Philadelphia Inquirer Finally Weighs In On Lockeroom Shoutfest With Phillies Closer
A day after the insults, pointed fingers and bleeps, Phillies relief pitcher Brett Myers was calm, to a point, in discussing his Saturday night smackdown with Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Sam Carchidi (see below post for more).
That may have been due to the fact that Carchidi, one of the Inky's backup Phillies writers, was not in attendance, replaced yesterday by Jim Salisbury. Suffice to say, though, the bad blood still flows.
Myers said he was sorry to have called Carchidi a retard, after Carchidi questioned
Myers' assessment of two home runs that he gave up to lose the game as looking like "pop-ups." Myers said he simply should have called Carchidi an "idiot" and moved on.
As for an apology to Carchidi, Myers says don't hold your breath. But Salisbury reports Carchidi isn't backing down.
"I stuck my finger in his face because he called me a retard. If asking tough questions is stirring things up, I'm guilty as charged."
A little context is warranted. This isn't the first time Carchidi has gotten under Myers' skin, apparently. While his primary beat is high school sports, Carchidi has worked as a backup Phillies writer since the 1980s. From Myers' vantage point, that only qualifies Carchidi to lap up whatever bromides and lame excuses Myers throws his way.
"He covers high school sports and comes in here and tries to stir things up, and we definitely didn't need it after a tough loss."
Randy Miller, who covers the Phillies for several suburban Philadelphia papers, noted that Myers returned a few minutes after the confrontation and apologized to the remaining reporters.
As we discussed yesterday, Carchidi could have very easily ignored Myers' insult and not instigated a further exchange and risk becoming part of the story. But there's nothing in the journalistic canon that says reporters should remain mute while being verbally abused.
It was easy for Carchidi to be incredulous over Myers' assessment of the homers, just as easily as it was for Myers to be pissed off. But if that was the case, you walk away, you don't comment, you say something else that doesn't make a bad situation worse. And for that, Myers should be sorry.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Phillies Closer and "Retard" Philadelphia Inquirer Reporter In Locker-Room Smackdown
Sam Carchidi May Have Asked Brett Myers a Fair Question, But Did He Step Over the Line Afterwards?
Look, it's ugly enough watching the Philadelphia Phillies' chances at the playoffs melt away, especially when the bullpen coughs up yet another loss.
It's hard for the fans, harder on the players, and maybe hardest for those in the press box who have to think of another way to describe the gruesome spectacle of another late-inning loss.
And apparently the reporters are mad as hell, and they're not going to take it anymore.
Such was the case after last night's 4-3 Phillies loss to the San Diego Padres. Chief culprit was closer Brett Myers, who gave up two solo homers.
Myers, according to Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Sam Carchidi's dispatch that appears online, said he first believed both shots were initially pop-ups when they left the bat.
But Carchidi and the Inky then chose to ignore the sideshow that followed, namely because Carchidi became part of the story.
According to the Associated Press, Carchidi rightly questioned Myers's characterization of the hits as pop-ups. Myers was not pleased, as you can hear, calling Carchidi a "retard" and further slagged him for being a "fill-in reporter" who "didn't know shit about baseball."
Carchidi then asked Myers to spell "retard," and the verbal fisticuffs ensued. Myers calls Carchidi a "fucking idiot." Carchidi calls him a "piece of shit" and "stupid ass" while players restrained the two and pulled them away.
Carchidi makes no mention of the exchange, which was dutifully reported in other papers, including the Bucks County Courier-Times and the Trentionian, whose reporters each write for several suburban Philly papers.
It was left to Inquirer sports columnist Phil Sheridan to discuss the incident in his blog, where he tries to provide some context, while chiding Carchidi, whom he calls a "friend and longtime colleague."
If Myers says he thought the two home runs were outs in most parks, then fine. That's his opinion. Probably I would have just written that down and quoted him accurately. Once the name-calling begins, no one is going to look or sound good the next day.
True enough. Same goes for reporters not wanting to become part of the story. But on the other hand, I can understand Carchidi trying to get an honest answer out of Myers. Locker rooms are the place where bromides and platitudes openly thrive.
Players and coaches, especially after a tough loss, have precious little to say, if they say it at all. If they utter something that defies logic, then they should be called out. Just because you're a reporter means you should remain mute while you're called names by some underachieving relief pitcher -- especially one who took a leave of absence from the team last year after being accused of smacking his wife in public.
Carchidi may have gone a little far in asking Myers to spell "retard," but he gets props for not being cowed by a guy who wants to cover up his own mistakes by being verbally abusive.
However, Carchidi and the Inky could have been at least a little more forthright in his game story and made some reference to the incident, or at least mentioning Myers' reaction to the questions. It was part of the story, and it shouldn't have been left to other media outlets to tell it.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Phil Rizzuto: The Accidental Poet
The Passing of The Scooter at age 89 (or was it 90?) Truly the End of a Broadcasting Era
Whatever you thought of Phil Rizzuto as a broadcaster (as a player his bona fides are undisputed), he was unforgettable. And funny. And maddening. And never boring.
So much of what he said would have been regarded as apocryphal had it come from anyone else. After hearing that Pope Paul VI died, Rizzuto remarked. "Well, that puts a damper on even a Yankee win."
Whatever you thought of Phil Rizzuto as a broadcaster (as a player his bona fides are undisputed), he was unforgettable. And funny. And maddening. And never boring.
So much of what he said would have been regarded as apocryphal had it come from anyone else. After hearing that Pope Paul VI died, Rizzuto remarked. "Well, that puts a damper on even a Yankee win."
Indeed.
Rizzuto started in 1957, back when it was still OK for ex-jocks who ventured up to the broadcast booth to learn on the job.
There was no polish, no panache, to his delivery. But there was passion. Even if the game was really boring.
But that's when things could get really interesting, as he'd launch into some baffling yet compelling digressions. Their essence was deftly captured by Hart Seely and Tom Peyer in O Holy Cow! The Selected Verse of Phil Rizzuto," in which they turned some of Rizzuto's ramblings and free associations into poetry.
Keats and Frost had nothing to worry about. But for Yankee fans, they are golden words. A few nibbles:
Two balls and a strike. You know what they had on TV today, White? "Bridge on the River Kwai." Everybody should have gotten an Academy Award for that movie. I don't know how many times I've seen it. About forty times. Alec Guinness! William Holden! Three and one the count. I just heard somebody whistle. You know that song? That's what they whistle. Nobody out. And he pops it up.
Or this classic:
And he hits one in the hole They're gonna have to hurry. THEY'LL NEVER GET HIM! They got him. How do you like that. Holy cow. I changed my mind before he got there. So that doesn't count as an error.
There was no polish, no panache, to his delivery. But there was passion. Even if the game was really boring.
