During the past few days the Boston Herald has been relentlessly flogging its new Press Party webcast, which the hardworking staff guesses is an audition for NECN or Fox 25.
Here’s our feisty local tabloid’s “news coverage” of its own webut (web + debut):
Got that?
Herald Gets its Press Party started with lively debut – if it does say so itself.
Clearly this webcast (at 7 pm on Friday) wants to be an alternative to WGBH’s Beat the Press, which airs at the same time.
(Full disclosure: The hardworking staff was a longtime contributor to Beat the Press, but no more.)
You can see the Press Party segments here. (The Herald has unwisely declined to post them on YouTube.)
Crosstown at WGBH, Friday’s Beat the Press can be viewed here. (WGBH also appears to have – unwisely – shunned YouTube.)
So to the bakeoff: Which do you splendid readers think did a better job of deconstructing last week’s media coverage?
Ten-point bonus: Will our feisty local tabloid lean on Herald columnist Margery Eagan to abandon Beat the Press (where she is a regular) for Press Party?
Hardinquiring minds want to know.
Campaign Outsider 
Dear Boston Herald,
Please, please, please, please demand that Eagan leave WGBH’s Beat the Press — and the midday show, too. You’re damaging your brand by allowing her to appear on that, that, that… you know, that kind of a station.
-Loyal WGBH patron
One thing the Herald has compared to BtP is a lively comment section. Though the “nut” factor is pretty high, the remaining sane comments still outnumber BtP’s.
I watched the first segment of Press Party and thought it got off to a pretty good start. On the plus side, Battenfield did a good job moderating, and I liked the idea that not everyone on the panel was a media insider. The first topic was unfocused, though. It appears that politicians are going directly to You Tube instead of answering questions from journalists. It’s a trend that journalists View with Alarm, but whether they will Take Decisive Action only Time will Tell.
You forgot Back to You, John. ________________________________________