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| The Aug. 27, 2013, front page of the Daily News. |
By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR
Fie on the out-of-state editor of The Record, Francis Scandale, who came from The Denver Post in the state where sheep's testicles are considered a delicacy.
Today's front page is a disaster. Did Scandale have anything to do with the story in the bottom right-hand corner, where Staff Writer Karen Sudol and her assignment editor trot out the old saw that New Jersey is "the incessant butt of jokes."
Really? Is that the only way they can write a New Jersey Hall of Fame story? How stale. How outdated. How un-New Jersey.
All the jokes I've been hearing since early 2010 have been about Governor Christie and his huge butt, not about the Garden State.
More GOP goop
Readers who glanced at the stories above the fold today -- one about the big, bad Iranians and the other peddling Republican Party propaganda from a modern-day Laurel and Hardy -- were turned off instantly.
To the disgust of readers, The Record has joined most other media in putting more emphasis on the outcome of the 2012 presidential election than in the political paralysis that is destroying the country.
The piece on the 2014 Super Bowl date is a non-story -- another waste of space by Scandale and that horse's ass, Staff Writer John Brennan. The vast majority of readers will be sure to avoid the turnpike that day.
I found the full-page ShopRite ad on the back of the Better Living section more interesting.
Two more embarrassing corrections -- down from five the day before -- appear on A-2 today.
Cockeyed assignments
The Local section, put out by head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes and her minions, is another disappointment to readers in Hackensack and many other towns, as well as to commuters, whose problems are routinely ignored by the office-bound Road Warrior columnist.
The L-1 lead is about the glacial pace of consolidating police dispatching in six Pascack Valley towns. How many years have they been jawboning about this?
The story on cleaning up after a Korean harvest festival never says whether the Bronx-based organizers paid Bergen County for use of the new Overpeck Park, and how much.
The report at the bottom of L-1 spends a great deal of time telling readers what a great guy the victim was, but fails to focus on how 27-year-old Eric Meyer of Rutherford threw his life away by driving his powerful Kawasaki motorcycle at an insane rate of speed.
The story says his motorcycle "kept going for two more blocks" after Meyer fell off and was killed. Yet, the reporter makes no attempt to tell readers how fast he was going -- surely, well above 100 mph.
The assignment desk is really cockeyed when it tells a reporter to find relatives who will praise the victim to the sky, despite his moronic behavior on a super bike.
Meyer doesn't deserve this obituary, and readers don't deserve this whitewash.
destroy?
ReplyDeleteabove?
Thanks. I was rushing to post something.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry....did you just say this young man did not deserve an obituary?! He was someone's, son, brother, nephew, friend etc. He had a horrible accident. You have never gone above the speed limit. You are disgusting. You are talking about a life. Imagine how you would feel reading that about someone you love? You sicken me.
ReplyDeleteNormally, a 27-year-old who kills himself while speeding wouldn't get any kind of obituary in The Record. His family would have to pay for a death notice.
ReplyDeleteIn this case, I don't think he deserves a glowing obituary while glossing over his reckless driving. Why not check his driving record?
Just because he died doesn't wipe away the actions that contributed to his death.
Now I know why people blog....becuase they are cowards who don't have gall to say something to someone directly. It must be so easy judging and pointing your finger from behind your computer screen.
ReplyDeleteI noticed how you skirted over my question of how would you feel if you read this about someone you love. Then again the harsh way you write...I doubt there are too many in your life.
It's not normal to judge people, especially people who you don't know that passed away based on an action that occurred in your absence. You judge him based on what - the one action that took his life?? Go home and hug your family and think about how you would feel if your loved one perished based on one action that you would consider - "an insane rate of speed". Nobody is perfect, and clearly, you are not either. What an insensitive (insane) way to gain attention, you must be so proud.
ReplyDeleteyou people are completely sick..he didnt deserve to die and you are all heartless and people like you are what make this world a terrible place to live in..
ReplyDeleteEric Meyer is a great friend of mine, before you make a statement out someone not having a obituary you should think before you type. If you don't have something nice to say keep your mouth shut. People like you SHOULD NOT HAVE AN OBITUARY LET ALONE A LIFE. You are a cruel and heartless person. This is not real news, this is a failed blog attempt by someone who wishes he was a real reporter. Get a life so people can care about you then you can feel how word hurt you 66 year-old FLOGGER.
