Friday follies
On today's front page, we have the Nesselroad-Slaby interview across the top, and the sentencing of a teen driver in the second lead position on the right. Both stories jump to an inside page, and the interview story is co-written by a Community News report, a sign of things to come at the Enquirer. Neither of these stories, at a real newspaper, would rate those positions -- either because they wouldn't sensationalize those events or that most newspapers are more sensitive to the families involved than to exploit their tragedies this way. The effect of this is to push the headline on the troop reduction story below the fold, and this story doesn't jump. This all tells you what Enquirer editors think of Iraq news. Papers in Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, Akron and Louisville all put the headline of their Iraq stories above the fold. At the bottom of the page is a weird science story about Google offering a prize for landing a moon rover. Enquirer editors love weird science stories.
Across the very bottom of the page is an Roecker & Boerger ad. It's a big one, two inches high. I thought it was just my imagination that these ads are getting bigger and more intrusive. Then I saw the Lexus ad across the bottom of the front page of the Sports section -- it's an odd shaped ad that at its peak is four inches tall. Yes, they are getting more intrusive. Anything for a buck.
Finally, over on the cover of the Life section, if the headline on the story about Bengals wives ("Inside Their Huddle"), isn't a euphemism for sex, then I don't know what "hide the salami" means. Newspaper people are trained to have dirty and twisted minds, because it helps such things from being published. As I said before, this wouldn't happen at a newspaper where the editors' sensitivies are more finely tuned.
Across the very bottom of the page is an Roecker & Boerger ad. It's a big one, two inches high. I thought it was just my imagination that these ads are getting bigger and more intrusive. Then I saw the Lexus ad across the bottom of the front page of the Sports section -- it's an odd shaped ad that at its peak is four inches tall. Yes, they are getting more intrusive. Anything for a buck.
Finally, over on the cover of the Life section, if the headline on the story about Bengals wives ("Inside Their Huddle"), isn't a euphemism for sex, then I don't know what "hide the salami" means. Newspaper people are trained to have dirty and twisted minds, because it helps such things from being published. As I said before, this wouldn't happen at a newspaper where the editors' sensitivies are more finely tuned.
posted by Newsache at 9:52 AM
13 Comments:
You have no idea what you are talking about. None. Zippo.
The Slaby story marks the first time she has spoken to a newspaper or TV station about this awful event. Hearing her voice, and getting answers to questions that readers have been wondering about, was compelling and it certainly was NOT exploitation. If she hadn't wanted to talk, she would have declined the opportunity.
Your comparisons of the Enq to other newspapers is tiresome. Of COURSE the pages will be different. Almost everything about the play, length and headlines used on stories is subjective. Just because it's different doesn't mean it's wrong. (Except in your eyes, of course).
Speaking of sloppiness, do you know how to spell "follies"? Did you see the redundancy in your first sentence? Or are you in such a hurry to slash at the old ENQ that you just can't take the time to read what you wrote.
Your credibility is crumbling, Newsache.
Ooops...my bad...comparisons ARE tiresome.
The "exclusive", Community Press interview was poorly written and really didn’t answer what most want to know: Why do they leave their kids in the car? Why didn't they change the behavior after multiple reminders? Why didn’t Slaby see her child in the car backing up to unload and on subsequent trips to her SUV that day, etc?
The lack of in-depth questions, especially in light of other comments made created more questions, not fewer. Was she or her staff on formal notice? Will her "charity" educate others? Will the SUV's proceeds go to her cause? How has she moved past this as she says so quickly?
It’s doubtful that the Press got the “exclusive” by agreeing to stay away from tough questions, but given the absence of so many it seems hard to rule that out.
To anonymous 1057:
On July 29, Tim Bischel of Harrison Township backed his SUV over his 19-month-old daughter, killing her. The Enquirer published one story on this.