But that's when things could get really interesting, as he'd launch into some baffling yet compelling digressions. Their essence was deftly captured by Hart Seely and Tom Peyer in O Holy Cow! The Selected Verse of Phil Rizzuto," in which they turned some of Rizzuto's ramblings and free associations into poetry.
Keats and Frost had nothing to worry about. But for Yankee fans, they are golden words. A few nibbles:
Two balls and a strike. You know what they had on TV today, White? "Bridge on the River Kwai." Everybody should have gotten an Academy Award for that movie. I don't know how many times I've seen it. About forty times. Alec Guinness! William Holden! Three and one the count. I just heard somebody whistle. You know that song? That's what they whistle. Nobody out. And he pops it up.
Or this classic:
And he hits one in the hole They're gonna have to hurry. THEY'LL NEVER GET HIM! They got him. How do you like that. Holy cow. I changed my mind before he got there. So that doesn't count as an error.
And somehow it really didn't.
Howard Cosell told Rizzuto his broadcasting career would be short. "You look like George Burns and you sound like Groucho Marx," he intoned.
True, maybe, but he lasted 40 years in the booth nonetheless.
If you never heard him do a Yankee game, you can get a good taste of who Rizzuto was as a man and broadcaster, and the esteem in which he was held by generations of fans, by listening to the speech at his too-belated induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994. The half-hour address sounded more like one of his game calls minus the balls and strikes.
He told the Cooperstown hordes what happened after he incurred the wrath of a captain while serving in the Navy during World War II.
"They put me off the ship. But unfortunately, it was in New Guinea. I thought I'd see a lot of Italians there."
Cannolis just won't taste the same now. Go in peace, you huckleberry.
Monday, August 13, 2007
NBC Plays It Safe for Fourth Hour of "Today"
It won't be official until tomorrow, but The Hollywood Reporter has word that NBC has tapped a few of its regulars on the shoulder to host the fourth, yes, fourth, hour of "Today," which will bow on Sept. 11.
Come on down, Ann Curry, Natalie Morales and Hoda Kotb, along with a rotating cast of guest hosts that will include Giada DiLaurentis and Tiki Barber, among others.
The first two are already in residence in the third hour-- already laden with the cooking, fashion, entertainment and home-improvement segments that will rule the roost at 10, after Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira have high-tailed it out of Rockefeller Center.
Still not known if Curry will remain newsreader between 7-9 a.m. That's a long haul on camera, especially if she has to also double up on prep for "Dateline." And will Al Roker also linger for the full four?
Exactly why is there a need for a fourth hour of "Today," especially when the third hour has seen its ratings drop for the last three years? Just follow the money, specifically the greenbacks doled out by affiliates, who would otherwise fill the hour with syndicated programming that, lately, has either tanked or eked out middling ratings.
Instead, Jeff Zucker & Co. want to further milk the franchise that already earns an estimated $250 million a year in profits, help affiliates avoid paying for lousy shows and still give them enough local commerical slots to make it worth their while.
And it appears the affiliates are on board. The Reporter says the 10 a.m. hour is cleared in 96 percent of the U.S.
Come on down, Ann Curry, Natalie Morales and Hoda Kotb, along with a rotating cast of guest hosts that will include Giada DiLaurentis and Tiki Barber, among others.
The first two are already in residence in the third hour-- already laden with the cooking, fashion, entertainment and home-improvement segments that will rule the roost at 10, after Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira have high-tailed it out of Rockefeller Center.
Still not known if Curry will remain newsreader between 7-9 a.m. That's a long haul on camera, especially if she has to also double up on prep for "Dateline." And will Al Roker also linger for the full four?
Exactly why is there a need for a fourth hour of "Today," especially when the third hour has seen its ratings drop for the last three years? Just follow the money, specifically the greenbacks doled out by affiliates, who would otherwise fill the hour with syndicated programming that, lately, has either tanked or eked out middling ratings.
Instead, Jeff Zucker & Co. want to further milk the franchise that already earns an estimated $250 million a year in profits, help affiliates avoid paying for lousy shows and still give them enough local commerical slots to make it worth their while.
And it appears the affiliates are on board. The Reporter says the 10 a.m. hour is cleared in 96 percent of the U.S.
Wall Street Journal Rove Scoop Hidden Behind Soon-to-Crumble Chinese Wall
Will Murdoch Find His Way Around Editorial Overseers to Break Big News on A-1 instead of A-15?
The Wall Street Journal is vaunted for its rigid separation of its news coverage from its editorial page, and for good reason.
The paper's turgidly conservative Republican viewpoints on anything and everything sometimes verge on self-parody. But they're nothing if not consistent, which can be a good thing, as today's scoop on Karl Rove high-tailing it out of the White House by Aug. 31 shows.
Under editorial page editor Paul Gigot, the editorials and columns have been unapologetically pro-Bush regardless of how untenable such a stance might be.
Which means Gigot gets his calls returned, or doesn't have to wait to make a call, when he needs the latest neocon talking points.
To wit, Gigot's article on his chat with Rove, where Rove revealed his plans. A scoop for a kindred spirit. Still, Gigot is vexed that he nonetheless falls short of BFF status.
"I've known Mr. Rove for 19 years and spoken to him hundreds of times. Yet I can't recall a single instance where he disclosed how his views differed from Mr. Bush's."
Sigh.
So, while this is arguably the lead story of the day, Gigot's piece appeared on the Opinion page, with a refer at the top of A-1 (the online version is labeled Commentary, which is absent in the print version, probably because it's below an Opinion banner. Actually, there's very little in the way of commentary in the piece).
Under the Journal's strict line of demarcation, he could not have transformed his story to make it suitable for the news report, which rang in with its own Rove article after he and Bush did the hug thing on the White House lawn.
Which is how it should be, given Gigot's usual role as reactionary Bush lap dog.
Of course, that might no longer be the case, once Rupert Murdoch gets his mitts on the Journal. Sure, he has alleged editorial overseers to ensure he doesn't trample over the Journal's standards and traditions. But whatever you may think of him, the guy is a newshound.
It's hard to fathom he'd let a story of this nature linger on a back page, Gigot or no, especially when he can leave The New York Times, The Washington Post and the other Beltway media elite eating their dust playing catch-up.
The Wall Street Journal is vaunted for its rigid separation of its news coverage from its editorial page, and for good reason.
The paper's turgidly conservative Republican viewpoints on anything and everything sometimes verge on self-parody. But they're nothing if not consistent, which can be a good thing, as today's scoop on Karl Rove high-tailing it out of the White House by Aug. 31 shows.
Under editorial page editor Paul Gigot, the editorials and columns have been unapologetically pro-Bush regardless of how untenable such a stance might be.
Which means Gigot gets his calls returned, or doesn't have to wait to make a call, when he needs the latest neocon talking points.
