Thanks to an FFE commenter, I went over to the ABC (the company that tracks newspaper circulation) and verified the information that was posted on a previous comment.
The numbers are not good. The last time I posted about the Flint Journal circulation the numbers I collected were. In case you don't follow the link it was numbers for September 2008 and Flint had a daily circulation of 73,013 and a Sunday number of 88,897.
Now the numbers are:
Sunday 74,375 (-14,000+)
Thursday 60,075 - Friday - 59,222 (-13,000)
That's a huge loss in less than two years. From what I hear they believe the bleeding has stopped, or at least slowed, but I still run into people everyday who are dropping the paper for a couple of reasons. "There's nothing in it" "I like the paper everyday"
My wife and I still get the paper and I don't subscribe to the "There's nothing in it," but some days it's pretty thin.
Here are the rest of the numbers as supplied by the commenter (Those circulation drop numbers are likely from 2009, not 2008):
Bay City:
Thu. - 21,607 (-2,896, -11.8%)
Fri. - 21,925 (-2,858, -11.5%)
Sun. - 31,968 (-2,382, -6.9%)
Flint:
Thu. - 60,075 (-5,896, -8.9%)
Fri. - 59,222 (-6,879, -10.4%)
Sun. - 74,375 (-5,817, -7.2%)
Saginaw:
Thu. - 27,581 (-2,998, -9.8%)
Fri. - 27,866 (-2,752, -8.9%)
Sun. - 39,156 (-2,205, -5.3%)
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
The new journalism lemonade stand: Stories for $5
This was an interesting article about the use of freelancers for journalism.
Why Henry Waxman called off hearings on the "Write downs"
Not familiar with this website and story (found it on another site I read) but it is an interesting take on why uber-liberal Henry Waxman quietly ended the probe on the corporate write-downs related to the recently passed Health Care bill.
Remember the promise that we could all keep our current private health care and that it would save money.
Could be not so much.
Remember the promise that we could all keep our current private health care and that it would save money.
Could be not so much.
Do as we write, not as we do
One of my favorite topics is media hypocrisy. I've pointed out a couple examples in the past.
Arizona was the center of controversy back in the 1990s when it wouldn't designate Martin Luther King Holiday as a day off for its State employees. There were charges of boycotts and other protests at the time (some things never change).
The Flint Journal editorial page editor wrote a scathing editorial on how unjust it was that Arizona would not honor the Civil Rights leader by declaring his birthday a holiday.
I read the editorial with interest, because the Flint Journal at the time also did not give employees the MLK holiday. Still doesn't I believe. So I confronted the editor and said how could we write such an editorial knowing that our own company didn't honor the leader.
The answer was lame.
On Sunday, April 25 the Journal ran a story tracking the unremarkable results of tax credits and incentives given to companies in the city.
They forgot one company: The Flint Journal. The newspaper got a pretty nice deal from the city when it built its new printing plant 7-8 years ago. There were, as I recall, the promise of many new jobs at the plant and company in exchange for the deal.
Might have been a nice sidebar to Sunday's story on the other companies who didn't live up to expectations.
Arizona was the center of controversy back in the 1990s when it wouldn't designate Martin Luther King Holiday as a day off for its State employees. There were charges of boycotts and other protests at the time (some things never change).
The Flint Journal editorial page editor wrote a scathing editorial on how unjust it was that Arizona would not honor the Civil Rights leader by declaring his birthday a holiday.
I read the editorial with interest, because the Flint Journal at the time also did not give employees the MLK holiday. Still doesn't I believe. So I confronted the editor and said how could we write such an editorial knowing that our own company didn't honor the leader.
The answer was lame.
On Sunday, April 25 the Journal ran a story tracking the unremarkable results of tax credits and incentives given to companies in the city.
They forgot one company: The Flint Journal. The newspaper got a pretty nice deal from the city when it built its new printing plant 7-8 years ago. There were, as I recall, the promise of many new jobs at the plant and company in exchange for the deal.
Might have been a nice sidebar to Sunday's story on the other companies who didn't live up to expectations.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
One of the best public service announcements ever
This is a very effective public service announcement. It has been around awhile, but if you haven't seen it, enjoy.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Feeling badly for the Flint Police Department
Flint's NBC affiliate, Channel 25, has this story on a homicide that occurred in the city while only one police officer was on patrol at the time.
I looked for a similar story on MLive.com but didn't find it, but only gave the site a cursory glance, so it could be there and I missed it.
In the "old" days there would be at least two and maybe three reporters covering news on Saturday, but I don't know what the current newsroom staffing is for a Saturday. I'm sure there is some, but I just don't know.
It is tough to imagine that there are less patrol officers in Flint at certain times than in some of the surrounding less violent suburbs. A sad situation indeed.
I looked for a similar story on MLive.com but didn't find it, but only gave the site a cursory glance, so it could be there and I missed it.
In the "old" days there would be at least two and maybe three reporters covering news on Saturday, but I don't know what the current newsroom staffing is for a Saturday. I'm sure there is some, but I just don't know.
It is tough to imagine that there are less patrol officers in Flint at certain times than in some of the surrounding less violent suburbs. A sad situation indeed.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
What a difference 40 years makes
I had forgotten (until I saw this on a friend's Facebook) that Winston was the original sponsor of the Flintstones. Image any company making this commercial today.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
The future of cars?
Someone I know from my past is working on this project. I've been a skeptic about electric cars, at least in the short term, but this is pretty exciting.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Time for "nice" sports news at Newsday
This article is interesting because of what it says about new newspaper owners and management and their desire to be "nice."
There's also a link in the story about the poor response to the online subscription effort at the paper. The bottom line - only 35 subscriptions to Newsday's online website during a three-month effort.
There's also a link in the story about the poor response to the online subscription effort at the paper. The bottom line - only 35 subscriptions to Newsday's online website during a three-month effort.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
AJR: Detroit Free Press, Detroit News a year after the experiment
This is a look, even if not a very forthcoming one, on the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News a year after they cut publication days and started a new online product.
Back from vacation, blogging to restart
After a two-week hiatus, FFE's is back.
Stopped over at AnnArbor.com for the first time in months and found that they are still wrestling over the moderation policies. There seems to be continuing hand wringing over the comment moderation policies at the site.
Anyway, here is some new information from AA.com.
Stopped over at AnnArbor.com for the first time in months and found that they are still wrestling over the moderation policies. There seems to be continuing hand wringing over the comment moderation policies at the site.
Anyway, here is some new information from AA.com.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
SPARTANS! What is your profession?
In honor of the Michigan State University Spartans playing in the Final Four here is a relevant video for all Spartan fans:
Hoping for a win tonight. The season has already been overachieved.
Hoping for a win tonight. The season has already been overachieved.
Friday, April 2, 2010
The latest from Grandma's Recess
If you are interested, here's the latest posting from Grandma's Recess.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Over on Inside Out some reflections on some new newspaper products
Inside Out talks about the Flint Journal's new edition.
And another post about the new Saginaw, Bay City and Midland product.
Ran into a newspaper route driver recently who complained to me that the little bit of money he makes from the newsstand sales for the Tuesday edition is not enough to really make the trip to Clio or Flint worthwhile to pick up the papers and deliver them to the outlets.
Not sure if this is true or not, but the driver said they no longer receive mileage for the drive in to pick up the papers. He told me he's making about 1/3 of what he used to at the company.
It's a hard way to make a living anyway, so I feel for the drivers.
And another post about the new Saginaw, Bay City and Midland product.
Ran into a newspaper route driver recently who complained to me that the little bit of money he makes from the newsstand sales for the Tuesday edition is not enough to really make the trip to Clio or Flint worthwhile to pick up the papers and deliver them to the outlets.
Not sure if this is true or not, but the driver said they no longer receive mileage for the drive in to pick up the papers. He told me he's making about 1/3 of what he used to at the company.
It's a hard way to make a living anyway, so I feel for the drivers.
Moving on, in more ways than one
Curious how life sometimes gets in the way of our big plans. Last year we took our first trip with our new trailer early in April. We had big plans for more trips last year and early this year.
Then came April 30, 2009. That was the day Joan's mother had a severe stroke. As the main caretaker for Joan's father, her hospitalization required an immediate change of plans. Joan took a three week leave of absence and went to Buffalo to care for her father and keep tabs on her mother.
Since that time there have been a number of trips to Buffalo, including a sad one in late June and early July when Joan and I began our vigil with Red Uleskey and hospice at the family home. On July 7, 2009, Red died.
In the intervening months there have been a number of trips back and forth to Buffalo. Now, with Joan's mother safely and mostly happily living in a fine Catholic nursing home in Buffalo we are free once again to hit the open road.
So, the housesitter is in, and tomorrow morning we will hit the road for Florida, dragging our not-so-little home behind us for a two week adventure. Our daughter will join us there for a little fun and games.
We're visiting my aunt and uncle, a cousin and a friend of mine from high school. So we pray for smooth roads and low winds. You can follow us at Grandma's Recess blog, as some of you did last year.
Then came April 30, 2009. That was the day Joan's mother had a severe stroke. As the main caretaker for Joan's father, her hospitalization required an immediate change of plans. Joan took a three week leave of absence and went to Buffalo to care for her father and keep tabs on her mother.
Since that time there have been a number of trips to Buffalo, including a sad one in late June and early July when Joan and I began our vigil with Red Uleskey and hospice at the family home. On July 7, 2009, Red died.
In the intervening months there have been a number of trips back and forth to Buffalo. Now, with Joan's mother safely and mostly happily living in a fine Catholic nursing home in Buffalo we are free once again to hit the open road.
So, the housesitter is in, and tomorrow morning we will hit the road for Florida, dragging our not-so-little home behind us for a two week adventure. Our daughter will join us there for a little fun and games.
We're visiting my aunt and uncle, a cousin and a friend of mine from high school. So we pray for smooth roads and low winds. You can follow us at Grandma's Recess blog, as some of you did last year.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
For my Dad: Low fly bys
A friend sent me a link to a You Tube video of low airplance fly bys. It opens with a great scene from Top Gun, but then transitions into great real life fly bys. I'm posting this mostly for my Dad who loves airplanes. (Note, and thanks to Mark, there is some salty language in the opening "Top Gun" segment). I didn't review the video with sound when I first put it up. My apologies.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
In any language, I'm fascinated by magicians
This came to me through e-mail and while it is in a foreign language it won't matter. Watch for a minute or so and maybe you'll be as amazed as me. I'm a sucker for this stuff.
Flint Journal Tuesday newstand edition out today
Today is the day the new Tuesday Flint Journal his the news stands. I hope this is the beginning of a return to 7-day a week home delivery because that's what people need. If you need to know where to find one MLive.com has a locater.
When goalies attack!
No one can deny that Sidney Crosby (I usually call him Cindy) is a great hockey player with excellent skills. But as a player he is a punk. Last year, he missed the tradional post-game handshake with the Detroit Red Wings after they won the Stanley Cup.