ReplyDeleteMy full name and identity are behind this blog, more than I can say about your comments.
ReplyDeleteI think I'd be a better example to people I love than the parents of this speed demon.
Nobody is perfect? The guy is dead because he misjudged his ability to handle the speed of his motorcycle.
ReplyDeleteYou don't mean that. Be a big man, admit that you might have seen this in a misdirected light...
ReplyDeleteYou will gain much respect, and you will help others who are in much pain right now. This kid was 27 years old.
Go ahead, Victor. Please.
I'm commenting on this as a former journalist who worked at The Record, and who is familiar with its obituary policy from reading the paper.
ReplyDeletePeople who die in motorcycle or car crashes rarely get a full obituary. Most get a paragraph or two in the paper, with no attempt to find out who they were, whether mother, father, brother, son and so forth.
In this case, the local assignment editors apparently were desperate for copy, and the reporter came up short on details about the actual accident or the victim's driving record, so we get a glowing account of the young man's life.
I read today's paper a little while ago, and noticed a local obituary inside Local -- not on the front -- about a man who taught biology for 41 years, who was a nature lover and who was well-known in the community.
That's typical of The Record's obituary policy.
I feel sorry for Eric Meyer's family, but at least the story could have included quotes from the police that would serve as a cautionary tales to others who love speed but don't have the skills to match, maybe even informing readers whether there are training courses for fast drivers.
I didn't see any follow to the Meyer story today that would answer all the unanswered questions the editors generated. That's also typical of The Record's deeply flawed assignment desk.
If your true issues are about the Record's deeply flawed assignment desk, perhaps you could do something productive and positive to change THAT rather than speculate about a persons experience, intentions or character and furthermore upset people mourning his loss.
ReplyDeleteWhether it was his fault or the fault of someone else or something - you were NOT there - you only read the article. Maybe his driving record is perfect, maybe he is experienced at high speeds and hit a pothole - how do you know?
Yes, as a journalist, you have your own style and are entitled to say what you want, but bare in mind as a journalist you want to attract readers, not derail them - especially if you are looking for supporters of your cause. Maybe you're just the type of person who lacks compassion for others feelings. I'm sorry if you are because human compassion is a beautiful way to keep things positive in a very negative world.
If your issues are with the publication, stay focused on that rather than your **OPINION** of a story or stories that you think should not have had front page attention or in your words "an obituary". It's all political and you're fueling the fire. Hence you are part of the problem.
What I am hearing is a disgruntled person who was let go from the Record based on what you feel is age discrimination and now you have a vengeance. I'm sorry you lost your job, and I think you should fight for your rights - but I don't think it helps YOUR cause to judge someone, especially someone who DIED. This type of thinking may be part of the reason you were let go in the first place. It's all a matter of perspective and from where I sit, your attitude and entitlement seems to have a lot to do with how your are received.
But who am I to judge! I'm only reading this because MY friend suffered a loss and was appalled by the statements in your blog. Quite frankly, your opinion is just that - yours. If your goal is to ruffle feathers - you win. If your goal is to make the Record accountable for their lack of what your feel it should be - keep trying because I'm not sure you've won the support you need for changes to happen.
Without supporters, how will you be successful in your cause?
My suggestion - if you're so irate over the transformation of the Record, STOP READING IT and angering yourself of something that you do not have control over. Not only is it unproductive but stress and anger are bad for your health. Good luck!
let us see:
ReplyDeletestupid guy on motorcycle going fast gets killed; condemned
stupid kids using railroad trestle to cross highway; not condemned, they are the 'victims'
Sure, all of them contributed to their own deaths, but the railroad has always said it is blameless; now, it concedes tracks may not be as safe as they could be.
ReplyDeleteWhat I'd really like to see is the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers putting governors on their ninja bikes, conceding they aren't as safe as they could be.
Oh contrairy, Victor. If anybody put a governor on a ninja bike, it would likely sink into the roadway. Oops, I forgot, I wasn't going to make any more Christie jokes.
ReplyDeleteWe don't need you to feel bad for us! You have no idea who he was or what kind of person he was! How dare you think you can decide who deserves an obituary or not!!
ReplyDelete