To wit, Gigot's article on his chat with Rove, where Rove revealed his plans. A scoop for a kindred spirit. Still, Gigot is vexed that he nonetheless falls short of BFF status.
"I've known Mr. Rove for 19 years and spoken to him hundreds of times. Yet I can't recall a single instance where he disclosed how his views differed from Mr. Bush's."
Sigh.
So, while this is arguably the lead story of the day, Gigot's piece appeared on the Opinion page, with a refer at the top of A-1 (the online version is labeled Commentary, which is absent in the print version, probably because it's below an Opinion banner. Actually, there's very little in the way of commentary in the piece).
Under the Journal's strict line of demarcation, he could not have transformed his story to make it suitable for the news report, which rang in with its own Rove article after he and Bush did the hug thing on the White House lawn.
Which is how it should be, given Gigot's usual role as reactionary Bush lap dog.
Of course, that might no longer be the case, once Rupert Murdoch gets his mitts on the Journal. Sure, he has alleged editorial overseers to ensure he doesn't trample over the Journal's standards and traditions. But whatever you may think of him, the guy is a newshound.
It's hard to fathom he'd let a story of this nature linger on a back page, Gigot or no, especially when he can leave The New York Times, The Washington Post and the other Beltway media elite eating their dust playing catch-up.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
TimesSelect Obit Won't Sound Death Knell for Paid Content (At Least Not Yet)
With word yesterday, courtesy of the gleeful New York Post, that the slimmed-down gray lady was dumping subscription-based TimesSelect, came the wagging that the Internet would now be forever liberated from the tyranny of publishers who have the temerity to charge us for online content.
Not so fast.
True, none other than Rupert Murdoch has been mulling the prospect of abandoning the paid model that has served the online version of The Wall Street Journal so well. Never mind that wsj.com actually makes a healthy sum, compared to the rest of Dow Jones.
Scott Karp, on his Publishing 2.0 blog, is eager to add fuel to that fire:
Even if it’s true that the WSJ has the highest quality business content bar none, the web is so awash in good, great, and utterly crappy business content, all free, that WSJ is holding onto its paid subscribers through sheer brand strength alone.
And why is that such a bad thing?
If the Journal can pull off that feat, then no need, for now, to tinker with that formula, which is the envy of the beleaguered newspaper industry.
Karp is more on target with newspapers that believe a critical mass are happy to read the paper online, don't want to be bothered with the print version, and will happily pay for that privilege.
The Daily Gazette in Schenectady, N.Y. and the Albuquerque Journal are among those that keep their product behind a pay wall.
The Journal justifies that decision by proclaiming it delivers "extra news and value" to print subscribers, who actually get it for free with their subscription.
Of course, most newspaper sites provide a lot more, including video, podcasts and chat, on the Web than what's found in print.
And that's all free.
Expect the Gazette and Journal to follow suit before long. There's simply more to be made from advertising linked to content open to all than subscription fees.
As for wsj.com, it's not broke and Murdoch sure as hell won't have to fix it.
Not so fast.
True, none other than Rupert Murdoch has been mulling the prospect of abandoning the paid model that has served the online version of The Wall Street Journal so well. Never mind that wsj.com actually makes a healthy sum, compared to the rest of Dow Jones.
Scott Karp, on his Publishing 2.0 blog, is eager to add fuel to that fire:
Even if it’s true that the WSJ has the highest quality business content bar none, the web is so awash in good, great, and utterly crappy business content, all free, that WSJ is holding onto its paid subscribers through sheer brand strength alone.
And why is that such a bad thing?
If the Journal can pull off that feat, then no need, for now, to tinker with that formula, which is the envy of the beleaguered newspaper industry.
Karp is more on target with newspapers that believe a critical mass are happy to read the paper online, don't want to be bothered with the print version, and will happily pay for that privilege.
The Daily Gazette in Schenectady, N.Y. and the Albuquerque Journal are among those that keep their product behind a pay wall.
The Journal justifies that decision by proclaiming it delivers "extra news and value" to print subscribers, who actually get it for free with their subscription.
Of course, most newspaper sites provide a lot more, including video, podcasts and chat, on the Web than what's found in print.
And that's all free.
Expect the Gazette and Journal to follow suit before long. There's simply more to be made from advertising linked to content open to all than subscription fees.
As for wsj.com, it's not broke and Murdoch sure as hell won't have to fix it.
When Kurt Met Justin Redux
Eichenwald Saga Keeps Getting Curiouser and Curiouser
Kurt Eichenwald didn't play by the book when he wrote for The New York Times in 2005 about efforts to save a boy who was being victimized by pedophiles who paid to watch him commit sex acts online.
The searing, expose ran nearly 7,000 words, and included a chronicle of Eichenwald's efforts to help Justin Berry find a lawyer, meet with prosecutors and get him badly needed counseling.
Eichenwald was criticized in some quarters for stepping over that imaginary line of involvement with a source that reporters dare not cross. But this was a special circumstance, the Times recognized it as such. Thus emerged a remarkable and troubling story.
The real trouble, though, emerged when it was revealed Eichenwald actually paid Berry $2,000 -- which he said was actually a loan that he demanded be repaid and was by Berry's grandmother.
Still, it gave the appearance of paying a source -- a big-time no-no, though Eichenwald has vehemently denied he did anything wrong.
Now comes word that Eichenwald may have paid additional money to Berry and a man who ran the Web site where Berry appeared.
Richard Perez-Pena reports in today's Times that as much as $1,100 more was put into a PayPal account controlled by Berry.
“I have no independent memory of any payments I am alleged to have made in June 2005 through PayPal,” he said in a statement yesterday. “If these PayPal payments did occur in June 2005, I am deeply sorry that my inability to remember them has resulted in permitting a series of convicted felons to cast doubt on the nature of my wife’s and my efforts to save a young man who was caught in the grip of a cycle of drugs and abuse.”
Eichenwald, who now works at Portfolio, is referring to his contention that the initial $2,000 payment was made not as a reporter but as a person worried that Berry was in danger.
The statement to the Times is all well and good. What's more troubling is the weasel words "independent memory."
What the hell is that, anyway?
In any event, why would it be so hard to remember making an additional payment to Berry. Giving the boy cash was ostensibly not a regular occurrence, so you'd think it'd be pretty easy to recall that happening.
You want to root for Eichenwald because he wrote such a good story that, ethical lapses aside, was a gripping yarn that deserves acclaim. But he just doesn't make it easy.
Kurt Eichenwald didn't play by the book when he wrote for The New York Times in 2005 about efforts to save a boy who was being victimized by pedophiles who paid to watch him commit sex acts online.
The searing, expose ran nearly 7,000 words, and included a chronicle of Eichenwald's efforts to help Justin Berry find a lawyer, meet with prosecutors and get him badly needed counseling.