He is a notorious whiner. But last night he earned his punk label by going after Henrik Zetterberg when the game was over for the Penguins. That's when rookie goalie Jimmy Howard stepped in and backed up his teammate. Here's the video:
He is a notorious whiner. But last night he earned his punk label by going after Henrik Zetterberg when the game was over for the Penguins. That's when rookie goalie Jimmy Howard stepped in and backed up his teammate. Here's the video:
Monday, March 22, 2010
The Shot!
This shot sent the Michigan State Spartans to the Sweet Sixteen at the buzzer. Sweeeeeet!
Found the photo on Facebook without attribution, so if there is a credit to go with it, let me know.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Fess Parker RIP
This morning I heard that Fess Parker died. Of course, for boys raised in the 1950s he was, and will be forever Davey Crockett.As soon as I heard that he died I remembered my late brother Mike running around the house wearing his coon skin cap and singing "Davey, Davey Crockett, king of the wild frontier...."
Funny how little things will suddenly bring up a remembrance like that. About an hour after I had that thought I received an e-mail from my father who remembered pretty much the same thing. He remembered that my brother like to sing the song for an audience, something I would have never wanted to do.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
New mid-Michigan obituary service
Stopped over in Davison last week and found a new printed, daily obituary service was available at a number of locations. It's pretty basic, stapled sheets of 8 1/2 X 11-inches, but it includes color pictures and ads, plenty of ads.
The product is distributed at a number of places, mostly restaurants, stores and libraries, but they also offer daily e-mail delivery of the obituary.
If you want an e-mail copy send a request to bridges.obit@yahoo.com.
The senior citizens at Taecken's Terrace apartments in Davison said they really appreciate the daily printed obituaries.
You know, if these folks are smart they will start putting a little police and government news with the obituaries and, oh, never mind.
The product is distributed at a number of places, mostly restaurants, stores and libraries, but they also offer daily e-mail delivery of the obituary.
If you want an e-mail copy send a request to bridges.obit@yahoo.com.
The senior citizens at Taecken's Terrace apartments in Davison said they really appreciate the daily printed obituaries.
You know, if these folks are smart they will start putting a little police and government news with the obituaries and, oh, never mind.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
A spinning squirrel
Our bird feeders are plundered by squirrels. My wife doesn't mind (squirrels have to eat too, she says), but I want the bird seed to be for the birds. Let the squirrels have what falls to the ground. But it looks like this squirrel has met his/her match in this feeder. There's some pretty funny squirrel videos that will appear when this video is over. Be careful, some of the videos are not funny and show squirrels meeting an untimely end.
Happy St. Patrick's Day
The story of the real St. Patrick is much more compelling than the story of a man who chased snakes out of Ireland.
Actually, that’s one of the things he didn’t do.
Kidnapped as a British boy, Patrick was brought into slavery in Ireland. No time today to tell you the wider story, but he eventually escapes, but is called by God to return to the country of his captors and evangelize Ireland.
As author Anita McSorley writes in “The St. Patrick You Never Knew,” his kidnapping and subsequent work was as significant to his world as the capture and story of Helen of Troy.
So, as a non-drinker, I hope and pray that some folks will skip the green beer today and find out the real story of St. Patrick and his incredible work and grace.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
Actually, that’s one of the things he didn’t do.
Kidnapped as a British boy, Patrick was brought into slavery in Ireland. No time today to tell you the wider story, but he eventually escapes, but is called by God to return to the country of his captors and evangelize Ireland.
As author Anita McSorley writes in “The St. Patrick You Never Knew,” his kidnapping and subsequent work was as significant to his world as the capture and story of Helen of Troy.
So, as a non-drinker, I hope and pray that some folks will skip the green beer today and find out the real story of St. Patrick and his incredible work and grace.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
Monday, March 15, 2010
This is why they should never have given the news away for free
A loyal reader sent this link to a survey about how people feel about paying for news online. Of course, the newspapers gave it away for 10 years so it's going to be hard to convince people to pay now.
As I've said before, the brains at Booth/Advance/Newhouse disregarded the opinions of old newsies like me and others who questioned the practice of giving away the news when the idea first surfaced more than ten years ago.
They patted us on the head and said we didn't understand the new realities. Well, as it turned out, we understood it better than them.
As I've said before, the brains at Booth/Advance/Newhouse disregarded the opinions of old newsies like me and others who questioned the practice of giving away the news when the idea first surfaced more than ten years ago.
They patted us on the head and said we didn't understand the new realities. Well, as it turned out, we understood it better than them.
Another link about the Great Lakes Bay newspaper
Thanks to a commenter we have another view of the rebranding of the Bay City-Saginaw-Midland area.
A site that looks over the News Media
I haven't started to mine this site, but wanted to put up this link.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Kudos to the Flint Journal staff
One thing the Flint Journal has always done well is the coverage of breaking news. On those occasions when all heck broke loose, the staff - big or small -has always found a way to work together to provide first day coverage as well as anyone.
So congratulations to the reporters who were honored recently by Scripps Howard for an online breaking news award. The information about the Owosso shooting of an anti-abortion activist is in the MLive.com announcement.
I know one of those deeply involved in that coverage has left the paper for a more stable career, but she should also be proud of her efforts in that trophy.
If I were publisher of the Flint Journal - or the editor - I would make sure the folks involved in that story received a very nice bonus to pay them for all the overtime they worked and didn't get paid during that story.
So congratulations to the reporters who were honored recently by Scripps Howard for an online breaking news award. The information about the Owosso shooting of an anti-abortion activist is in the MLive.com announcement.
I know one of those deeply involved in that coverage has left the paper for a more stable career, but she should also be proud of her efforts in that trophy.
If I were publisher of the Flint Journal - or the editor - I would make sure the folks involved in that story received a very nice bonus to pay them for all the overtime they worked and didn't get paid during that story.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
A new Michigan online news service opens in Kzoo land
Booth doesn't relish competition so I'm sure a new online news agency in town has folks scrambling to convince advertisers and financial backers to ease up or back out. It appears the new site is targeting Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Benton Harbor and much of southwest Michigan.
Anyway here's the link to the new site.
Looks like it will be a soft news site, business, arts, that kind of thing. But compared to AnnArbor.com the appearance is much better. Found a few broken links though. Looks like they have some sponsors or ads at the bottom of the page.
The Kalamazoo Community Foundation and Borgess Medical are major players in the Kalamazoo area so this may be a serious attempt at providing a counter to the Gazette. It has a ways to go, however.
Anyway here's the link to the new site.
Looks like it will be a soft news site, business, arts, that kind of thing. But compared to AnnArbor.com the appearance is much better. Found a few broken links though. Looks like they have some sponsors or ads at the bottom of the page.
The Kalamazoo Community Foundation and Borgess Medical are major players in the Kalamazoo area so this may be a serious attempt at providing a counter to the Gazette. It has a ways to go, however.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Tuesday print announcement made Sunday
Just got back from Buffalo and didn't open my Sunday Flint Journal until last night and the front page had this announcement.
By the way I think this is a good thing. I hope it is a glimpse of what is to come. It is also an admission that the real money in news comes not from online, but from print.
By the way I think this is a good thing. I hope it is a glimpse of what is to come. It is also an admission that the real money in news comes not from online, but from print.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Found on Facebook: NY Times plagarism story
This was an interesting read about a NY Times reporter caught stealing stories from the Wall Street Journal.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Great Lakes Bay: A quiet start
With all the buzz in the various newsrooms about "Great Lakes Bay" I have been watching MLive.com for some news or other announcement. So far I haven't seen it, but I could have missed it because I don't go there everyday.
I did use the MLive.com search function and found a "Great Lakes Bay" site with stories going back to last month. There is also a Facebook page, but you'll have to be a member of Facebook to look on. And then there was this 2009 link. But so far no "Great Lakes Bay" tab on MLive.com although if you click on the "Great Lakes Bay" logo at the top it takes you right back to MLive.com.
So far the news is very light, fluffy and entertainment-centered.
I did use the MLive.com search function and found a "Great Lakes Bay" site with stories going back to last month. There is also a Facebook page, but you'll have to be a member of Facebook to look on. And then there was this 2009 link. But so far no "Great Lakes Bay" tab on MLive.com although if you click on the "Great Lakes Bay" logo at the top it takes you right back to MLive.com.
So far the news is very light, fluffy and entertainment-centered.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
What's wrong with newspapers: Listen to this (well not anymore)
The publisher of the Bay City-Flint - Saginaw newspapers describes how he plans to save newspapers and his new venture. I looked on MLive.com and either can't find any public announcement or it hasn't been posted yet.
The audio of his announcement about the new "Great Lakes Bay" edition was on line, but has been removed.
Flint launches a new Tuesday edition on March 23. Apparently this new venture includes Midland, which, according to insiders, will include some financing by Dow Chemical and is set to take on the Midland Daily News. The Great Lakes Bay edition begins on Tuesdays starting March 30.
The publisher got scattered applause when he announced the new Tuesday editions.
My favorite part: "We need to change the way people think about newspapers." How about changing back to the old model of writing actually news stories that people want to read and change their hearts and minds. The problem for this faux publisher is that he seems to really believe that people will buy his product even though the public knows they are getting crap.
"Gotta get off our heels and on our toes." This is his comment on going after WNEM-TV and taking back market share.
Good luck, though.
The audio of his announcement about the new "Great Lakes Bay" edition was on line, but has been removed.
Flint launches a new Tuesday edition on March 23. Apparently this new venture includes Midland, which, according to insiders, will include some financing by Dow Chemical and is set to take on the Midland Daily News. The Great Lakes Bay edition begins on Tuesdays starting March 30.
The publisher got scattered applause when he announced the new Tuesday editions.
My favorite part: "We need to change the way people think about newspapers." How about changing back to the old model of writing actually news stories that people want to read and change their hearts and minds. The problem for this faux publisher is that he seems to really believe that people will buy his product even though the public knows they are getting crap.
"Gotta get off our heels and on our toes." This is his comment on going after WNEM-TV and taking back market share.
Good luck, though.
My new lesson in economics and government
I'll probably get an earful from faithful FFE reader Inky, but I received a not-so-free lesson in running my own business yesterday at the office of our tax man.
Two years ago this month I started a small venture - jlsmediaservices - so that I could do a little part time writing work after I left the newspaper business. I picked up one client and in 2009 made a whopping $19,000. After business deductions (losses) I show a profit of about $16,000.
During 2009 I made estimated $900 quarterly tax payments to Uncle Sam. My wife and I each have retirement income for our careers so it was time to pay the piper on Wednesday.
As a "small businessman" I ended up paying a 25 percent federal tax, a 4 percent State tax, a .5 percent city tax and then had to pay both ends of my Social Security - 15 percent - on the profit.
I have to pay the Social Security even though I am receiving my benefits and any more money that I pay into the system will not change what I already receive. It's my little gift to the federal government.
To be honest, I was planning to lighten my work load this year because you can only make $14,000 a year if you are drawing Social Security without paying a penalty.
So, thanks to the government, I will be shutting down my business in June. All done, finished, not going to work anymore. I was mad enough that I was ready to shut it down last night, but I have a responsibility to finish work for my one and only client.
