Time for a little recap

OK, the suitcases are unpacked, the lawn is mowed and the vacation laundry is cleaned, folded and put away, so I've had a little time to review my Flint Journal vacation pack (which was left at the wrong house, by the way).

I received an automated follow up call from the circulation department asking me if we had received our vacation pack of newspapers (which at the time we hadn't). When I hit the prompt that we had not received our vacation pack the recorded voice assured me we would be contacted to straighten things out.

Well, a neighbor about four houses down pulled up to our driveway and delivered our vacation pack that had been mistakenly dropped off at their house a short time later. But I never did get that follow-up call from the circulation department. But, hey, in Lapeer County you're just glad they are willing to deliver a newspaper to you at all. There are some folks out here who have asked for the paper only to be told they are not on a newspaper route.

So I curled up with my pack of Journals and as we returned on Saturday, July 5, started backwards through the pile. The Friday, July 4 paper had a correction (actually it had a list of corrections) but the one that caught my attention was the list of fireworks programs that apparently had run the day before.

Turns out that many of the Fourth of July fireworks shows had been listed on the wrong day. I had this picture of a family of four sitting in a parking lot all alone at first marveling at the great seat they had and then as time drew near wondering why no one else was on hand for the show.

In a more recent paper I noticed a correction for an election profile story in which the political parties of four candidates were switched.

And just this week, the paper ran Saturday's television listings on Tuesday.

I'll keep you posted as I keep combing through the papers. I only bring this up because after the buyouts were complete, the top editorial boss at the Journal opined that now that the newsroom had been cleared of all its "characters" that what was left was the "cream of the crop."

It was an insulting description for those who had left and as it is turning out maybe a bit of an exaggeration. Mind you, with the work being piled on those few, those brave few, who remain it is hard to fault them for making mindless errors when they get little help or support from many of the editors there.

Now earlier today I enjoyed a lunch with several former Journal employees, most of them recent buyout recipients. They all looked happy and very relaxed. Several of them reported that through discussions with friends still in the newsroom that the reports of the paper's financial health was not good.

One said a current employee heard Tony, the head editor, offer the stark opinion that the paper had not yet hit bottom. Hard to believe that after he cleared the newsroom of the "characters" he and his lieutenant so disliked.

The problem is that those who are in charge of pulling the newspaper out of its doldrums are unfortunately the very same people who were in charge when it fell into them.

At our lunch today, in between laughs and stories, we lamented what the Journal had become and the lack of imagination that exists to take it where it needs to be. But we were all grateful that we had survived and received the very generous buyouts, even if we are confused as to how that helps our old beloved paper.

But then I picked up tonight's paper and noticed a front page banner headline announcing a local appearance by American Idol finalist Lakisha Jones. When the editors at the Flint Journal are in doubt about what to put in the paper, they'll always have Lakisha to pull out of their editorial hats.

If it wasn't so pathetic, it would actually be funny.