Eichenwald was criticized in some quarters for stepping over that imaginary line of involvement with a source that reporters dare not cross. But this was a special circumstance, the Times recognized it as such. Thus emerged a remarkable and troubling story.
The real trouble, though, emerged when it was revealed Eichenwald actually paid Berry $2,000 -- which he said was actually a loan that he demanded be repaid and was by Berry's grandmother.
Still, it gave the appearance of paying a source -- a big-time no-no, though Eichenwald has vehemently denied he did anything wrong.
Now comes word that Eichenwald may have paid additional money to Berry and a man who ran the Web site where Berry appeared.
Richard Perez-Pena reports in today's Times that as much as $1,100 more was put into a PayPal account controlled by Berry.
“I have no independent memory of any payments I am alleged to have made in June 2005 through PayPal,” he said in a statement yesterday. “If these PayPal payments did occur in June 2005, I am deeply sorry that my inability to remember them has resulted in permitting a series of convicted felons to cast doubt on the nature of my wife’s and my efforts to save a young man who was caught in the grip of a cycle of drugs and abuse.”
Eichenwald, who now works at Portfolio, is referring to his contention that the initial $2,000 payment was made not as a reporter but as a person worried that Berry was in danger.
The statement to the Times is all well and good. What's more troubling is the weasel words "independent memory."
What the hell is that, anyway?
In any event, why would it be so hard to remember making an additional payment to Berry. Giving the boy cash was ostensibly not a regular occurrence, so you'd think it'd be pretty easy to recall that happening.
You want to root for Eichenwald because he wrote such a good story that, ethical lapses aside, was a gripping yarn that deserves acclaim. But he just doesn't make it easy.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Marvin Zindler Has Left The Building
The Wigged-Out Wonder of Houston Signs Off For The Last Time -- Who's Gonna Find the Slime in the Ice Machine Now?
One of the few times I got to see Marvin Zindler was when he appeared on a network morning show, or an occasional appearance with Leno.
But the fact that I saw him rarely yet still had that shocking white wig or his indelible sign-off seared into my brain says a lot.
Which is why his passing yesterday at age 85 is an especially big deal in Houston, where he was a star attraction at KTRK, the ABC affiliate, for 34 years.
"Maaarvin Zindler, Eyewitness News" is how he'd finish one of his consumer reports that made him a hero to Houston's middle- and working classes. Indeed, he was much more than a self-made caricacture.
The bombast, big wig and brash suits concealed a heart of gold that armed him to fight injustice, roaches in restaurants and Houston's last bordello, a campaign that inspired "The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas."
In other words, a TV icon.
The station's Web site has quite the tribute to Zindler, with choice clips from his checkered career. Kudos to the Houston Chronicle for a great obit, which also includes an ample photo spread and a video tribute from ordinary Houstonians -- the ones Zindler cared about most --saying their goodbyes.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
A BANG That Will Turn Into A Journalistic Whimper
Newsroom Consolidation Will Make East Bay Papers Irrelevant. But, Hey, At Least Dean Singleton Will Have Busted The Unions
In case you missed it, MediaNews Group announced last week it would attempt to suck what little life blood there is left out of the Bay Area News Group-East Bay by consolidating news rooms.
Most significantly, that means the Contra Costa Times, which MediaNews bought from McClatchy last year, will have its news operations merged with the Oakland Tribune. Five smaller newspapers in the East Bay, which have already seen their staffs desiccated since "Lean Dean" Singleton and the MediaNewsies took them over are also affected.
No shocker that one way the papers will be saving money is by reducing staff even further. Which is scary enough given current levels. Former San Mateo County Times managing editor John Bowman notes in his SpinDitties blog that when he came to the paper in 2002, he had 12 reporters. When he quit in disgust in May, he was down to eight.
And while Singleton's reducing staff, he'll also be trying to bust unions as well. The East Bay Express says it could well happen. Reporters at the Tribune and its sister papers are unionized, but not at the Contra Costa Times and its brethren.
By combining newsroom staffs, if MediaNews can show that among those left, there are more left from the Times side, it can conceivably push to decertify the union because it no longer represents the majority of employees.
Not a slam dunk, of course, but Singleton's got nothing but time, and apparently a lot of money to pay labor lawyers.
Actually, to say Singleton could "conceivably" make that move may benaive, at least in Bowman's view, which has been bitterly tinged by first-hand knowledge.
[E]verything in my experience as an ANG manager for nearly five years --including attending a couple of long meetings with the company's labor attorneys earlier this year -- tells me that's exactly what Singleton and his Bay Area waterboy, Kevin Keane, have in mind.
At those meetings, held in Pleasanton with all other ANG editors including Mr. Keane, the main topic of discussion was this: What could managers say, and how far could we go, to encourage Guild employees to demand a vote to decertify the Guild, while not breaking any labor laws.
The writing may not be on the wall, but the pens are being procured forthwith.
In case you missed it, MediaNews Group announced last week it would attempt to suck what little life blood there is left out of the Bay Area News Group-East Bay by consolidating news rooms.
Most significantly, that means the Contra Costa Times, which MediaNews bought from McClatchy last year, will have its news operations merged with the Oakland Tribune. Five smaller newspapers in the East Bay, which have already seen their staffs desiccated since "Lean Dean" Singleton and the MediaNewsies took them over are also affected.
No shocker that one way the papers will be saving money is by reducing staff even further. Which is scary enough given current levels. Former San Mateo County Times managing editor John Bowman notes in his SpinDitties blog that when he came to the paper in 2002, he had 12 reporters. When he quit in disgust in May, he was down to eight.
And while Singleton's reducing staff, he'll also be trying to bust unions as well. The East Bay Express says it could well happen. Reporters at the Tribune and its sister papers are unionized, but not at the Contra Costa Times and its brethren.
By combining newsroom staffs, if MediaNews can show that among those left, there are more left from the Times side, it can conceivably push to decertify the union because it no longer represents the majority of employees.
Not a slam dunk, of course, but Singleton's got nothing but time, and apparently a lot of money to pay labor lawyers.
Actually, to say Singleton could "conceivably" make that move may benaive, at least in Bowman's view, which has been bitterly tinged by first-hand knowledge.
[E]verything in my experience as an ANG manager for nearly five years --including attending a couple of long meetings with the company's labor attorneys earlier this year -- tells me that's exactly what Singleton and his Bay Area waterboy, Kevin Keane, have in mind.
At those meetings, held in Pleasanton with all other ANG editors including Mr. Keane, the main topic of discussion was this: What could managers say, and how far could we go, to encourage Guild employees to demand a vote to decertify the Guild, while not breaking any labor laws.