The fact that the government confiscates 45 percent of my profit means that 25 minutes of every hour I work is for the government. Just not going to do that.
Remember, Almighty God only asks for 10 percent.
Looks like my real retirement will begin in June. Thank you, Uncle Sam.
It is no wonder that unemployment is as high as it is.
Your turn Inky. Tell me how wrong I am not to want to give the government 45 percent of my labor.
Two years ago this month I started a small venture - jlsmediaservices - so that I could do a little part time writing work after I left the newspaper business. I picked up one client and in 2009 made a whopping $19,000. After business deductions (losses) I show a profit of about $16,000.
During 2009 I made estimated $900 quarterly tax payments to Uncle Sam. My wife and I each have retirement income for our careers so it was time to pay the piper on Wednesday.
As a "small businessman" I ended up paying a 25 percent federal tax, a 4 percent State tax, a .5 percent city tax and then had to pay both ends of my Social Security - 15 percent - on the profit.
I have to pay the Social Security even though I am receiving my benefits and any more money that I pay into the system will not change what I already receive. It's my little gift to the federal government.
To be honest, I was planning to lighten my work load this year because you can only make $14,000 a year if you are drawing Social Security without paying a penalty.
So, thanks to the government, I will be shutting down my business in June. All done, finished, not going to work anymore. I was mad enough that I was ready to shut it down last night, but I have a responsibility to finish work for my one and only client.
The fact that the government confiscates 45 percent of my profit means that 25 minutes of every hour I work is for the government. Just not going to do that.
Remember, Almighty God only asks for 10 percent.
Looks like my real retirement will begin in June. Thank you, Uncle Sam.
It is no wonder that unemployment is as high as it is.
Your turn Inky. Tell me how wrong I am not to want to give the government 45 percent of my labor.
Monday, March 1, 2010
A tale not told, but a sentence anyway
While I was out of town a sentencing came down in the Kurt Heintz case.
In case you don't remember, this was the story I basically couldn't get past the timid editors and wimpy lawyers 2 1/2 years ago.
So I guess I'm vindicated, but in the meantime an important story was squeezed off the pages at a time that it would have been a significant scoop and a window into the coming housing meltdown.
It was a piece that screamed to be reported and published. Shame on those who squashed it like a bug.
I did have one editor ally in that battle for that story. By the way, she was also "downsized."
In case you don't remember, this was the story I basically couldn't get past the timid editors and wimpy lawyers 2 1/2 years ago.
So I guess I'm vindicated, but in the meantime an important story was squeezed off the pages at a time that it would have been a significant scoop and a window into the coming housing meltdown.
It was a piece that screamed to be reported and published. Shame on those who squashed it like a bug.
I did have one editor ally in that battle for that story. By the way, she was also "downsized."
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Rumor: Is it true?
Looking for a little help here. I received the following comment and wondered if anyone could verify this information:
"Jim, unrelated to any of your posts, but word on the street is that a representative of The Flint Journal/Community Newspapers appeared at a Clio Chamber of Commerce board meeting this week with an announcement that this Sunday's editon of the Clio Messenger will be THE LAST one printed, period. Henceforth, the "paper" reportedly will be available on-line only. No knowledge as to whether others in the Community Newspapers group would be similarly dumped in their dead-tree form, but, if true for one, that would seem likely. Have you seen one lately? Scary bad example of "community" journalism at best. Oh, and here's the kicker, I'm told that this announcement was somehow presented to this particular group of local business owners as "good news." Supposedly, this was already reported on MLive, but I have not been able to find it?"
"Jim, unrelated to any of your posts, but word on the street is that a representative of The Flint Journal/Community Newspapers appeared at a Clio Chamber of Commerce board meeting this week with an announcement that this Sunday's editon of the Clio Messenger will be THE LAST one printed, period. Henceforth, the "paper" reportedly will be available on-line only. No knowledge as to whether others in the Community Newspapers group would be similarly dumped in their dead-tree form, but, if true for one, that would seem likely. Have you seen one lately? Scary bad example of "community" journalism at best. Oh, and here's the kicker, I'm told that this announcement was somehow presented to this particular group of local business owners as "good news." Supposedly, this was already reported on MLive, but I have not been able to find it?"
Bawston: You're my home
Well, not really, but it is the home of my stepdaughter, Elin. We have been there several times and I can attest to many of the things on the following list, which was sent to me by my father, who received it from a friend in Burlingame, California. So, a good source.
"For those of you who have never been to "Bawstin",this is a good guideline.
I hope you will consider coming to "Beantown" in the near future.
Information on Boston and the surrounding area:
There's no school on School Street , no court on Court Street,
no dock on Dock Square , no water on Water Street .
Back Bay streets are in alphabetical "oddah": Arlington , Berkeley , Clarendon, Dartmouth , etc. So are South Boston streets:A, B, C, D, etc.
If the streets are named after trees (e.g.Walnut, Chestnut, Cedar), you're on Beacon Hill
.If they're named after poets, you're in Wellesley
.
Massachusetts Avenue is Mass Ave ; Commonwealth Avenue is Comm Ave ;
South Boston is Southie. The South End is the South End.
East Boston is Eastie. The North End is east of the former West End .
The West End and Scollay Square are no more; a guy named
Rappaport got rid of them one night. Roxbury is The Burry, Jamaica Plain is J.P.
How to say these Massachusetts city names correctly:
**Say it wrong, be shunned**
Worcester : Wuhsta (or Woostah)
Gloucester : Glawsta
Leicester:Lesta
Woburn : Woobin
Dedham : Dead-um
Revere : Ra-vee-ah
Quincy : Quinzee
Tewksbury : Tooks berry
Leominster : Lemin-sta
Peabody : Pee-ba-dee
Waltham : Walth-ham
Chatham : Chaddum
Samoset: Sam-oh-set or Sum-aw-set but nevah Summerset!
Definitions:
Frappes have ice cream, milkshakes don't.
If it is fizzy and flavored, it's tonic.
Soda is CLUB SODA.
"Pop" is DAD.
When we want Tonic WATER, we will ask for TONIC WATER.
The smallest beer is a pint.
Scrod is whatever they tell you it is, usually fish. If you paid
more than $7/pound, you got scrod.
It's not a water fountain; it's a bubblah..
It's not a trashcan; it's a barrel.
It's not a spucky, a hero or grinder,... it's a sub.
It's not a shopping cart; it's a carriage.
It's not a purse; it's a pockabook.
They're not franks; they're haht dahgs;
Franks are money in Switzahland.
Police don't drive patrol units or black and whites they drive a "crooza".
If you take the bus, you're on the "looza crooza".
It's not a rubber band, it's an elastic. It's not a traffic circle, it's a rotary.
"Going to the islands" means Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket.
The Sox = The Red Sox
The C's = The Celtics
The B's = The Bruins
The Pat's =The Patriots
Things not to do:
Don't pahk your cah in Hahvid Yahd .. they'll tow it to Meffa
( Medford ) or Summahville (Somerville) .
Don't sleep on the Common. ( Boston Common)
Don't wear Orange in Southie on St. Patrick's Day.
Things you should know:
There are two State Houses, two City Halls, two courthouses,
two Hancock buildings (one old, one new for each).
The colored lights on top the old Hancock building tell the weatha':
"Solid blue = clear view...."
"Flashing blue, =clouds due...."
"Solid red, =rain ahead...."
"Flashing red, =snow instead...." -
except in summer;flashing red means the Red Sox game was rained out!
Ahtha Impore-int Stuff
Most people live here all their life and still don't know
what the hell is going on with this one:
Route 128 South is I-95 south. It's also I-93 north.
The underground train is not a subway. It's the "T", and it
doesn't run all night (aftaawl, this ain't Noo Yawk)..
Order the "cold tea" in China Town after 2:00 am you'll get a
kettle full of beer.
Bostonians.. . think that it's their God-given right to cut off someone in traffic.
Bostonians.. think that there are only 25 letters in the alphabet (no R's)
except in "idea".
Bostonians.. think that three straight days of 90+ temperatures is a heat wave.
Bostonians.. refer to six inches of snow as a "dusting."
Bostonians.. .always "bang a left" as soon as the light turns green,
and oncoming traffic always expects it.
Bostonians.. believe that using your turn signal is a sign of weakness.
Bostonians.. .think that 63-degree ocean water is warm.
Bostonians.. think Rhode Island accents are annoying.
Bostonians.believe that Connecticut is a suburb of NooYawk.
Send this to your friends who don't live in Boston (and the ones who do!!)
"For those of you who have never been to "Bawstin",this is a good guideline.
I hope you will consider coming to "Beantown" in the near future.
Information on Boston and the surrounding area:
There's no school on School Street , no court on Court Street,
no dock on Dock Square , no water on Water Street .
Back Bay streets are in alphabetical "oddah": Arlington , Berkeley , Clarendon, Dartmouth , etc. So are South Boston streets:A, B, C, D, etc.
If the streets are named after trees (e.g.Walnut, Chestnut, Cedar), you're on Beacon Hill
.If they're named after poets, you're in Wellesley
.
Massachusetts Avenue is Mass Ave ; Commonwealth Avenue is Comm Ave ;
South Boston is Southie. The South End is the South End.
East Boston is Eastie. The North End is east of the former West End .
The West End and Scollay Square are no more; a guy named
Rappaport got rid of them one night. Roxbury is The Burry, Jamaica Plain is J.P.
How to say these Massachusetts city names correctly:
**Say it wrong, be shunned**
Worcester : Wuhsta (or Woostah)
Gloucester : Glawsta
Leicester:Lesta
Woburn : Woobin
Dedham : Dead-um
Revere : Ra-vee-ah
Quincy : Quinzee
Tewksbury : Tooks berry
Leominster : Lemin-sta
Peabody : Pee-ba-dee
Waltham : Walth-ham
Chatham : Chaddum
Samoset: Sam-oh-set or Sum-aw-set but nevah Summerset!
Definitions:
Frappes have ice cream, milkshakes don't.
If it is fizzy and flavored, it's tonic.
Soda is CLUB SODA.
"Pop" is DAD.
When we want Tonic WATER, we will ask for TONIC WATER.
The smallest beer is a pint.
Scrod is whatever they tell you it is, usually fish. If you paid
more than $7/pound, you got scrod.
It's not a water fountain; it's a bubblah..
It's not a trashcan; it's a barrel.
It's not a spucky, a hero or grinder,... it's a sub.
It's not a shopping cart; it's a carriage.
It's not a purse; it's a pockabook.
They're not franks; they're haht dahgs;
Franks are money in Switzahland.
Police don't drive patrol units or black and whites they drive a "crooza".
If you take the bus, you're on the "looza crooza".
It's not a rubber band, it's an elastic. It's not a traffic circle, it's a rotary.
"Going to the islands" means Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket.
The Sox = The Red Sox
The C's = The Celtics
The B's = The Bruins
The Pat's =The Patriots
Things not to do:
Don't pahk your cah in Hahvid Yahd .. they'll tow it to Meffa
( Medford ) or Summahville (Somerville) .
