverage again!

When did they ever have in depth coverage?

NP but the education coverage was great when Caitlynn was there. Coverage has been much lighter since her departure. I'm excited to see how Em builds the coverage back up.

“Great” would be an overstatement. If you wanted to read summaries of MCPS announcements, press releases, and Board meetings, then she did a thorough job. But she was almost never willing to question the narrative of her sources at MCPS and MCEA, presumably because she was worried they’d stop talking to her if she wasn’t supporting their message. She effectively acted as an arm of the MCPS communications office.

My recent grad found her quite good. They had many conversations where concerns made it into print.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Welcome! Looking forward to in-depth coverage again!

When did they ever have in depth coverage?

NP but the education coverage was great when Caitlynn was there. Coverage has been much lighter since her departure. I'm excited to see how Em builds the coverage back up.

“Great” would be an overstatement. If you wanted to read summaries of MCPS announcements, press releases, and Board meetings, then she did a thorough job. But she was almost never willing to question the narrative of her sources at MCPS and MCEA, presumably because she was worried they’d stop talking to her if she wasn’t supporting their message. She effectively acted as an arm of the MCPS communications office.

I think you are being overly critical for local reporting and she was actually good at her job. She frequently reported on MCPS’s mismanagement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Welcome! Looking forward to in-depth coverage again!

When did they ever have in depth coverage?

NP but the education coverage was great when Caitlynn was there. Coverage has been much lighter since her departure. I'm excited to see how Em builds the coverage back up.

“Great” would be an overstatement. If you wanted to read summaries of MCPS announcements, press releases, and Board meetings, then she did a thorough job. But she was almost never willing to question the narrative of her sources at MCPS and MCEA, presumably because she was worried they’d stop talking to her if she wasn’t supporting their message. She effectively acted as an arm of the MCPS communications office.

My recent grad found her quite good. They had many conversations where concerns made it into print.

Because your child got his name in the paper you consider that good reporting? Want a list of all the stories she didn't cover and all the people she refused to talk to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Welcome! Looking forward to in-depth coverage again!

When did they ever have in depth coverage?

NP but the education coverage was great when Caitlynn was there. Coverage has been much lighter since her departure. I'm excited to see how Em builds the coverage back up.

“Great” would be an overstatement. If you wanted to read summaries of MCPS announcements, press releases, and Board meetings, then she did a thorough job. But she was almost never willing to question the narrative of her sources at MCPS and MCEA, presumably because she was worried they’d stop talking to her if she wasn’t supporting their message. She effectively acted as an arm of the MCPS communications office.

My recent grad found her quite good. They had many conversations where concerns made it into print.

Because your child got his name in the paper you consider that good reporting? Want a list of all the stories she didn't cover and all the people she refused to talk to?

Reading comprehension: "concerns made it into print".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Welcome! Looking forward to in-depth coverage again!

When did they ever have in depth coverage?

NP but the education coverage was great when Caitlynn was there. Coverage has been much lighter since her departure. I'm excited to see how Em builds the coverage back up.

“Great” would be an overstatement. If you wanted to read summaries of MCPS announcements, press releases, and Board meetings, then she did a thorough job. But she was almost never willing to question the narrative of her sources at MCPS and MCEA, presumably because she was worried they’d stop talking to her if she wasn’t supporting their message. She effectively acted as an arm of the MCPS communications office.

I think that's harsh. Caitlin absolutely uncovered information we never would have heard about, like the child from East Silver Spring Elementary School that was harassed by the police, and did her best to unearth truths about MCPS.

And, she had to work with the people who work for MCPS. She couldn't antagonize them, or make them angry with her, because she needed them to share information and answer her requests.

I think we got more information about MCPS from Caitlynn than we ever have in the 20+ years I've lived in the county (including when The Gazette existed). I was sad to see her leave, and hope the new reporter is as good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Welcome! Looking forward to in-depth coverage again!

When did they ever have in depth coverage?

NP but the education coverage was great when Caitlynn was there. Coverage has been much lighter since her departure. I'm excited to see how Em builds the coverage back up.

“Great” would be an overstatement. If you wanted to read summaries of MCPS announcements, press releases, and Board meetings, then she did a thorough job. But she was almost never willing to question the narrative of her sources at MCPS and MCEA, presumably because she was worried they’d stop talking to her if she wasn’t supporting their message. She effectively acted as an arm of the MCPS communications office.

I think that's harsh. Caitlin absolutely uncovered information we never would have heard about, like the child from East Silver Spring Elementary School that was harassed by the police, and did her best to unearth truths about MCPS.

And, she had to work with the people who work for MCPS. She couldn't antagonize them, or make them angry with her, because she needed them to share information and answer her requests.

I think we got more information about MCPS from Caitlynn than we ever have in the 20+ years I've lived in the county (including when The Gazette existed). I was sad to see her leave, and hope the new reporter is as good.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Welcome! Looking forward to in-depth coverage again!

When did they ever have in depth coverage?

NP but the education coverage was great when Caitlynn was there. Coverage has been much lighter since her departure. I'm excited to see how Em builds the coverage back up.

“Great” would be an overstatement. If you wanted to read summaries of MCPS announcements, press releases, and Board meetings, then she did a thorough job. But she was almost never willing to question the narrative of her sources at MCPS and MCEA, presumably because she was worried they’d stop talking to her if she wasn’t supporting their message. She effectively acted as an arm of the MCPS communications office.

I think that's harsh. Caitlin absolutely uncovered information we never would have heard about, like the child from East Silver Spring Elementary School that was harassed by the police, and did her best to unearth truths about MCPS.

And, she had to work with the people who work for MCPS. She couldn't antagonize them, or make them angry with her, because she needed them to share information and answer her requests.

I think we got more information about MCPS from Caitlynn than we ever have in the 20+ years I've lived in the county (including when The Gazette existed). I was sad to see her leave, and hope the new reporter is as good.

+1. Caitlynn was an uncommonly good local reporter we were lucky to have for a while. And best wishes to Em!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Welcome! Looking forward to in-depth coverage again!

When did they ever have in depth coverage?

NP but the education coverage was great when Caitlynn was there. Coverage has been much lighter since her departure. I'm excited to see how Em builds the coverage back up.

“Great” would be an overstatement. If you wanted to read summaries of MCPS announcements, press releases, and Board meetings, then she did a thorough job. But she was almost never willing to question the narrative of her sources at MCPS and MCEA, presumably because she was worried they’d stop talking to her if she wasn’t supporting their message. She effectively acted as an arm of the MCPS communications office.

I think that's harsh. Caitlin absolutely uncovered information we never would have heard about, like the child from East Silver Spring Elementary School that was harassed by the police, and did her best to unearth truths about MCPS.

And, she had to work with the people who work for MCPS. She couldn't antagonize them, or make them angry with her, because she needed them to share information and answer her requests.

I think we got more information about MCPS from Caitlynn than we ever have in the 20+ years I've lived in the county (including when The Gazette existed). I was sad to see her leave, and hope the new reporter is as good.

I don’t disagree with any of this, but as you alluded to, local reporters are beholden to the individuals and organizations they cover, which naturally affects the quality of reporting.

I also think some of you are looking back at pandemic-era reporting through rose-tinted glasses. Particularly any reporting that included either Smith or Turner as a source.