The writing may not be on the wall, but the pens are being procured forthwith.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Bancrofts Could Be Looking To Uphold Integrity of Wall Street Journal By Trying To Squeeze More Bucks Out of Murdoch
Which Ol' Rupe Says Is A Non-Starter; Could Be A Case of Seller's Remorse
Wall Street Journal says a bunch of the Bancrofts are turning thumbs-down, for now, on the News Corp. attempted $5 billion grab of Dow Jones and the WSJ.
Could be beginning of a way to weasel out of deal without ticking off too many DJ shareholders, and mollify cousins who want to keep the franchise in family hands.
Then again, it could just be a game of financial chicken, now that Murdoch has been salivating over getting his hands on the Journal.
Stay tuned.
Wall Street Journal says a bunch of the Bancrofts are turning thumbs-down, for now, on the News Corp. attempted $5 billion grab of Dow Jones and the WSJ.
Could be beginning of a way to weasel out of deal without ticking off too many DJ shareholders, and mollify cousins who want to keep the franchise in family hands.
Then again, it could just be a game of financial chicken, now that Murdoch has been salivating over getting his hands on the Journal.
Stay tuned.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Paula Zahn Makes It Official; Campbell Brown To Take Up Residence in the 8 p.m. Lion's Den
After rampant speculation fueled by poorly kept secrets, Paula Zahn has resigned from her 8 p.m. ET show on CNN, and will depart the airwaves next week, though her contract with the net runs through the end of the year.
New arrival Campbell Brown will take over Zahn's slot. CNN is trying something, anything, to buck up its fourth-place showing among the cable newsers in that hour. As we've opined in some of the posts just below, putting Brown there once she finally settles in post-maternity leave, is not the best place for her.
As Zahn told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, people watching at 8 p.m. are "drawn to opinion, and that's not what I do."
And good for her, given that Nancy Grace, Bill O'Reilly and Keith Olbermann were picking up that slack. Still, however noble counter-programming might be, the Nielesens didn't give Zahn -- a kind soul in TV land whom I met during my days at CBS -- her proper due.
A shoutfest will also undoubtedly not be in Brown's cards, as that's not where her strengths lie. But the dilemma remains: if people don't want a more-traditional news and analysis program at 8, why prime her for another fourth-place finish for CNN?
Why not put her on earlier, say 4 p.m. or 7 p.m. ET and let Lou Dobbs bark up a storm at 8, while rearranging the slot for "The Situation Room?"
That could still happen, of course, but at the expense of what are likely to be arduous attempts by Brown to first build an audience, only to hope they move with her if Dobbs changes slots.
For the conspiracy theorists out there, it sounds like this was actually a mutual decision for a change, rather than "resign" being a euphemism for "don't let the door hit you on the way out."
Zahn was asked by the New York Daily News if she could have stayed. Her reply:
"The truth is, [CNN President Jonathan Klein] and I have been talking about this for many, many months, and when we started discussions on what the options would be, I'd done them all in a 30-year career," Zahn said. "It was best for both of us to move on."
Monday, July 23, 2007
Campbell Brown Departure Could Slide Natalie Morales Closer to Lester Holt
"Today" Everywoman Should Be Big Favorite to Become New "Weekend Today" Co-Host
Natalie Morales has spent a lot of time sitting in different chairs on "Today" without having enough time to get fully comfortable.
Campbell Brown's departure from "Weekend Today" to CNN should change that.
Morales has filled in for Katie Couric and Meredith Vieira, done time as a news reader for Ann Curry and now pops up a lot hosting in the fluffier 9 a.m. hour, when Vieira is not allowed to appear because of her "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" contract.
But Morales has shown herself to be about more than cooking and fashion segments, and has helped cover such stories as the tsunami, Katrina and the 2004 election.
That and the fact that she's dutifully done her time on the dawn patrol for The Peacock merits a shot next to Lester Holt for "Weekend Today."
Should be a no-brainer, but then again I said that about Brown replacing Couric on "Today." Because that didn't happen is why Brown will next be seen on CNN in November.
Still, I like her chances, with Amy Robach sliding over to take over Morales' duties during the week.
Longer shots: Dateline's Hoda Kotb and Darlene Rodriguez, morning anchor on WNBC-TV.
Mmm, Good-Bye Campbell, Says NBC
Handicapping Where Brown Will Wind Up On CNN Sked
Now that Campbell Brown has finally made it official that she's bolting from NBC News this week to host her own program on CNN come November, this could be an opportunity for the House That Turner Built to shake up its schedule and bolster its Nielsens without trying to necessarily outfox Fox.
But first things first. November is a month before she's due to deliver her first baby. Does CNN really want to introduce one of its franchise players only to see her disappear for three months? Instead, look for Brown to have her coming-out party sometime next spring, although she told the A.P. she hopes to be back for the big presidential primaries in February.
Whenever she takes up residence in the Time Warner Center, the larger question is where she's parked in the lineup.
CNN could put her on at 4 p.m. and let "The Situation Room" run two hours instead of three, which would mean a lot less padding, punditry and Jack Cafferty.
Or, they could stick Brown at 7 p.m., and have "Situation Room" run continuously 4-7 p.m., while "Lou Dobbs Tonight" goes to 8 p.m., booting Paula Zahn and giving CNN perhaps its best chance to take a run at Bill O'Reilly, while making Nancy Grace and Keith Olbermann chase tail.
Tempting as that may seem, Dobbs is a formidable player at 6 p.m. and has seen his audience continue to grow. CNN may not want to disturb that tentpole and risk losing a chunk of that audience, especially during election season.
Still, merely replacing Brown -- appealing as she might be -- with Zahn is unlikely to be the kick in the ratings butt CNN so badly needs in primetime. "LDT" may be ready for its closeup, and O'Reilly may already be getting a bad case of flopsweat.
Now that Campbell Brown has finally made it official that she's bolting from NBC News this week to host her own program on CNN come November, this could be an opportunity for the House That Turner Built to shake up its schedule and bolster its Nielsens without trying to necessarily outfox Fox.
But first things first. November is a month before she's due to deliver her first baby. Does CNN really want to introduce one of its franchise players only to see her disappear for three months? Instead, look for Brown to have her coming-out party sometime next spring, although she told the A.P. she hopes to be back for the big presidential primaries in February.
Whenever she takes up residence in the Time Warner Center, the larger question is where she's parked in the lineup.
CNN could put her on at 4 p.m. and let "The Situation Room" run two hours instead of three, which would mean a lot less padding, punditry and Jack Cafferty.
Or, they could stick Brown at 7 p.m., and have "Situation Room" run continuously 4-7 p.m., while "Lou Dobbs Tonight" goes to 8 p.m., booting Paula Zahn and giving CNN perhaps its best chance to take a run at Bill O'Reilly, while making Nancy Grace and Keith Olbermann chase tail.