Don't sleep on the Common. ( Boston Common)
Don't wear Orange in Southie on St. Patrick's Day.
Things you should know:
There are two State Houses, two City Halls, two courthouses,
two Hancock buildings (one old, one new for each).
The colored lights on top the old Hancock building tell the weatha':
"Solid blue = clear view...."
"Flashing blue, =clouds due...."
"Solid red, =rain ahead...."
"Flashing red, =snow instead...." -
except in summer;flashing red means the Red Sox game was rained out!
Ahtha Impore-int Stuff
Most people live here all their life and still don't know
what the hell is going on with this one:
Route 128 South is I-95 south. It's also I-93 north.
The underground train is not a subway. It's the "T", and it
doesn't run all night (aftaawl, this ain't Noo Yawk)..
Order the "cold tea" in China Town after 2:00 am you'll get a
kettle full of beer.
Bostonians.. . think that it's their God-given right to cut off someone in traffic.
Bostonians.. think that there are only 25 letters in the alphabet (no R's)
except in "idea".
Bostonians.. think that three straight days of 90+ temperatures is a heat wave.
Bostonians.. refer to six inches of snow as a "dusting."
Bostonians.. .always "bang a left" as soon as the light turns green,
and oncoming traffic always expects it.
Bostonians.. believe that using your turn signal is a sign of weakness.
Bostonians.. .think that 63-degree ocean water is warm.
Bostonians.. think Rhode Island accents are annoying.
Bostonians.believe that Connecticut is a suburb of NooYawk.
Send this to your friends who don't live in Boston (and the ones who do!!)
Friday, February 26, 2010
Wait a minute! I thought Canada had the better health care system
A rich Canadian premier (Newfoundland) turned aside his own country's primo health care system, you know the one we're supposed to emulate to go to Florida to have a heart procedure that apparently isn't offered or that he would have had to wait too long to have.
Newsosaur: Miami "tip jar" quietly disappears
An interesting article about the vanishing "tip jar" on the Miami newspaper site.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
One thing wrong with newspapers: Stupid polls
A series of polls on MLive.com have been running comparing four relatively distressed cities, Midland, Bay City, Saginaw and Flint.
A faithful FFE reader sent me a link to one poll on which has the best police departments, but I guess the comment thread got so blue, the MLive folks took it down.
The rest of the questions are equally inane and ridiculous, but some of the comments are pretty rich.
My favorite question (so far) is the one on where I would seek medical attention regardless of where I live. I'm going with whichever one is closest depending on whether I minutes to live depending on my condition.
Polls are a lazy way to present news and to prompt comments. Want to prompt real substantive comments, unleash a reporter to look into political corruption and wrong doing.
A faithful FFE reader sent me a link to one poll on which has the best police departments, but I guess the comment thread got so blue, the MLive folks took it down.
The rest of the questions are equally inane and ridiculous, but some of the comments are pretty rich.
My favorite question (so far) is the one on where I would seek medical attention regardless of where I live. I'm going with whichever one is closest depending on whether I minutes to live depending on my condition.
Polls are a lazy way to present news and to prompt comments. Want to prompt real substantive comments, unleash a reporter to look into political corruption and wrong doing.
Monday, February 22, 2010
A parable about Basicland: A tale of financial ruin
Over on Slate.com Charlie Munger, an longtime business partner in Berkshire Hathaway and to Warren Buffet has some chilling words about the direction of our finacial system.
For those who think the burgeoning debt isn't a problem, this is a good read.
For those who think the burgeoning debt isn't a problem, this is a good read.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Arkansas Democrat: One Newspaper Prospers
Fortune did a video piece on the success of one newspaper during this time of print collapse.
As I have blogged before many of us old and out-of-touch career reporters were called naive when we questioned the decision to let MLive.com give away the newspaper content for free.
More than one "hip" editor told us, and me personally, that we had no choice but to go online for free to save our audience.
The example in Arkansas seems to prove them wrong. So to those former editors, "We told you so." Interestingly, they are still working in the business and many of us with the smarts to question their decisions are not. Go figure.
As I have blogged before many of us old and out-of-touch career reporters were called naive when we questioned the decision to let MLive.com give away the newspaper content for free.
More than one "hip" editor told us, and me personally, that we had no choice but to go online for free to save our audience.
The example in Arkansas seems to prove them wrong. So to those former editors, "We told you so." Interestingly, they are still working in the business and many of us with the smarts to question their decisions are not. Go figure.
Friday, February 19, 2010
A relic from the past
A frequent reader sent me this which will be familiar to only those who are very old. Click to see full size version.
This website has some great pictures of "old" Flint and photos of the trolleys.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Top 10 lists - a waste of good trees
While in California my wife and I made a short trip to Stockton to visit a man who worked with me at the Michigan State News back in the 1970s.
Mike Klocke was the sports editor at the SN when I was editor-in-chief during 1978-79. He was a great sports editor and I always knew he would go far. Mike has covered many top sports events, including the Super Bowl and was at the famous "earthquake" World Series game in San Francisco.
At some point he left the toy department, as news reporters sometimes referred to the sports department, and went to news and is now the editor of the Stockton Record.
At lunch we caught up with Mike and his wife, Kerry (hope that's the right spelling) who he met during our days at MSU.
During the conversation we were talking about stupid journalism lists and gimmicks and he mentioned that Stockton had made the top of the Forbes "Most Miserable Cities" list in 2009. In anticipation of the list in 2010, he wrote a great column that could serve residents in Flint and other cities frequently dumped on as a template for how to respond.
Two other cities close to my heart also made the list, Buffalo N.Y. (8) and Flint, MI (5).
Mike checks in here from time-to-time so he will appreciate that when I looked up his column from last month the ticker for the Record listed the following stories, which do tend to accentuate the negative:
•Stockton man held in girlfriend's slaying
•Man arrested in midtown Stockton after trying to light his wife on fire
•Stockton facing 'horrific' budget cuts
•Forbes ranks Stockton No. 2 in miserable index
This Week's Most Viewed
•Tearful goodbyes for 'J.J.'
•Man arrested in Stockton in death of his girlfriend
•Teen shot in back in Weston Ranch
•Man stabbed over parking spot
This Month's Most Viewed
•New details emerge in 3-year-old's gunshot death
•Boy, 3, killed near Quail Lakes
•Edison High grieving over loss of football star (UPDATED 1:32 p.m.)
•Actor roped in Linden cattle scheme
Mike Klocke was the sports editor at the SN when I was editor-in-chief during 1978-79. He was a great sports editor and I always knew he would go far. Mike has covered many top sports events, including the Super Bowl and was at the famous "earthquake" World Series game in San Francisco.
At some point he left the toy department, as news reporters sometimes referred to the sports department, and went to news and is now the editor of the Stockton Record.
At lunch we caught up with Mike and his wife, Kerry (hope that's the right spelling) who he met during our days at MSU.
During the conversation we were talking about stupid journalism lists and gimmicks and he mentioned that Stockton had made the top of the Forbes "Most Miserable Cities" list in 2009. In anticipation of the list in 2010, he wrote a great column that could serve residents in Flint and other cities frequently dumped on as a template for how to respond.
Two other cities close to my heart also made the list, Buffalo N.Y. (8) and Flint, MI (5).
Mike checks in here from time-to-time so he will appreciate that when I looked up his column from last month the ticker for the Record listed the following stories, which do tend to accentuate the negative:
•Stockton man held in girlfriend's slaying
•Man arrested in midtown Stockton after trying to light his wife on fire
•Stockton facing 'horrific' budget cuts
•Forbes ranks Stockton No. 2 in miserable index
This Week's Most Viewed
•Tearful goodbyes for 'J.J.'
•Man arrested in Stockton in death of his girlfriend
•Teen shot in back in Weston Ranch
•Man stabbed over parking spot
This Month's Most Viewed
•New details emerge in 3-year-old's gunshot death
•Boy, 3, killed near Quail Lakes
•Edison High grieving over loss of football star (UPDATED 1:32 p.m.)
•Actor roped in Linden cattle scheme
Monday, February 15, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Things that make you go hmmmmmm!
I've shared a bunch of these on Facebook, but here's the whole list:
1.. Is it good if a vacuum really sucks?
2. Why is the third hand on the watch called the second hand?
3. If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know?
4. If Webster wrote the first dictionary, where did he find the words?
5. Why do we say something is out of whack? What is a whack?
6. Why does "slow down" and "slow up" mean the same thing?
7. Why does "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?
8. Why do "tug" boats push their barges?
9. Why do we sing "Take me out to the ball game"
when we are already there?
10. Why are they called " stands" when they are made for sitting?
11. Why is it called "after dark" when it really is "after light"?
12.. Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?
13.. Why are a "wise man" and a "wise guy" opposites?
14. Why do "overlook" and "oversee" mean opposite things?
15. Why is "phonics" not spelled the way it sounds?
16. If work is so terrific, why do they have to pay you to do it?
17.. If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?
18.. If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
19. If you are cross-eyed and have dyslexia, can you read all right?
20. Why is bra singular and panties plural?
21.. Why do you press harder on the buttons of a remote control
when you know the batteries are dead?
22. Why do we put suits in garment bags and garments in a suitcase?
23. How come abbreviated is such a long word?
24. Why do we wash bath towels? Aren't we clean when we use them?
25.. Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
26. Why do they call it a TV set when you only have one?
27.Christmas - What other time of the year do you sit in front of a dead tree and eat candy out of your socks?
28. Why do we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway ?
I dunno, why do we?
1.. Is it good if a vacuum really sucks?
2. Why is the third hand on the watch called the second hand?
3. If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know?
4. If Webster wrote the first dictionary, where did he find the words?
5. Why do we say something is out of whack? What is a whack?
6. Why does "slow down" and "slow up" mean the same thing?
7. Why does "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?
8. Why do "tug" boats push their barges?
9. Why do we sing "Take me out to the ball game"
when we are already there?
10. Why are they called " stands" when they are made for sitting?
11. Why is it called "after dark" when it really is "after light"?
12.. Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?
13.. Why are a "wise man" and a "wise guy" opposites?
14. Why do "overlook" and "oversee" mean opposite things?
15. Why is "phonics" not spelled the way it sounds?
16. If work is so terrific, why do they have to pay you to do it?
17.. If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?
18.. If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
19. If you are cross-eyed and have dyslexia, can you read all right?
20. Why is bra singular and panties plural?
21.. Why do you press harder on the buttons of a remote control
when you know the batteries are dead?
22. Why do we put suits in garment bags and garments in a suitcase?
23. How come abbreviated is such a long word?
24. Why do we wash bath towels? Aren't we clean when we use them?
25.. Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
26. Why do they call it a TV set when you only have one?
27.Christmas - What other time of the year do you sit in front of a dead tree and eat candy out of your socks?
28. Why do we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway ?
I dunno, why do we?
A trip to Shadowbrook
For a treat I took Joan to the Shadowbrook Restaurant in Capitola last night. It was a place I used to go many, many years ago and always had a good reputation for good food and atmosphere.You take a little cable car down to the restaurant and even though it was raining last night it was still a beautiful sight.