The Slaby story count: 43 in 20 days, including editorials and not counting videos. I don't see much difference between these two cases, and not enough to explain the difference in coverage. Why did the Enquirer choose to cover the Slaby story to this extent? Is it because a Mercedes was involved? Because it was a mother rather than a father? Because it happened on the East Side? Did the Enquirer ever interview Tim Bischel? Did the Enquirer talk to his employer and ask whether he should be fired?
I'm glad someone who knows so much about this has chosen to post on my blog. Please explain the difference between the coverage of the Bischel case and the Slaby case. What does the Enquirer want from Slaby? Her job? Her arrest? Her death? What is the Enquirer's concept of justice in this case? Also, please tell me whether that Community Press reporter is earning as much as the Enquirer reporter with whom she shared a byline?
And thank you for the editing tips. I've corrected those.
This story is pathetic, c'mon. I've seen better journalism in a community college student paper. It reads like they took a press release, slapped a headline on it, gave it a quick read for spelling and punctuation, and rushed it out to the Web.
Previous poster mentioned some of the questions that weren't asked... what I want to know is, where is the balance? Where is ANYBODY'S reaction to her comments? (I mean, aside from the vitriolic ones on their Web-based comment board.)
I suppose the weak photo gallery they posted represents "balance." Never mind the fact that the cops handed the Enquirer those photos on a silver platter. You're welcome.
The bombastic headline treatment on the Web was embarrassing. President shot, Tornado touches down in Covington, Springer writes hot check to hooker... those stories might merit such treatment. Not this one.
And if you disagree, i.e. if the story is SO BIG it deserves that kind of play, why isn't anybody WORKING the story? Where is the investigative work, who's pounding the pavement? Who's on the Slaby beat, hmm? They've had three weeks. What do they have to show for it?
SQUAT, that's what. They got scooped by the COMMUNITY PRESS. Do they quietly close that casket out of respect for their former credibility? Hell, no! FRONT PAGE, BIG FLAG!!!
If that's not a great big steaming pile of corporate whore, I've never smelt one.
The Slaby interview lacked any substance and was poorly written.
Like most Enquirer interviews, the reporter treated the subject with kid gloves and did NOT "(get)answers to questions that readers have been wondering about," despite what the first poster said. It was more of a PR, fluff piece.
Sadly, these days the Enquirer wouldn't know a god interview if one landed in its lap.
The Wednesday above the fold front page picture was fantastic!
Newsache,
You are are a slob. You report facts instead of fiction. You do nothing right. You suck. Straighten up or be fired. Do what we say or be wrong and forgo a raise. Do what we say and we will make you wrong if you don't do exactly as we thought things might turn out and for that, you will notice a dock in pay. Don't do what we say and the same things will happen. And get that posted to the web, NOW! Did you get the tit shot in? Two tits are ordinary. Where is the three tit shot? Big hits with three tits! Except if that isn't what gets hits. Don't say "tits." Can you take next week off without pay and answer any call necessary for odd numbered tits or tits that get hits? We will define "necessary" after big, big hits.
Sincerely,
Enquirer Management
PS--Obviously we read (see anon 10:57 and the re-cap on spelling at 11:28)
People are sick of reading about Iraq. It's the same story every day, except for a higher death toll and increasingly lame rhetoric from Bush. People would rather read about Slaby. The paper caters to the majority. Get over it, and the idea of what they "should" run.
Community Press employees receive less, yet provide news to the Enquirer and report to the same managers there as their peers.
Originally, the talk was that Community Press staff would not intermingle with Enquirer staff because of pay difference issues, among other things. It appears that approach is going under. Wonder what that means long term for the Enquirer's pay scale for its own new employees?
Ms. 5chw4r7z and I went to Chicago over the weekend, and bought the Sunday Sun-Times edition there. God it went on forever must have been 6 inches thick with in depth relevant stories I actually wanted to read.
For $1.75. Can you believe that.
Forgot what a real newspaper looked like.
Newsache,
What's going on -- have you stopped posting? Your last post was more than a week ago. Loyal Newsache readers want some Enquirer analysis, some inside gossip, something! Thanks.
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