Tempting as that may seem, Dobbs is a formidable player at 6 p.m. and has seen his audience continue to grow. CNN may not want to disturb that tentpole and risk losing a chunk of that audience, especially during election season.
Still, merely replacing Brown -- appealing as she might be -- with Zahn is unlikely to be the kick in the ratings butt CNN so badly needs in primetime. "LDT" may be ready for its closeup, and O'Reilly may already be getting a bad case of flopsweat.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
New York Times Shows How To Do Less With More With Steam Pipe Explosion Coverage
A Time To Put the New York Back Into The Times
Thankfully, it was only an explosion of an ancient steam pipe near Grand Central Terminal and not a blast that would have led us to call yesterday 7/18, or something like that.
Still, when a massive pipe bursts in midtown Manhattan during the height of rush hour, sending plumes of brown steam containing who knows what as high as the nearby Chrysler Building, it's a big deal.
The New York Times metro staff realized that -- up to a point.
A large photo ran above the fold, along with a story that jumped to the Metro section, which was entirely fronted with some graphic photos from the scene.
Inside, there was a full inside page and half of another. All told, 20 reporters and photographers were credited with working on the coverage.
So, how come then, there were only three stories on the blast?
Yes, it was an explosion. No, terrorism was not to blame. Still, one person died and at least 30 were injured. Not only that, but subway service was disrupted for hundreds of thousands of riders, while midtown streets and avenues were put in a "frozen zone" that made already-lousy traffic a miasma to unnerve even the most grizzled of city drivers.
The three articles are decent enough, but with so many people on the story, you can't help but wonder if they could have fleshed out more stories instead of combining so many snippets.
It is for times like these that the Times needs to remember the New York in its title is not just a holdover from some bygone era when the paper actually sold more copies inside the city limits.
Three articles also mean that's one less piece than was devoted to preview coverage of the British Open.
Priorities, anyone?
Thankfully, it was only an explosion of an ancient steam pipe near Grand Central Terminal and not a blast that would have led us to call yesterday 7/18, or something like that.
Still, when a massive pipe bursts in midtown Manhattan during the height of rush hour, sending plumes of brown steam containing who knows what as high as the nearby Chrysler Building, it's a big deal.
The New York Times metro staff realized that -- up to a point.
A large photo ran above the fold, along with a story that jumped to the Metro section, which was entirely fronted with some graphic photos from the scene.
Inside, there was a full inside page and half of another. All told, 20 reporters and photographers were credited with working on the coverage.
So, how come then, there were only three stories on the blast?
Yes, it was an explosion. No, terrorism was not to blame. Still, one person died and at least 30 were injured. Not only that, but subway service was disrupted for hundreds of thousands of riders, while midtown streets and avenues were put in a "frozen zone" that made already-lousy traffic a miasma to unnerve even the most grizzled of city drivers.
The three articles are decent enough, but with so many people on the story, you can't help but wonder if they could have fleshed out more stories instead of combining so many snippets.
It is for times like these that the Times needs to remember the New York in its title is not just a holdover from some bygone era when the paper actually sold more copies inside the city limits.
Three articles also mean that's one less piece than was devoted to preview coverage of the British Open.
Priorities, anyone?
New York Times Economics Coverage Gets More Economical
Using "Change" As A Euphemism
Tucked into today's Business Day section of The New York Times is a note that there are "some changes" in the paper's economics coverage. Translation: there'll be less of it.
The Economic Scene column, a bastion on Thursdays, is now moving to Wednesday, where it'll be written by the always-interesting-to-read David Leonhardt (above) who penned the Economix column.
The rotating panel of columnists who were doing Economic Scene will write the already-existing Economic View column that appears in the Sunday business section.
So, if my math is correct, that means one less economics column in a paper that for decades, going back to Leonard Silk, has a long and impressive legacy in guiding economics coverage.
Then again, the paper itself is getting more economical. The Times will shrink to a now-industry-standard 12-inch width on Aug. 6, which will also trim the newshole by 5 percent, maybe more once you factor in the ads that are now being sold on some section fronts, including the business section.
Tucked into today's Business Day section of The New York Times is a note that there are "some changes" in the paper's economics coverage. Translation: there'll be less of it.
The Economic Scene column, a bastion on Thursdays, is now moving to Wednesday, where it'll be written by the always-interesting-to-read David Leonhardt (above) who penned the Economix column.
The rotating panel of columnists who were doing Economic Scene will write the already-existing Economic View column that appears in the Sunday business section.
So, if my math is correct, that means one less economics column in a paper that for decades, going back to Leonard Silk, has a long and impressive legacy in guiding economics coverage.
Then again, the paper itself is getting more economical. The Times will shrink to a now-industry-standard 12-inch width on Aug. 6, which will also trim the newshole by 5 percent, maybe more once you factor in the ads that are now being sold on some section fronts, including the business section.
Muggle Michiko Kakutani Conjures Up An Early Review of "Deathly Hallows"
Everyone's Wild About Harry, But Real Mystery is Who Sold N.Y. Times Book Critic A Copy of "Potter" Yesterday
Notoriously picky New York Times book critic Michiko Kakutani has proven herself to be an ardent fan of the "Harry Potter" series , no more so than with her thumbs-up review of 2005's "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."
So, it would have been a safe assumption that the Times would have her evaluating "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," presumably on Saturday when the book, which has an initial printing of 40 quadrillion copies, will be officially released at 12:01 a.m.
Except Kakutani had a few tricks up her sleeves. Her review of "Deathly Hallows is in today's paper, not because Scholastic wanted to do a favor for an important critic who had been kind to Harry.
Rather, she admits, a copy was purchased at a "New York City store," even though Scholastic has been pulling out all the stops, with middling success, to keep the book under wraps until Saturday.
Those pesky Muggle book-store people, always spoiling the magic for everyone else. But Kakutani was not through.
Somehow, she not only procured the book, but was able to get through its 759 pages in time to write a review, which apparently took long enough to write because it appeared in the A section rather than the earlier-to-bed arts pages.
Somewhere, Evelyn Wood must be smiling.
Or, maybe the dirty secret of book critics -- that they don't actually read every word between the covers -- just got a little filthier.
UPDATE: J.K. Rowling and her publisher are big-time P.O.'ed at Kakutani for being a Potter party-pooper. Also, the Baltimore Sun gets its paws on a copy too, through which it calls "legal and ordinary means," which The Guardian elaborates was reporter Mary Carole McCauley "getting a a copy from a relative ... who had received it prematurely."
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Just In Time for Heat Wave, New York Times Gives Readers The Big Chill
Sure, Features Are Supposed to Be Evergreen, But.....