Luckily we hit the place on a night when the seafood entrees were all $15.95 (they are usually $27-$30) and everything is ala carte. So it didn't break the bank either.
If you take the virtual photo tour on the Shadowbrook website you'll see more photos. (We ate in the Greenhouse Room).
It's a great place and if you ever get to this area of California, put it on your dinner list.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Hello from California
California: The land of my birth, the source of my mirth.Always love coming to visit here, but have been at the mercy of the single, public computer at the hotel we are staying at for the last few days, so hopefully that explains the delay in posting.
The picture was taken yesterday by my son, Timothy, on the long Wharf at Santa Cruz. The pelican was very nice until you didn't feed it then it just snapped at you.
You can see what a nice day it was. Weather today is supposed to turn to rain and tomorrow we head back over the hill to the East Bay.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
America the Beautiful
I really like this rendition of America the Beautiful sent to me by a frequent reader in California:
Sunday, January 31, 2010
California, Here we are!
Flight connections went well and no one blew up their underwear so we are safely in California.
Had my annual battle with the rental car company over the kind of car they were going to have me drive.
After several false starts with their foreign selections I prevailed and am driving a Ford Fusion (I originally posted Focus only because I needed to focus) for the time we are here.
"Sir, I'm not giving you one of THOSE Toyotas," the man said.
"Oh, it's not about the Toyota problem," I said. "It's about only driving American brand cars."
Then when he saw my Michigan driver's license, it made sense to him. The Focus is a really nice car, so far.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Blogging to slow temporarily
For the next couple weeks I will be traveling and sometimes out of range of an Internet connection. So posting will be infrequent, but I have a couple things prearranged to appear.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Walter, a fraternal twin to Joe Biden?
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Too true to be funny
Overheard in the Newsroom had this gem:
#2830: Managing Editor, admiring a rival newspaper: “Any chance we can hire their guy to do our layouts?” Art Director: “You laid him off last year.”
#2830: Managing Editor, admiring a rival newspaper: “Any chance we can hire their guy to do our layouts?” Art Director: “You laid him off last year.”
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
A story of a really high pay wall, with really low results
Newsday (corrected from original version) has had very poor results with its pay wall. Only 35 subscriptions since it was instituted. There's a little more to the numbers than that, but still pretty grim. People have become far too used to free news content. (Hat tip to Jan for the link).
A little CBS report to get your blood warm on a cool morning
Remember the Copenhagen Climate Summit? You know, the one that accomplished nothing. Well, the bill came due recently and CBS News did a great job of breaking down the costs of the travel and lodging of the dozens of Democrats, Republicans, State Department, White House and other bureaucrats, many who brought spouses, who attended.
It's good to know that while many folks in this country are suffering and having trouble putting food on the table, that there is plenty of pork to eat in Washington.
It's good to know that while many folks in this country are suffering and having trouble putting food on the table, that there is plenty of pork to eat in Washington.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Rocks in the hubcaps
Most folks know that I love good police stories, especially quirky, funny ones. I stopped over at AnnArbor.com for my monthly visit and found a column, not unlike the column I started at the Flint Journal in 1990.This column is written by a retired Ann Arbor detective sergeant and this column was about police pranks. It was pretty good and included a prank about putting rocks in hubcaps of a fellow police officers car. (The graphic with the story showed a fancy wheel - see photo with this post- but not a hubcap. It may be more a factor of young people not knowing what a "hub cap" is). The columnist was referring to an episode at the Milan Police Department that had gotten into the news.
As I have mentioned here before, I worked for two California police departments for seven years before going back to MSU to study journalism.
And as the AA2.com writer said pranks are as much a part of police departments as ticket books.
Here's a few that I remember from my days in uniform.
We had our own firecracker episode at our police department. We had one officer, Paul F, who was very skittish about noises. One night he was sitting at the dispatch desk relieving the dispatcher during her dinner about 3 a.m.
An officer had a stash of firecrackers that he had confiscated in the trunk of his police car. Parking down the street from the police department he snuck up and lit a string of the firecrackers under the dispatcher's window.
Not wanting a good practical joke to go unwatched, several of us had parked nearby and watched as Paul F dove under the desk at the first sound of the firecrackers. He then put out a call over the radio and we all pulled up and fessed up to the joke.
In today's world, that probably could have gotten us all fired. Back then it was just part of the job.
All the police cars were keyed the same, in other words all the car keys worked in all the patrol cars. We had been ordered not to idle the cars (to keep them warm) while we were at lunch or on a call. All of us had duplicate keys and could let the car run while locking it from the outside.
If we found one of our co-workers cars locked and running outside a restaurant and knew that it was out of view of the officer inside, we would often drop off our riding along partners to unlock the car and drive it back to the station. It was always fun to sit in the station to hear the frantic call from the officer trying to explain to the dispatcher that his car had been "stolen."
The high school had a 1/4-mile running track and in the middle of the night we would drive there and do our own version of NASCAR around it with our lights off. That was until a neighbor noticed the cars speeding around the track and called the police department.
From a distance they couldn't tell the racing vehicles were police cars. When the dispatcher put out the call about the racing cars at the high school, one of the officers responded that they were in the area and would check it out. Then they quietly left.
One of our officers used to brag about the gas mileage in his foreign car. Every day he would come to work telling us he was getting 30 or 35 miles to the gallon. So for a month we started adding a gallon or two of gas to his tank every shift.
Each day he would excitedly come to work and brag that he was suddenly getting 40-45-50 miles to the gallon. We, of course, would scoff at him and tell him he was crazy, but the ruse went on.
Finally, after a month of adding gasoline, we started siphoning it out of his car a gallon or two at a time while he was out on patrol. He started coming to work loudly complaining that there was "something wrong" with his car. His mileage had dropped from 50 to 20 and he was not happy.
At the point we found out he took it back to the dealer to complain about his now "horrible" gas mileage, we brought him in on the joke before he did something stupid to the dealer.
More later.
New York Times to install online pay system in 2011
The New York Times seems to be headed towards some financial sanity. The idea that news gathering has value is an important one.
When I was much younger people scoffed at the idea of cable television. "Who would pay for what they already get free?" Well, how did that pan out?
From the time two consecutive editors couldn't adequately answer the questions of how we could give away the Flint Journal content for free many have been frustrated by the devaluation of news gathering.
It's past time to take back the product.
When I was much younger people scoffed at the idea of cable television. "Who would pay for what they already get free?" Well, how did that pan out?
From the time two consecutive editors couldn't adequately answer the questions of how we could give away the Flint Journal content for free many have been frustrated by the devaluation of news gathering.
It's past time to take back the product.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Alice Shultz-Melton, retired FJ librarian, dies at 72
One of the first people I met when I arrived at the Flint Journal in 1989 was a news room librarian named Alice. She explained to me the extensive library and morgue that the newspaper maintained.At the time there were four employees and an excellent library. The folks who worked in the library were always helpful and made doing story research really easy. She was always a graceful person who survived in a not so graceful environment.
So it was with sadness that I learned that Alice Shultz-Melton died last week. The obituary was published this week. Rest in Peace Alice.
Shultz-Melton, Alice Marie formerly of Flint, MI. Passed away January 20, 2010 in Beaver Dam, KY. She was born August 23, 1937 through the union of Charlie Dee and Mary Alice Shultz in Haiti, KY. Alice graduated from Western High School in Owensboro, KY in 1955. Alice moved to Flint, MI. in 1969. She was married in 1981 to James V. Melton. She was a member of Grace Free Will Methodist Church. She was a board member of My Brothers Keeper. She was employed at The Flint Journal for 30 years as a librarian. She retired in 2000. She lived to cherish one son: Rev. John A. Williams, his wife Tanya; step-son James. V. Melton Jr.; step-daughter Naomi Martin and her husband Clarence all of Flint, MI; 23 grand children, one great-grandchild; one sister Loretta J. Finn and her husband Gilbert, from Beaver Dam, KY; two brothers Charles Wayne Shultz of Louisville, KY and William G. Shultz of Sacramento, CA; four nieces; two nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, her step-daughter, three brothers and two nephews. A special thank you to Pastor and sis Campbell and New Life Missionary Baptist Church of Flint, MI. Services are at 12 noon Wednesday at Barnes Chapel United Methodist Church, Beaver Dam, KY. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery, Hartford, KY. Miller - Schapmire Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Working my beat, looking for ladies walking the street
As a fan of "Overheard in the Newsroom" the following entry brought back a couple memories. First the entry: "#2776: Layout Designer: “When’s that story going to be done?” Crime Reporter: “The one on prostitutes? The research is getting expensive.”
During the 1990s we had a series of homicides involving prostitutes, many of them working on Dort Highway.
My editor, Roger, asked that I go find a prostitute working on the street and see if I could get a comment about whether they were fearful of the recent series of homicides and if they knew any of the working women who had been killed.
So there I was driving north and south on Dort like any regular John looking for a hooker. There were certain spots where they hung out, usually places with an easy access to motorists, like an abandoned store parking lot.
The women would appear and disappear almost as quickly as you were able to turn around and try to talk to them.
Finally, I spotted a would be worker and pulled up next to her, identified myself and asked her if I could simply interview her for a minute. For a Dort Highway hooker, this lady looked pretty nice, but she was not interested in an interview.
Finally after several attempts to get a comment, she leaned in and said "you're messing up our decoy sting, Jim, I'm a cop?" Should have known by the lack of needle sticks in her arm and the fact she was attractive.
Later, my cop sources at the Flint Police Department had a good laugh at my expense as they recounted my conversation with the decoy that they had been listening to over the wire worn by the female police officer. No doubt some of them were salivating over the potential of arresting a Flint Journal reporter on a soliciting charge, but were disappointed when they discovered I was only looking for a comment not something else.
So my patrols began again, this time I found a "real" prostitute, but she insisted that I was costing her money by being parked next to her and asking questions. She said I either had to pay the equivalent for a "session" or get away from her.
When I told her I couldn't pay her for the interview, she told me "I could use some cigarettes." I found out what brand she smoked and went to the nearby 7-11 to buy her a "gift" of cigarettes. In my own mind I justified the "gift" as different from a cash payment for the interview. Probably a bad decision.
By the time I returned about 10 minutes later, she was gone. My patrol continued and about 20 minutes she was back at her spot. So I gave her the packs of cigarettes and she gave me an anonymous statement on how "a girl had to work" and that she wasn't worried about any killer because she had a pretty regular clientele that she knew and trusted.
Then she let me know that I had overstayed my cigarette bribe.
During the 1990s we had a series of homicides involving prostitutes, many of them working on Dort Highway.
My editor, Roger, asked that I go find a prostitute working on the street and see if I could get a comment about whether they were fearful of the recent series of homicides and if they knew any of the working women who had been killed.
So there I was driving north and south on Dort like any regular John looking for a hooker. There were certain spots where they hung out, usually places with an easy access to motorists, like an abandoned store parking lot.
The women would appear and disappear almost as quickly as you were able to turn around and try to talk to them.
