Fort Worth Star-Telegram Sundance Square Plaza Sponsor Propaganda

In the past 24 hours the subject of Fort Worth Star-Telegram irresponsible propaganda, and inept reporting of local newsworthy news, came up on Facebook due to an opinion piece by a long ago Star-Telegram reporter who verbalized a cluelessly ironic warning about how a town without a newspaper could easily be corrupted.

This was then blogged about in Bob Schieffer Warns Fort Worth Corruption Will Rise Without Real Newspaper.

And then this morning's Star-Telegram delivered a classic example of that pitifully sad newspaper's hyperbolic propaganda style in Sundance Square Plaza lands a sponsorship deal.

Okay, for those who do not know. Sundance Square Plaza is a little plaza in downtown Fort Worth, built on a parking lot. For decades Fort Worth had been confusing its few tourists with signage which pointed to Sundance Square, where there was no square.

And then, in 2013, after years of Sundance Square confusion, an actual square was added to Fort Worth's downtown.

I remember soon upon my arrival in Texas being confused by those Sundance Square directional signs. And asking locals where Sundance Square was. Usually I would be pointed to parking lots at the location where an actual square eventually appeared. It was years after that I learned that Sundance Square is/was the name of the development effort developed to try and renovate Fort Worth's rundown downtown. I remember learning that and thinking, yikes, it used to actually be worse?

And now, four years after finally getting an actual downtown square, I mean, plaza, that plaza has a sponsorship deal.

Downtown Fort Worth's tiny one acre plaza needed a sponsorship deal?

Have other towns, you know, towns wearing their big city pants, made similar sponsorship deals for their downtown plazas? I suspect not.

Last summer I was in Tacoma, a town much smaller than Fort Worth. Tacoma has several areas in town one might refer to as a plaza. All larger than Fort Worth's little downtown plaza.

I blogged about two of these Tacoma areas, both with large interactive water features.

In the first blogging Point Ruston Ruby, Theo & David Surrey Survey Of Tacoma's New Waterfront Development it ends with a video at one of Tacoma's unsponsored plazas. The second blogging, Ruby, David & Theo Thea Foss Waterway Uncle Walk Vision, looks at what amounts to a sprawling linear plaza, with a marina.

All built during the same time frame in which Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision has been dawdling along with little to be seen.

And now some of the embarrassing propaganda bits from the Star-Telegram article about Sundance Square Plaza getting a sponsor...

Since Sundance Square Plaza opened in 2013, it has become a downtown centerpiece. Flanked by high-rise office buildings and an interactive fountain underneath a Chisholm Trail mural that celebrates the city’s history, the plaza has become a gathering place with free movie nights and concerts. The city’s Christmas Tree will installed on Nov. 13, welcoming everyone home for the holidays. And soon you may find a car or SUV parked out there.

I copied without editing, so that missing "be" word was missed by the Star-Telegram editors, not me.

Soon you will find cars parked on the little plaza?

To help pay for its free programs — and possibly more — Sundance Square has signed a one-year sponsorship deal with Nissan USA that lets the automaker display its vehicles, put up signage and be included in advertising for the plaza. It won’t, however, put its name on the plaza.

Nissan signs and cars? And then there's this...

“We continually work on developing new ideas and partnerships that keep customers engaged and excited,” said Tracy Gilmour, Sundance Square’s marketing director. “Nissan is a perfect fit — they have a focus on community and providing exciting moments. Working together, we will bring even more excitement to our visitors.”

If I were the Star-Telegram I would have asked that Sundance Square marketing director for examples of some of those new developing ideas. I would also have asked how it is determined "customers" are engaged and excited. And how will working with Nissan bring even more excitement? Elaborate, please, on what exactly the current existing excitement is regarding this little plaza. Movies and concerts? Yes, that type thing is unique and very exciting.

And also this...

Sundance has been approached “from Day One” about company sponsorships and will continue to look at them on an individual basis, said spokeswoman Carolyn Alvey. The one-acre plaza was built on former parking lots and is flanked by The Westbrook on the west and The Commerce to the east. The brick plaza, which also includes a stage and pavilion, breaks up Main Street but offers a stunning views of the historic Tarrant County Courthouse and the Fort Worth Convention Center.

Now Sundance Square Plaza has been reduced to one word. Sundance. Like Cher or Elvis or Trump. Been approached since day one. Really? Can you tell us who has made some of those approaches?

Stunning views of the Tarrant County Courthouse and the Convention Center. Really? The courthouse is a distance to the north. Who finds this a stunning view? And why? As for the Convention Center. From Sundance Square Plaza all one sees of the Convention Center is the bizarre homage to a giant flying saucer that is always in the running for the Top Downtown Fort Worth Eyesore Award. So, yeah, it's pretty stunning to look at.

And one more thing, that photo accompanying the Sundance Square Plaza sponsor article, which you see at the top, is visual propaganda. That photo makes this little plaza look like the Taj Mahal.

Why does the Star-Telegram perpetually print propaganda of this trite type? It seems so shallow, so stupid and so not big city worthy...