It's standard practice for reporters, especially at larger newspapers, to write features that don't have any time element, which allows them to be used when needed --- say on a slow news day when you need to fill space.
Which means that some worthy stories can get lost in the shuffle or forgotten. Case in point today: The New York Times published on A4 a story about the legion of "replacement drivers" in Seoul, those who drive inebriated people and their cars home. Then they use public transportation or hitch a ride to get back to the city and start over again.
It was an intriguing slice of life from Choe Sang-Hun, who followed one Hur Rak as he worked a shift. Only thing: in the two photos that accompany the story, Hur and others are huddled wearing heavy jackets and hats.
A quick weather check reveals Seoul is enjoying summer temperatures in the mid-80s, so Choe's story has been on ice for quite a while. It's nice to be wanted -- even if it takes a while -- but you'd think the Times could have cranked this one out a few months ago.
It's standard practice for reporters, especially at larger newspapers, to write features that don't have any time element, which allows them to be used when needed --- say on a slow news day when you need to fill space.
Which means that some worthy stories can get lost in the shuffle or forgotten. Case in point today: The New York Times published on A4 a story about the legion of "replacement drivers" in Seoul, those who drive inebriated people and their cars home. Then they use public transportation or hitch a ride to get back to the city and start over again.
It was an intriguing slice of life from Choe Sang-Hun, who followed one Hur Rak as he worked a shift. Only thing: in the two photos that accompany the story, Hur and others are huddled wearing heavy jackets and hats.
A quick weather check reveals Seoul is enjoying summer temperatures in the mid-80s, so Choe's story has been on ice for quite a while. It's nice to be wanted -- even if it takes a while -- but you'd think the Times could have cranked this one out a few months ago.
A Mighty Pen Is Stilled: Remembering Doug Marlette
Doug Marlette was one of the finest of one of the misunderstood and endangered newsroom species, the editorial cartoonist.
Now comes word that Marlette was killed today in a one-car crash on a rain-slicked road in Mississippi. He was 57.
Beyond being consistently funny, what made him a must-read was that he was an equal-opportunity offender, as he was happy to define himself.
"Cartoons are windows into the human condition," he told the Tulsa World, when he joined that newspaper last year. "It's about life."
Marlette also drew the syndicated comic strip Kudzu, collaborated on a musical version of the strip, and wrote two well-received novels. But it will be the political cartoons, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1988, that will best define his legacy (the cartoon above is from his Pulitzer portfolio).
Given the turmoil that has roiled the newspaper industry, Marlette felt lucky there were still newspapers around who would put up with someone like him. After all, only about 80 papers have cartoonists, down from 200 as recently as the 1980s.
As he wrote in the Tulsa World last year: "There's something about cartoons, by definition unruly, tasteless and immature, that brings out the ayatollah in even the most permissive of adults."
And Marlette was as unruly as they come.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Oldies Aren't Moldy After All, at WCBS-FM
Hit the Road "Jack," Or At Least Take Up Residence on HD2, as Solid Gold Sounds Get Polished Up To Return Thursday
For 33 years, WCBS-FM was New York's oldies station. Despite various tweaks in its format, a few changes to the airstaff and a gradually graying audience, the station was a reliable engine of profits for CBS Radio, with estimated billings of $35 million a year.
But back on June 3, 2005, that wasn't enough. And even though the station enjoyed healthy ratings, the brass decided those over-40 listeners just weren't going to bring in enough advertisers over the longer haul. So, out went the oldies and in came "Jack," the format that's meant to be more of a radio jukebox, playing everything from Gloria Gaynor to Led Zeppelin.
It was a miserable failure.
What had succeded in other markets died a horrible Arbitron death in New York, with a format that attempted to be a "Jack" of all trades, but master of none. Listeners didn't know what to expect at any given moment, and most didn't bother to find out.
So, with enlightened radio executive Dan Mason returning to helm CBS Radio, he decided not to stand pat with the festering "Jack" and bought himself and his bosses mountains of goodwill and, maybe, more money, with word that CBS-FM will go back to oldies on Thursday at 1:01 p.m. (the station is at 101.1 on the FM dial).
The rumors and speculation of the format flip had been running rampant in the radio trades, and the New York Radio Message Board, where posters have been fulminating about Jack for the last two years (full disclosure: I participate in discussisons there now and then). Then the New York Daily News bannered the news on its front page Saturday, a combination of a slow days and a semi-seismic event on the New York airwaves.
How did it happen that oldies is suddenly back in vogue? Well, first thing, it's not really oldies anymore. Now, it's called "Classic Hits." But that's more than just a semantic thing. The new station will skew more heavily toward 70s and 80s music, with flecks of the 60s a la Motown, the Beatles and the Beach Boys.
As for the likes of Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and anyone else from the 50s, there's always satellite radio and your CD collection. Bottom line: the station doesn't want to play music that's older than the listeners it wants.
And for the three of you who will truly miss Jack-FM, fear not. The format will still be available online at the station's HD2 channel and here.
For 33 years, WCBS-FM was New York's oldies station. Despite various tweaks in its format, a few changes to the airstaff and a gradually graying audience, the station was a reliable engine of profits for CBS Radio, with estimated billings of $35 million a year.
But back on June 3, 2005, that wasn't enough. And even though the station enjoyed healthy ratings, the brass decided those over-40 listeners just weren't going to bring in enough advertisers over the longer haul. So, out went the oldies and in came "Jack," the format that's meant to be more of a radio jukebox, playing everything from Gloria Gaynor to Led Zeppelin.
It was a miserable failure.
What had succeded in other markets died a horrible Arbitron death in New York, with a format that attempted to be a "Jack" of all trades, but master of none. Listeners didn't know what to expect at any given moment, and most didn't bother to find out.
So, with enlightened radio executive Dan Mason returning to helm CBS Radio, he decided not to stand pat with the festering "Jack" and bought himself and his bosses mountains of goodwill and, maybe, more money, with word that CBS-FM will go back to oldies on Thursday at 1:01 p.m. (the station is at 101.1 on the FM dial).
The rumors and speculation of the format flip had been running rampant in the radio trades, and the New York Radio Message Board, where posters have been fulminating about Jack for the last two years (full disclosure: I participate in discussisons there now and then). Then the New York Daily News bannered the news on its front page Saturday, a combination of a slow days and a semi-seismic event on the New York airwaves.
How did it happen that oldies is suddenly back in vogue? Well, first thing, it's not really oldies anymore. Now, it's called "Classic Hits." But that's more than just a semantic thing. The new station will skew more heavily toward 70s and 80s music, with flecks of the 60s a la Motown, the Beatles and the Beach Boys.
As for the likes of Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and anyone else from the 50s, there's always satellite radio and your CD collection. Bottom line: the station doesn't want to play music that's older than the listeners it wants.