Finally, I spotted a would be worker and pulled up next to her, identified myself and asked her if I could simply interview her for a minute. For a Dort Highway hooker, this lady looked pretty nice, but she was not interested in an interview.
Finally after several attempts to get a comment, she leaned in and said "you're messing up our decoy sting, Jim, I'm a cop?" Should have known by the lack of needle sticks in her arm and the fact she was attractive.
Later, my cop sources at the Flint Police Department had a good laugh at my expense as they recounted my conversation with the decoy that they had been listening to over the wire worn by the female police officer. No doubt some of them were salivating over the potential of arresting a Flint Journal reporter on a soliciting charge, but were disappointed when they discovered I was only looking for a comment not something else.
So my patrols began again, this time I found a "real" prostitute, but she insisted that I was costing her money by being parked next to her and asking questions. She said I either had to pay the equivalent for a "session" or get away from her.
When I told her I couldn't pay her for the interview, she told me "I could use some cigarettes." I found out what brand she smoked and went to the nearby 7-11 to buy her a "gift" of cigarettes. In my own mind I justified the "gift" as different from a cash payment for the interview. Probably a bad decision.
By the time I returned about 10 minutes later, she was gone. My patrol continued and about 20 minutes she was back at her spot. So I gave her the packs of cigarettes and she gave me an anonymous statement on how "a girl had to work" and that she wasn't worried about any killer because she had a pretty regular clientele that she knew and trusted.
Then she let me know that I had overstayed my cigarette bribe.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Bulwer-Lytton bad fiction contest rides again
Some people wait for their favorite awards shows, The Golden Globes or The Academy Awards, but for me I like the annual Bulwer-Lytton bad fiction contest sponsored by San Jose State University.
Sometimes called the "It was a dark and stormy night...contest" the judges honor the worst opening book lines that people submit. Even I once entered with a dramatic opening that I had actually witnessed at a crime scene outside the Carriage Town Mission in Flint.
My line, which did not win, but got an honorable mention postcard from the judges was:
"Beer mixed in the blood oozing from the knife wound in the drunk's abdomen was so fresh that it still had a head on it."
A detective at the scene pointed out to me that the bubbles I saw in the gutter was actually the fresh beer foam that was leaking from the victim's belly. The fight, as I recall some 15-20 years later, was over a 40-ounce bottle of beer two drunks were trying to share.
Sometimes called the "It was a dark and stormy night...contest" the judges honor the worst opening book lines that people submit. Even I once entered with a dramatic opening that I had actually witnessed at a crime scene outside the Carriage Town Mission in Flint.
My line, which did not win, but got an honorable mention postcard from the judges was:
"Beer mixed in the blood oozing from the knife wound in the drunk's abdomen was so fresh that it still had a head on it."
A detective at the scene pointed out to me that the bubbles I saw in the gutter was actually the fresh beer foam that was leaking from the victim's belly. The fight, as I recall some 15-20 years later, was over a 40-ounce bottle of beer two drunks were trying to share.
Man was I wrong
Guess that Senate seat in Massachusetts doesn't actually belong to the Kennedy family or the Democrats. I'm not one that tends to believe media hype and this result may have been a combination of voter remorse, but also a factor of a really, really bad Democrat candidate.
Next time, learn your baseball Martha. President Obama invested his own political clout in the race by going there at the last minute, so he has to be a little upset today. CNN said last night that Obama won Massachusetts a year ago by 26 points. That's a stunning reversal by any one's estimation.
That said, my candidate, Joseph Kennedy, the only Kennedy running for Kennedy's seat, trailed badly. My dream of a growing, influential third party, remains just a dream.
Next time, learn your baseball Martha. President Obama invested his own political clout in the race by going there at the last minute, so he has to be a little upset today. CNN said last night that Obama won Massachusetts a year ago by 26 points. That's a stunning reversal by any one's estimation.
That said, my candidate, Joseph Kennedy, the only Kennedy running for Kennedy's seat, trailed badly. My dream of a growing, influential third party, remains just a dream.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The Daily Show on the Massachusetts race
While I still think it's a pretty long shot that the Republican will win in Massachusetts, The Daily Show reminded me last night why I love to watch.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Mass Backwards | ||||
| ||||
Monday, January 18, 2010
First the layoffs, now the hiring
Just a couple weeks ago we reported the pending layoffs at Booth newspapers on the west side of the State. Today comes this ad. Hard to know if this is cutting too deeply, or getting rid of the high-priced help and replacing it with lower paid, part-time help.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Hoping for the 'Kennedy' to pull out Massachusetts race
I keep hearing how the Massachusetts seat up for grabs is a "Kennedy" seat. Forget that it belongs to the people, but if it is truly a Kennedy seat, I'm hoping for a win for the only 'Kennedy' in the race, Joseph L. Kennedy, an independent candidate. That is one of those hope, beyond hope things.
What is really startling is that this is a race at all. Massachusetts is a pretty liberal state. But today, President Obama is leaving the White House, the tragedy in Haiti and concerns over terrorists to go there an campaign for the Democrat who was at one time 31 points ahead.
She hasn't helped herself with Palinesque gaffes like "there are no Taliban/terrorists left in Afghanistan."
Not to mention offending Roman Catholics in a State full of them.
But the really big gaffe had nothing to do with national or foreign policy, it has to do with the Boston Red Sox. During a radio interview Ms. Martha Coakley referred to legendary Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling as a "Yankee fan."
I can assure you, knowing Boston like I do, that this will not go down well. It was Schilling who courageously pitched the Red Sox to a key World Series game win over the St. Louis Cardinals with blood oozing out of his sock. It is a moment trapped in Boston lore and that frankly anyone in Massachusetts should know instictively.
Schilling who is backing the Republican candidate, Scott Brown, had this to say on his blog:
“I’ve been called a lot of things...But never, and I mean never, could anyone ever make the mistake of calling me a Yankee fan. Well, check that, if you didn’t know what the hell is going on in your own state maybe you could….”
I still think it's an uphill battle for anyone but a Democrat to win such a major seat in Massachusetts, but the fact that it is even this close should give some pause to the Democrats.
What is really startling is that this is a race at all. Massachusetts is a pretty liberal state. But today, President Obama is leaving the White House, the tragedy in Haiti and concerns over terrorists to go there an campaign for the Democrat who was at one time 31 points ahead.
She hasn't helped herself with Palinesque gaffes like "there are no Taliban/terrorists left in Afghanistan."
Not to mention offending Roman Catholics in a State full of them.
But the really big gaffe had nothing to do with national or foreign policy, it has to do with the Boston Red Sox. During a radio interview Ms. Martha Coakley referred to legendary Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling as a "Yankee fan."
I can assure you, knowing Boston like I do, that this will not go down well. It was Schilling who courageously pitched the Red Sox to a key World Series game win over the St. Louis Cardinals with blood oozing out of his sock. It is a moment trapped in Boston lore and that frankly anyone in Massachusetts should know instictively.
Schilling who is backing the Republican candidate, Scott Brown, had this to say on his blog:
“I’ve been called a lot of things...But never, and I mean never, could anyone ever make the mistake of calling me a Yankee fan. Well, check that, if you didn’t know what the hell is going on in your own state maybe you could….”
I still think it's an uphill battle for anyone but a Democrat to win such a major seat in Massachusetts, but the fact that it is even this close should give some pause to the Democrats.
Pat Robertson, Danny Glover: When saying nothing sometimes makes good sense
Two lunatic versions on the disaster in Haiti:
Danny Glover (about two minutes in seems to blame global warming for the earthquake)
Pat Robertson blames the earthquake on a pact with the devil
Danny Glover (about two minutes in seems to blame global warming for the earthquake)
Pat Robertson blames the earthquake on a pact with the devil
Remembering the warriors today
'Til the Last Shot is fired' with Trace Adkins and the U.S. Army Glee Club.
Funafuti: A place of peace, a place I want to go
When I was a boy, my late stepfather Ray used to reminisce about a place he visited during World War II.Ray was a Navy pilot, but from what I could glean from our rare discussions, not a combat one. He flew PBYs, a large plane equipped to land and take off on water. He visited all the hot spots, including Guadalcanal, but always after the islands were secured by Marines and Army units.
He had a Navy friend, Frank Ferguson who used to stop by our house in La Crescenta and they would talk about their war experiences. I was always fascinated by their talks. But one place they talked about that stuck with me was Funafuti.
Funafuti, the capital city of the Tuvalu atoll, was a small Navy base that both Frank and my stepfather had visited. When they spoke of Funafuti they would light up. It was obviously a place of fond memories.
When my stepfather would become frustrated with the routine and not-so-routine challenges of life he would often say: "God, I wish I was back on Funafuti."
For some reason I woke up thinking about those discussions between Frank and Ray in our living room in the early 1960s (Frank died of cancer in the 1960s). So thanks to Google I found out a little about the island nation.
According to the Funafuti travel website, (the chart for population and acreage is reversed) the island nation, one of the newest members of the United Nations, has a population of a little over 9,000 (as of 2002 census). Half of the population of the country lives in the capital city of Funafuti. The group of small islands are a part of a former volcano rim in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and it looks like it is only a couple city blocks wide in many places.
You can't find flights on Expedia, Priceline or any of the usual travel sites and it appears only Air Pacific flies there and only a couple days a week. I couldn't find a price or even an airport to fly from (there are no flights from any American airport to Funafuti listed on any travel site I checked).
There are 5-6 hotels, with the largest having 12 rooms. One motel has three rooms and a daily rate of $80 (Australian). There are wonderful excursions for the few travelers who do come there.
God, I wish I was on Funafuti, and I've never been there.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
What I've learned from Addisen
Last night I went to the Detroit Red Wings versus Carolina Hurricanes hockey game at Joe Louis arena. It was a great game, Wings won 3-1, but one of the highlights of the night had nothing to do with hockey, but with Sesame Street.During a television time-out, the arena reporter picked out a 7-year-old girl to answer questions on the big jumbotron about Sesame Street. If she answered the questions correctly she would win a 4-pack of tickets to a live Sesame Street show coming to Detroit.
So I aced the first two old-school Sesame Street questions (where does Oscar the Grouch live? and who is Ernie's friend?) or at least I think those were the first two questions.
But the last question would have been a game ender for me, except for my granddaughter, Addisen.
The question: "Who is the wanna be fairy in training on Sesame Street?"
Even before they flashed the multiple choice answers on the screen, I yelled out: "I know this, it's Abby Cadabby!"
That brought several stares from the assorted jock types sitting near me. One young man, who was wearing a Shanahan jersey, turned around from his seat right in front of me and asked how I could know such a thing.
"It pays to have a 3-year-old granddaughter," I said. Heck we've got the Abby Cadabby movie, the book and probably an action figure or two in our house.
So I spiked the ball on that one. But I'll probably have to reapply for my man card soon.
Dad finds a winner in the Washington Post
My father, a resident of Virginia, is a voracious reader of newspapers. He loves his newspaper delivered and in hard copy. But he is also one of the best copy editors I have ever known. Some people have that copy editor's eye, the one that catches the smallest detail, and others don't.
