Monday, March 23, 2009

Here's the exciting new AnnArbor.com editor

If you want the first impression of the new AnnArbor.com, go there and listen to the boring speech and delivery of the Flint Journal's former editor and the new "content director" of the new website.

Good gosh, the guy is introducing this exciting new venture with the most boring, self-absorbed, smirking introduction that anyone could produce. You'd have to work at making something this bad.

Couldn't they find a videographer to take some videos or other views of Ann Arbor to fill this two minute video?

If this is the best they could do for the all-important launch, heaven help what comes next.

Next time hire an actor who isn't as boring as watching a tree grow.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

They could have, but then they wouldn't have captured the true essence of the man.

Anonymous said...

they also could have found a shirt with a collar that fit. Looks like he borrowed it from Michael Moore, or like a kid playing dress up in Daddy's dress clothes.

Anonymous said...

Are you sure this isn't a SNL skit ?
If it wasn't so sad it would be funny.

Anonymous said...

Sad. I worked for Tony Dearing when he was editor at BC. That's why we call him Mr. Personality. As socially and professionally inept as ever. His rise in the newspaper industry is shocking. But then, we are talking about Booth.

Anonymous said...

And it would be wonderful if Tony had a glimmer of an idea what has been going on in the rest of the world. What is being proposed by him and annarbor.com has been done very well at more than 90 Gannett newspapers for years!!

Teresa

Anonymous said...

I feel bad for the reporters at all of the newspapers, but especially in Ann Arbor, who are basically having to cover their own demise. I can't imagine having to write a story about the benefits of this new website (a P.R. piece), with all of the uncertainty surrounding your job and the animosity in the newsroom. It's a really sad day.

Anonymous said...

It would be nice to see something constructive from this blog... there's plenty of doom and gloom going around with out you just constantly piling on all the time ...

Jim of L-Town said...

How about this from yesterday (Sunday). It's kind of positive.

http://freefromeditors.blogspot.com/2009/03/some-job-help-and-advice.html

Jim

Jim of L-Town said...

Anonymous 17:00

You can always go here:

http://happyjournalist.com/blog/

I invite you to stay away, if what is happening on here is not to your liking.

I don't think I made you click on my blog.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for that link to the video, Jim. I've seen more sincere performances by hacks doing "Arsenic and Old Lace" at dinner theaters.

I hope that Mr. "Content Director" and his trusty sidekick go on their journalism fact-finding tour, they get a lot of good questions from tech-loving lefties about the business shenanigans of "closing" the AA News and then "opening" Annarbor.com. Seems like a blatant attempt to circumvent their responsibilities.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous @15:43:

Up in Saginaw, the paper was scooped on this plan by all three local tv stations and radio.

There's STILL no mention of it in the paper.

And yet, they want us to subscribe.

Unbelievable.

Anonymous said...

Enough with the hate, already.

Today stinks. It really, really stinks (I'm one of those out of a job). But let's not tear down those who are still trying to make journalism work in this day and age unless you're ready to go out there and do better.

So, let's see your video, if not, shut the heck up.

Anonymous said...

The worst Andy Rooney imitation I've EVER seen!

Anonymous said...

That's just the problem! There have been hundreds of brilliant ideas proposed by employees and middle managers throughout the Booth chain, and the upper management wouldn't listen to any of them.

No matter how much the people left behind want to make journalism work at their individual papers, any new ideas or forward thinking will be quickly quashed or ignored.

Some things have never, and will never change. We NEED new leadership. Until that happens, there is no hope for any of us.

Anonymous said...

Good God. I've seen his kind here in Chicago for years. Now look what's happened to the Mighty Tribune nationwide! The people running the Trib have been reinventing things for over a decade, and still haven't gotten it right.

Anonymous said...

Holy crap! If this is the best AnnArbor.com can do, God help us all.

Anonymous said...

A really REALLY bad advertisement for his own product. Come back and see more video by the people who produced THIS one! I see the hand of the strategic thinker at work.