Doesn't that big Page 1 photo of grieving relatives make you sick over the paper's tabloid-like exploitation of them? Why doesn't the reporter discuss the obvious child-care issues of entrusting a child to relatives on a regular basis. Later, we have to endure sloppy editing, with a quote from the principal of the boy's school running twice at the end of the story.
At the bottom of the front page, another EnCap story appears, as if anyone still cares about the botched attempt to remake Meadowlands garbage dumps. Do we need any more examples of how New Jersey is a political cesspool of greedy developers and even greedier public officials? Why not highlight the good that may come of this debacle -- open space and more solar energy -- instead of leaving it to the end of the story?
On Page A-4, there's a flattering "profile" of Mary Pat Christie, who will become first lady Jan. 19. The reporter doesn't have the good sense to ask her whether she is going to encourage her husband to eat a healthier diet or reform a campaign-finance system that allows only the rich to run for county or statewide office in New Jersey.
Looking for news of Hackensack, Teaneck and Englewood in the Local section? You won't find any. Yet a great deal of space is squandered on 10 political figures "to watch in 2010." I'm wondering whether we'll see any of them in handcuffs.
The rest of the paper went right into the recycling bin.
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Hey Victor, you read that rag every day. Have they mentioned anything about Hackensack being about to buy the old Masonic Temple building, or about it being for sale in the first place? There's a story in this week's County Seat about the city wanting to turn it into a cultural arts center.
ReplyDeleteYes. The Record did have that story on L-1 before I saw it in the County Seat. It's one of the few stories the daily has had about Hackensack. It completely missed the story I saw in the Hackensack Chronicle on how the mayor, a computer wizard, spent many, many hours improving the efficiency of the city's computers, at no expense to Hackensack. He saved the city many thousands of dollars. Also, there was never a follow-up to the departure of the guy who ran the Upper Main Alliance, the outfit that spruces up the Main Street business district. It never said why he left.
ReplyDeleteThe reason the front page news in The Record is so uninspiring so often is that there really is not enough local news every day of the week. By overemphasizing local news the paper has painted itself into a corner
ReplyDeleteThe reason front page news in The Record is not more exciting is that there is not real local news every day of the week. By confining itself to only local news, The Record has painted itself into a corner.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it has confined itself to local news, but it has painted itself into a corner in terms of how Page 1 is laid out. If a story doesn't haven't a good photo, it will never make the central element of the page, no matter how newsworthy. I can't tell you how many nights I watched a graphics editor lay out the front page, deciding the play of stories depending on whether they had photos or graphs and so forth. I think readers would be riveted by how Chris Christie is going to deal with the growing state deficit. That is front page news in my book every day of the week.
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