My Dad has that eye.
But it didn't take too much detail to discover the mistake he found in this police brief in the Washington Post:
"Here's another reason why I look forward to reading the morning paper. There is a brief news item in the Post this morning about a woman being hit by a dump truck while standing on the side of the road near Leesburg.
The second paragraph identified the woman as Martha Johnson, 45, of Leesburg who left her vehicle. Paragraph five states, The woman's identity is being withheld pending notification of her family. If her family reads the Washington Post, they've got the identity information already!"
Been there, done that.
My Dad has that eye.
But it didn't take too much detail to discover the mistake he found in this police brief in the Washington Post:
"Here's another reason why I look forward to reading the morning paper. There is a brief news item in the Post this morning about a woman being hit by a dump truck while standing on the side of the road near Leesburg.
The second paragraph identified the woman as Martha Johnson, 45, of Leesburg who left her vehicle. Paragraph five states, The woman's identity is being withheld pending notification of her family. If her family reads the Washington Post, they've got the identity information already!"
Been there, done that.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
A tale of citizen journalism
I want to be clear that I am not attacking the writer of this story. The fact that the newspaper has turned the keys to its website over to citizen journalists is the newspaper's fault, not the person who posts there. The story may have been written by a young man with little journalism experience, but the fault lies with the organization that allows the posting of raw copy before an editor lays an eye on it.
Here is what was posted Monday morning:
Grand Blanc boy's bowling lose's conference match saturday
Mike Novick, January 11, 2010 11:21 a.m.
Grand blanc boy's bowling team bowl well saturday but Walled lake northern just bowled better.
Walled lake northern won both baker game with a total 430 to grand blanc's 340.Grand Blanc lose the first regular match 1007 to 945 grand blanc was led by senior dean tobias 236 and freshmen Cody gerou 229.
Grand Blanc won the second team game 1040 to 954 being led by Jordan Ruszkowski 265,Dean Tobias 232. Grand blanc won totals for the regular games but losing both baker games put them in a big hole.
Grand Blanc was lead by Dean Tobias 236,232,Jordan Ruszkowski 196,265 and Cody Gerou 229,210
Grand blanc fell to 0-2 in conference play 2-2 overall
An editor eventually arrived a day later and cleaned up the mess, but this posting of raw citizen journalism is jarring to folks who have been in the business and knows what goes into the actual writing, editing and production of stories.
Here is what was posted Monday morning:
Grand Blanc boy's bowling lose's conference match saturday
Mike Novick, January 11, 2010 11:21 a.m.
Grand blanc boy's bowling team bowl well saturday but Walled lake northern just bowled better.
Walled lake northern won both baker game with a total 430 to grand blanc's 340.Grand Blanc lose the first regular match 1007 to 945 grand blanc was led by senior dean tobias 236 and freshmen Cody gerou 229.
Grand Blanc won the second team game 1040 to 954 being led by Jordan Ruszkowski 265,Dean Tobias 232. Grand blanc won totals for the regular games but losing both baker games put them in a big hole.
Grand Blanc was lead by Dean Tobias 236,232,Jordan Ruszkowski 196,265 and Cody Gerou 229,210
Grand blanc fell to 0-2 in conference play 2-2 overall
An editor eventually arrived a day later and cleaned up the mess, but this posting of raw citizen journalism is jarring to folks who have been in the business and knows what goes into the actual writing, editing and production of stories.
More recent Booth layoff news
Stop over at Inside Out and get the scoop on all the latest Booth fallout. Also she has links to a blog written by one of those just "downsized." Good people all, much better than the ones running the joint.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Former DDP takes exception to former boss' blast
James Briggs, who worked for the ill-fated Detroit Daily Press got a blast from one of the former publishers of the DDP on Facebook. James responded on his blog.
Beautiful aerial footage of the Grand Canyon
We all have that one scene, experience or natural formation that takes our breath away. The Grand Canyon is mine. I've visited it, flown over it, watched films about it and am planning to make another visit there next fall. No embed, but see link below.
I found this aerial video of the Grand Canyon today and it was beautiful and I think it lowered my blood pressure ten points. In case you are concerned about the helicopter's effect on global warming, the video producers said they are buying carbon offsets for every hour they spend in the air. So watch with ease.
I found this aerial video of the Grand Canyon today and it was beautiful and I think it lowered my blood pressure ten points. In case you are concerned about the helicopter's effect on global warming, the video producers said they are buying carbon offsets for every hour they spend in the air. So watch with ease.
Flint Journal ad touts employee who left
Sunday night I was leafing through my Sunday Journal and on one of the inside front section pages an ad jumps out at me with a picture of a former colleague who I know just left the paper.
The 1/4-page ad quotes the reporter and encourages readers to check out her writing in the paper.
Here's the quote: "It's become more important than ever for professional journalists to provide the public with accurate and objective news."
That's true, but for her own preservation she has taken another job, out of newspapers, as of last Monday. So if readers want to check out her writing they will have to go to the archives.
Someone needs to send a memo to the centralized copy desk and keep them up to date on the personnel changes.
I wish her nothing but the best, she was one of the best writers at the paper and also one of the hardest workers. A huge loss for the paper.
The 1/4-page ad quotes the reporter and encourages readers to check out her writing in the paper.
Here's the quote: "It's become more important than ever for professional journalists to provide the public with accurate and objective news."
That's true, but for her own preservation she has taken another job, out of newspapers, as of last Monday. So if readers want to check out her writing they will have to go to the archives.
Someone needs to send a memo to the centralized copy desk and keep them up to date on the personnel changes.
I wish her nothing but the best, she was one of the best writers at the paper and also one of the hardest workers. A huge loss for the paper.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Fireworks Sydney Australia style
I like fireworks, these were pretty good.
New Year Fireworks 2010 - Sydney from Digital Documents on Vimeo.
A headline double standard review
The Daily Derelict has done a little homework and put together a series of business headlines doing with layoffs, including the recent ones at Booth.
Four FJ career employees laid off
I mentioned previously that one FJ employee (the mention is toward the end of the story) was laid off in the latest round of Booth downsizing, but it now appears there were four long time employees who got the ax.
Insiders have been saying that the paper's management has been telling employees that the company has turned the corner and is making money, but this would seem to contradict that.
Unless the high priced help who runs Booth wants to purge all those who are still on the payroll at a living wage. I'm waiting for more information.
As for the severance packages across Booth, the early reports are one week's pay for every year of service, but that won't be confirmed until the letters start arriving at people's homes in West Michigan tomorrow.
Insiders have been saying that the paper's management has been telling employees that the company has turned the corner and is making money, but this would seem to contradict that.
Unless the high priced help who runs Booth wants to purge all those who are still on the payroll at a living wage. I'm waiting for more information.
As for the severance packages across Booth, the early reports are one week's pay for every year of service, but that won't be confirmed until the letters start arriving at people's homes in West Michigan tomorrow.
An amazing video of eagles hunting wolves
A friend posted this over on Facebook. It is fascinating footage of gold eagles in Mongolia hunting wolves. If you are don't enjoy watching the more violent aspects of nature, you might want to pass on this one.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
What everyone already knew, DDP won't come back
Found a story on Facebook about the fate of the Detroit Daily Press. This was a no-brainer.
Ten reasons I don't miss the newsroom, and one big one why I do
Ten reasons why I don’t miss working in newspapers anymore:
1. No more cell phone or pager going off when I’m on vacation with my family with a question about my story.
2. No more idiot readers calling me to tell me how much better they know my job than I do.
3. No more idiot editors calling me to tell me how much better they know my beat than I do.
4. No more 8 hours pay for 12 hours of work.
5. No more endless memos about how the most important thing in the editor’s day was that my desk should be clean.
6. No more airhead bosses telling me how we all need to “write with authority.”
7. No more reading my stories in print with stupid errors edited INTO them.
8. No more being awake half the night wondering what stupid assignment awaits me in the morning.
9. No more putting together a great investigative piece only to have a big city lawyer and spineless editor remove the facts the public really needed to know.
10. No more blankety-blank Sunday story meetings. Or any meeting heading by an editor, for that matter.
One reason I do miss working in newspapers:
1. The rush you get from chasing a crooked politician or following up leads to a great story and seeing it in print. We endured all the above for that one high. It was like crack.
I'm finally cured. (Feel free to add your own - remember anonymous here, is really anonymous, but all blog rules apply, so keep it clean. I know it will be hard).
1. No more cell phone or pager going off when I’m on vacation with my family with a question about my story.
2. No more idiot readers calling me to tell me how much better they know my job than I do.
3. No more idiot editors calling me to tell me how much better they know my beat than I do.
4. No more 8 hours pay for 12 hours of work.
5. No more endless memos about how the most important thing in the editor’s day was that my desk should be clean.
6. No more airhead bosses telling me how we all need to “write with authority.”
7. No more reading my stories in print with stupid errors edited INTO them.
8. No more being awake half the night wondering what stupid assignment awaits me in the morning.
9. No more putting together a great investigative piece only to have a big city lawyer and spineless editor remove the facts the public really needed to know.
10. No more blankety-blank Sunday story meetings. Or any meeting heading by an editor, for that matter.
One reason I do miss working in newspapers:
1. The rush you get from chasing a crooked politician or following up leads to a great story and seeing it in print. We endured all the above for that one high. It was like crack.
I'm finally cured. (Feel free to add your own - remember anonymous here, is really anonymous, but all blog rules apply, so keep it clean. I know it will be hard).
Friday, January 8, 2010
More on Western Michigan layoffs
It's been a very bad day for Boothies on the west side of Michigan. I know those of us who have already been through the end of our careers feel for those who are now facing the abyss.
As always, the rumors started flying on Wednesday (I received several tips beginning Wednesday afternoon) that something bad was in the offing for Friday. The rumors, in this case, were right.
Kalamazoo got the bad news today and layoffs were announced in P&D, editorial and advertising. There was a morning meeting and an afternoon meeting to deliver the bad news, according to sources there.
Individual meetings are planned to deliver the really bad news.
According to one source, severance packages will be offered to those laid off, and new part-time positions (possibly the ones published yesterday ahead of today's announcement - nice, eh?) are being created.
For reporters on the layoff list, a 48-hour notification window with severance packages are expected to arrive at people's mailboxes Monday.
There appears to be an chance for the laid off full-time reporters to apply for the downsized part-time positions. And some management folks will suffer salary decreases.
Presses at the Gazette will be "moth balled" with printing of the Gazette moving to Grand Rapids.
Friday's meetings were a poorly kept secret and I began getting notifications of it on Wednesday.
The news at Grand Rapids is equally bad.
A total of 65 layoffs at the Grand Rapids Press, 15 from the newsroom. Will have to wait and see how that all shakes out.
Ad production is reportedly heading to Erie, Pennsylvania, so a pretty long commute for the Booth faithful on the west side of the State. That fact, along with many others were left out of the cushy, lame news release put out by the company. For a news gathering organization they certainly aren't ashamed enough to cover their own bad news with the same sensational language they would use for some other company.
Or perhaps, the editor didn't risk letting a real business reporter cover the story as it should have been. Shameless.
