Selling out to Apple

Image by Tim Pritlove via Flickr

Nothing cheapens a paper more than a lavishly promotional story in the news columns that shouts to readers how willing the editors are to sell out. Today, on the front of Local, The Record of Woodland Park completely destroys the line between news and advertising -- and it didn't cost Apple a nickle. 

The story is even promoted on the front page. Is this the Borgs' idea of how to save their once-great daily?

I guess the lazy, incompetent editors decided that readers in Hackensack, Teaneck, Englewood and a bunch of other places no longer care how officials are running their towns and schools, but are dying to know when the iPad went on sale.

Another driving-related safety story appears on Page 1 today -- just two days after a story on driving deaths with an incorrect headline. It's long past the time when Karen Rouse and the other transportation reporters start writing about mass transit, and I'm not talking about the negative, distorted stuff churned out by Tom Davis and his clueless assignment editor, presumably Dan Sforza, a former transportation reporter. Both are off in La La Land. 

Under a one-column headline, an A-1 story reports the death of yet another single-engine plane pilot. Cessnas and similar small planes appear to be unreliable and dangerous, so why haven't we ever seen a story on why they have advanced so little and why they are still so noisy -- to the consternation of residents of Hackensack and other towns under their flight paths? (Photo: Cessna 152.)

Today's Better Living section contains no food news -- the third day this week without any such stories -- despite a house ad that ran Friday touting "ever day"  coverage.

Someone should tell Mike Kelly (on O-1 today) that he will never be a great columnist until he stops asking questions and starts stating his opinion forcefully and colorfully. We're all sick of your questions and we expect you and other columnist to go out on a limb -- that's why you have a column in the first place. Do you get it? Your assignment editor should have told you this years ago, but maybe you have the one who can't take his eyes off of young staffers' breasts.