And for the three of you who will truly miss Jack-FM, fear not. The format will still be available online at the station's HD2 channel and here.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Forget "Lean Dean": Singleton Might As Well Be A Skeleton If He Gets His Way at the Pioneer-Press
And You Thought Things Were Bad at the Mercury-News
Sometimes you have to wonder why William Dean Singleton even bothers. He buys up newspapers large and small as head of MediaNews Group, then proceeds to suck the lifeblood out of them, presumably thinking there's a motherlode of profits to be unearthed after he clears out the deadwood the rest of us call reporters, editors and photographers.
As we've said repeatedly, no one begrudges the guy a right to make a profit. It's just sickening how he attempts to go about doing it, sacrificing the product and hoping readers won't notice or care.
The latest assault from "Lean Dean" was lobbed at the employees represented by the Newspaper Guild at the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. The Rake blog enumerates all the givebacks Singleton desperately craves, which would essentially reduce the staff to the ranks of indentured servants rather than seasoned professionals.
Everything from benefits, to vacation pay, severance, and overtime are on the table. Other papers' unions recently, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Toledo Blade and Singleton's San Jose Mercury-News, have approved contracts that were markedly worse than the one they had. But none of them were confronted with a proposal that was as brazenly draconian as the one Singleton has put forth in Minnesota.
If the bottom truly is falling out of the newspaper business, you'll know the real reason why by looking at Singleton's demands.
For those of you who have been following Singleton's slash-and-burn approach to the Mercury-News staffing levels, John Bowman offers some keen insights into just how fervently Singleton has pinched pennies at his other Bay Area properties and what that could mean for the Merc.
Bowman should know, having worked for Singleton five years before "quitting in disgust."
Yesterday, Bowman noted that Singleton had one editor in charge of the news report for five newspapers for the Fourth of July.
That's one editor to oversee the staffs at five spread-out newspapers, assign stories if news breaks and guarantee the accuracy of stories written by reporters at all five papers. That might sound like a reckless -- even dangerous -- way to operate newspapers in an area that sits on a couple of America's most notorious earthquake faults, and where a flash fire can destroy a neighborhood of hundreds of homes in the time it takes the A's to get to the seventh-inning stretch. But it is standard operating procedure on every holiday -- and every Saturday and Sunday, for that matter -- at Dean Singleton's ANG papers.
Scary stuff, even if for Singleton it's SOP.
For newsroom managers complacent about thin holiday staffing, I think back 10 years ago to what was shaping up to be a very quiet Labor Day weekend. I had finished a Saturday shift at CBS Radio, when I had done an occasional interview but not much else. It was how it was supposed to be. A few hours later, Princess Diana would change that.
We were fortunate in that it was late in Europe, where it was not a holiday weekend. Our London correspondent, the late Adam Raphael and Paris reporter Elaine Cobbe hit the airwaves soon after word broke. Raphael, a well-connected veteran, was among the first to confirm her death.
Alas, over on the TV side, they were caught flat-footed as there was no correspondent in the building late on a Saturday night. While other networks were going wall-to-wall, the CBS station in New York was showing pro wrestling until a reporter from WCBS-TV came on the network to read wire copy.
It took more than an hour for the TV network to cover the story on its own. The result: "reassignments" of senior executives in the news division -- particulary Lane Venardos -- who was in charge of hard news and was shifted to special events.
End result: There is always a correspondent or anchor in the CBS Broadcast Center to go on the air 24/7 to prevent another fiasco like the Diana crash.
Singleton's California papers are one earthquake or freeway collapse away from meeting a similar fate.
Sometimes you have to wonder why William Dean Singleton even bothers. He buys up newspapers large and small as head of MediaNews Group, then proceeds to suck the lifeblood out of them, presumably thinking there's a motherlode of profits to be unearthed after he clears out the deadwood the rest of us call reporters, editors and photographers.
As we've said repeatedly, no one begrudges the guy a right to make a profit. It's just sickening how he attempts to go about doing it, sacrificing the product and hoping readers won't notice or care.
The latest assault from "Lean Dean" was lobbed at the employees represented by the Newspaper Guild at the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. The Rake blog enumerates all the givebacks Singleton desperately craves, which would essentially reduce the staff to the ranks of indentured servants rather than seasoned professionals.
Everything from benefits, to vacation pay, severance, and overtime are on the table. Other papers' unions recently, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Toledo Blade and Singleton's San Jose Mercury-News, have approved contracts that were markedly worse than the one they had. But none of them were confronted with a proposal that was as brazenly draconian as the one Singleton has put forth in Minnesota.
If the bottom truly is falling out of the newspaper business, you'll know the real reason why by looking at Singleton's demands.
For those of you who have been following Singleton's slash-and-burn approach to the Mercury-News staffing levels, John Bowman offers some keen insights into just how fervently Singleton has pinched pennies at his other Bay Area properties and what that could mean for the Merc.
Bowman should know, having worked for Singleton five years before "quitting in disgust."
Yesterday, Bowman noted that Singleton had one editor in charge of the news report for five newspapers for the Fourth of July.
That's one editor to oversee the staffs at five spread-out newspapers, assign stories if news breaks and guarantee the accuracy of stories written by reporters at all five papers. That might sound like a reckless -- even dangerous -- way to operate newspapers in an area that sits on a couple of America's most notorious earthquake faults, and where a flash fire can destroy a neighborhood of hundreds of homes in the time it takes the A's to get to the seventh-inning stretch. But it is standard operating procedure on every holiday -- and every Saturday and Sunday, for that matter -- at Dean Singleton's ANG papers.
Scary stuff, even if for Singleton it's SOP.
For newsroom managers complacent about thin holiday staffing, I think back 10 years ago to what was shaping up to be a very quiet Labor Day weekend. I had finished a Saturday shift at CBS Radio, when I had done an occasional interview but not much else. It was how it was supposed to be. A few hours later, Princess Diana would change that.
We were fortunate in that it was late in Europe, where it was not a holiday weekend. Our London correspondent, the late Adam Raphael and Paris reporter Elaine Cobbe hit the airwaves soon after word broke. Raphael, a well-connected veteran, was among the first to confirm her death.
Alas, over on the TV side, they were caught flat-footed as there was no correspondent in the building late on a Saturday night. While other networks were going wall-to-wall, the CBS station in New York was showing pro wrestling until a reporter from WCBS-TV came on the network to read wire copy.
It took more than an hour for the TV network to cover the story on its own. The result: "reassignments" of senior executives in the news division -- particulary Lane Venardos -- who was in charge of hard news and was shifted to special events.
End result: There is always a correspondent or anchor in the CBS Broadcast Center to go on the air 24/7 to prevent another fiasco like the Diana crash.
Singleton's California papers are one earthquake or freeway collapse away from meeting a similar fate.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)