I'm told the Muskegon Chronicle is down to six reporters, but could use some help if that's a decrease from today, or if it has been that low for awhile.
Once again we'll wait and see how much pain the suits and brains that have brought Booth/Advance to this point suffer. Guessing probably not as much as those they led.
All this became possible when the "Lifetime" job pledge was withdrawn in August. I have a question. How do you withdraw a lifetime pledge, before a lifetime is over? If you can withdraw a lifetime pledge, then it never was one. That would make it a lie.
At least one layoff today at the Flint Journal. (Aren't they hiring?) Inside Out has that story.
Hang in there folks, our hearts are with you.
As always, the rumors started flying on Wednesday (I received several tips beginning Wednesday afternoon) that something bad was in the offing for Friday. The rumors, in this case, were right.
Kalamazoo got the bad news today and layoffs were announced in P&D, editorial and advertising. There was a morning meeting and an afternoon meeting to deliver the bad news, according to sources there.
Individual meetings are planned to deliver the really bad news.
According to one source, severance packages will be offered to those laid off, and new part-time positions (possibly the ones published yesterday ahead of today's announcement - nice, eh?) are being created.
For reporters on the layoff list, a 48-hour notification window with severance packages are expected to arrive at people's mailboxes Monday.
There appears to be an chance for the laid off full-time reporters to apply for the downsized part-time positions. And some management folks will suffer salary decreases.
Presses at the Gazette will be "moth balled" with printing of the Gazette moving to Grand Rapids.
Friday's meetings were a poorly kept secret and I began getting notifications of it on Wednesday.
The news at Grand Rapids is equally bad.
A total of 65 layoffs at the Grand Rapids Press, 15 from the newsroom. Will have to wait and see how that all shakes out.
Ad production is reportedly heading to Erie, Pennsylvania, so a pretty long commute for the Booth faithful on the west side of the State. That fact, along with many others were left out of the cushy, lame news release put out by the company. For a news gathering organization they certainly aren't ashamed enough to cover their own bad news with the same sensational language they would use for some other company.
Or perhaps, the editor didn't risk letting a real business reporter cover the story as it should have been. Shameless.
I'm told the Muskegon Chronicle is down to six reporters, but could use some help if that's a decrease from today, or if it has been that low for awhile.
Once again we'll wait and see how much pain the suits and brains that have brought Booth/Advance to this point suffer. Guessing probably not as much as those they led.
All this became possible when the "Lifetime" job pledge was withdrawn in August. I have a question. How do you withdraw a lifetime pledge, before a lifetime is over? If you can withdraw a lifetime pledge, then it never was one. That would make it a lie.
At least one layoff today at the Flint Journal. (Aren't they hiring?) Inside Out has that story.
Hang in there folks, our hearts are with you.
The other shoe as dropped in Western Michigan
I've been getting tips for days on this, but never got it from a source I knew well enough to post. But some big news today out of Kalamazoo.
The headline of the story is comical in its euphemistic language. If this had been a story about any other local business's layoffs, it would have been dramatically worse.
I have some more information I have obtained this afternoon, but won't have time to post it until after 8 p.m. tonight. Check back.
The headline of the story is comical in its euphemistic language. If this had been a story about any other local business's layoffs, it would have been dramatically worse.
I have some more information I have obtained this afternoon, but won't have time to post it until after 8 p.m. tonight. Check back.
A couple notable lies from the recent past
How do you tell when a politician is lying? You all know the punchline......
Just in case: "When their lips are moving."
Just in case: "When their lips are moving."
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Google: In the French crosshairs
I'm not a big lover of the French, but have to love their spunk in thinking about going after Google. (You may have to click on the link a couple times to bypass a free registration process)
The only thing that makes this improbable, is that the French aren't usually known for their fighting.
I do like that the French court finds that aggregating published content as a copyright violation. (Of course, here I am posting a link to a published article myself).
The only thing that makes this improbable, is that the French aren't usually known for their fighting.
I do like that the French court finds that aggregating published content as a copyright violation. (Of course, here I am posting a link to a published article myself).
A Western Michigan news opportunity
Here's a link to some available news jobs in Western Michigan. Make sure to read the comments, some are priceless.
Also rumblings of a major annoucement in two newspapers on the West side of the state - Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.
Also rumblings of a major annoucement in two newspapers on the West side of the state - Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.
Ah yes, the weather panic is back
Oh how I love the annual weather panic. A now retired veteran photographer at the Oakland Press and I used to mock the total obsession with weather by the media.It's been relatively quiet here in Michigan this winter, but "a huge weather event" is on its way. The prediction is for 2-4 inches of snow over the next two days. Wow, how will we survive. If I still had a dog I might euthanize it so it wouldn't have to endure the misery of a "4-inch" snow.
Good grief, how stupid is all this? I love it when they predict these weather disasters and then nothing happens. At 5 a.m. you have some poor reporter they dragged out of bed at 3 a.m. standing on a street corner with a flake or two of snow falling around their heads and literally a dusting of snow on the ground.
"Well, Fred, (insert first name of your favorite anchor), looks like we've dodge a bullet today." Yeah, what we've dodged is your stupid, inane descriptions of what we should do.
And just in case any of you Michiganders have never heard this advice before:
"Make sure you dress warmly and in layers and make sure your car is stocked with blankets, fresh water, a cell phone, shovel and virtually every item available in your garage just in case you get stranded on the I-75 freeway where you might not get help for 20-30 minutes."
If it weren't so stupid, it would be funnier.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
No news, is not always good news
Just in case you keep checking your doorstep for your daily issue of the Detroit Daily Press Bill Shea of Crain's has a little news for you on that.
Found that tidbit along with a number of interesting items over on Inside Out.
Found that tidbit along with a number of interesting items over on Inside Out.
C-SPAN formalizes request to air health care hearings
Brian Lamb has sent a letter to House and Senate leaders asking them to allow cameras in to cover the health care negotiations.
Wanna bet the only thing Brian Lamb hears is the sounds of crickets chirping.
So much for transparency. I'd like to be wrong on this, by the way.
Wanna bet the only thing Brian Lamb hears is the sounds of crickets chirping.
So much for transparency. I'd like to be wrong on this, by the way.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Reporters wanted: Flint, Bay City, Saginaw
Just months after slamming the door behind a number of good reporters (and I learned another really good one just left for a private sector job out of journalism - good for her) JournalismJobs.com has a listing for "versatile reporters" at the papers in Flint, Saginaw and Bay City.
My favorite line is: "salary negotiable."
You better bring a really good negotiator if you want to make enough not to have to room with three other people and drive a winter beater car. Also remember that full-time in the new journalism world means 50-hours a week with no overtime. But I'm sure there will be plenty of takers.
On the other hand, they must still have an old roster with the names and numbers of a lot of "versatile reporters" they showed the door. Some of them might want their jobs back.
If you apply for one of those jobs, drop me a line and let me know what those "competitive salary and benefits" are.
But it may be good news for those on board that maybe the bottom has been found and that further reductions and salary and benefit "adjustments" might be over. If that's the case I'm happy for those still there.
My favorite line is: "salary negotiable."
You better bring a really good negotiator if you want to make enough not to have to room with three other people and drive a winter beater car. Also remember that full-time in the new journalism world means 50-hours a week with no overtime. But I'm sure there will be plenty of takers.
On the other hand, they must still have an old roster with the names and numbers of a lot of "versatile reporters" they showed the door. Some of them might want their jobs back.
If you apply for one of those jobs, drop me a line and let me know what those "competitive salary and benefits" are.
But it may be good news for those on board that maybe the bottom has been found and that further reductions and salary and benefit "adjustments" might be over. If that's the case I'm happy for those still there.
A2.com's chief content czar checks in with the numbers at A2politico
OK, the Chief Content Czar at A2.com has checked in at A2politico.com's site with a response to questions raised before Christmas.
Here is the comment left by the Czar:
At AnnArbor.com, we have not done a lot of publicizing of our site traffic so far while it continues to grow. As a new organization, we’ve been waiting to see where our traffic settles in before we begin citing traffic numbers in our promotional material. As other commenters have noted here, sites like Quantcast.com and compete.com are commonly used to get some indication of site traffic, but can grossly undercount that traffic. We use Omniture to measure our site traffic, and have been pleased with the traffic we’ve seen and well as the way traffic grew throughout 2009. In November and December, we typically saw between 170,000 and 200,000 unique visitors a week. For the month of November, we had a little over 630,000 unique visitors, and for December, we had a little more than 650,000 uniques. Given the increases in traffic that we saw in 2009, we are optimistic that we have not peaked and that we will continue to grow our site traffic in 2010. One thing Omniture does not do a great job of is determining what portion of our audience is local, because a local person can be on our site but have an IP address that is not recorded as local. During 2010, we plan to do some market research that measures what share of our audience is local. Anecdotally, we find that our audience is pretty local, but we want to quantify that. In print, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulation, our Sunday circulation is 47,962 and our Thursday circulation is 39,857.
Comment by Tony Dearing — January 4, 2010 @ 10:00 am
Here is the comment left by the Czar:
At AnnArbor.com, we have not done a lot of publicizing of our site traffic so far while it continues to grow. As a new organization, we’ve been waiting to see where our traffic settles in before we begin citing traffic numbers in our promotional material. As other commenters have noted here, sites like Quantcast.com and compete.com are commonly used to get some indication of site traffic, but can grossly undercount that traffic. We use Omniture to measure our site traffic, and have been pleased with the traffic we’ve seen and well as the way traffic grew throughout 2009. In November and December, we typically saw between 170,000 and 200,000 unique visitors a week. For the month of November, we had a little over 630,000 unique visitors, and for December, we had a little more than 650,000 uniques. Given the increases in traffic that we saw in 2009, we are optimistic that we have not peaked and that we will continue to grow our site traffic in 2010. One thing Omniture does not do a great job of is determining what portion of our audience is local, because a local person can be on our site but have an IP address that is not recorded as local. During 2010, we plan to do some market research that measures what share of our audience is local. Anecdotally, we find that our audience is pretty local, but we want to quantify that. In print, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulation, our Sunday circulation is 47,962 and our Thursday circulation is 39,857.
Comment by Tony Dearing — January 4, 2010 @ 10:00 am
Sunday, January 3, 2010
USS Independence - A new breed of ship
My sister-in-law Barbara sent me some pictures of the new LCS2, the USS Independence, which will be commissioned in a couple weeks.
As a former U.S. Navy sailor I am very excited for the potential for this ship. It is designed for close to shore service, which I guess could put it on duty to attack pirates, among other duties.
The ship's website has some nice pictures and photos. The news seems to indicate that the cost of the ship has well overrun its original estimate, but even at $540 million, a relatively inexpensive ship.
As a former U.S. Navy sailor I am very excited for the potential for this ship. It is designed for close to shore service, which I guess could put it on duty to attack pirates, among other duties.
The ship's website has some nice pictures and photos. The news seems to indicate that the cost of the ship has well overrun its original estimate, but even at $540 million, a relatively inexpensive ship.
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