 |
| TYLER CLEMENTI |
If Editor Marty Gottlieb argues he is justified in running six news stories and a column on the Dharun Ravi verdict because the trial gripped North Jersey, why did he bounce the testimony and jury deliberations onto and off of Page 1 in the past few weeks?
You'd expect this kind of coverage from Gottlieb, who spent many years at The New York Times, but you don't expect shaky headlines and reporting.
Basically, the Ravi verdict headline, over line or kicker and drop headline all say the same thing: he may not go to prison.
Appeal awaits sentence
A sidebar that would have been far more useful than Kelly's wordy column is the view of legal experts on the potential success of an appeal.
To me, Ravi's defense -- that he set up a Web cam in the dorm room he shared with Clementi because he was afraid his iPad would be stolen -- is preposterous. Obviously, the jurors saw through him as well as rejecting Ravi's seven so-called character witnesses.
Gay roommate
An editorial on A-13 says Ravi was not comfortable with his gay roommate. "It was a despicable invasion of privacy, one motivated by Clementi's sexual orientation."
Today's front page has another weighty story: the newspaper's court action to obtain police station videos and a "use of force" report in the fatal shooting of Malik Williams, 19, on Dec. 10, 2011, in Garfield.
The A-1 sports column by Bob Klapisch must have been intended as comic relief.
The correction at the bottom of A-2 today brings this week's total to six corrections or clarifications.
Another crash photo
In mass-transit news, a large photo on the front of head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes' Local section documents the forceful removal from the road of a gas-guzzling, global-warming SUV.
Sykes has a staff of talented staff photographers at her beck and call, so readers continue to wonder why non-fatal accident photos are used as filler in the local news section, especially on the front.
Abandoning Hackensack
Staff Writer Stephanie Akin was so exhausted from three straight days of covering an 82-year-old homeless man and his rescuer she didn't manage to come up with any Hackensack municipal news today.
Where was Sykes and the other assignment editors -- on a three-day weekend?
What's the explanation for the awful photo with the obituary of Terence Pellegrino, a retired Paterson fireman (L-6)?
Below that, there is a brief on a ground-shaking procedural change in Moonachie, where the DPW will join two other departments in inspecting "grease traps in restaurants" (L-6).
(201) magazine
The March 2012 Spring Fashion Issue of (201) magazine continues to pile up corrections from the sleepy editors of Publisher Stephen A. Borg's favorite publication. See Pages 16, 18 and 20.
On Page 20, an "update" on Harry Carson, the former football player, quotes him as "considering a run for Congress," but the issue came out after Carson was quoted in The Record and other media saying he won't be a candidate.
Englewood whitewash
On Page 44, a full-page feature on Englewood -- which is a classic two-sides-of-the-tracks community -- appears under this headline: "City chic with suburban living."
Only five of Englewood's "popular eateries" are listed, but the editors made sure to include Grand Cru, a wine bar in which Borg and his big sister, Jennifer, have or had a financial interest.
Bitch, bitch, bitch
On Page 153, Bob Probert reviews Biddy O'Malley's, an Irish pub in Northvale that serves enough artery clogging food to fill the cardiac wing of a major hospital.
No prices appear in the review. His strongest criticism is that the baked macaroni and cheese with three cheeses, sausage and green apples didn't have enough "sauce."
Borg puts on tie
Stephen Borg pulled himself together for a photo at the bottom of Page 128, which reports on the Best of Bergen Party, Feb. 2, 2012.
Photo No. 3 on that page shows six people, but only five names appear in the caption, including "Alex Joanne Parlamis."
Hey, Victor, been noticing the number of comments on the site is way down (except for Jerry D). Guess your blog is flaming out. Don't worry, I promise I won't cancel my subscription.
ReplyDeleteBreaking story! SUV crashes into light pole! In other earth-shattering news DOG BITES MAN!
ReplyDeleteThe number of comments doesn't concern me, because I'm aware that many people are intimidated even sending an Anonymous message, fearing detection by The Record's distaff Laurel & Hardy -- Jennifer Borg and Deirdre Sykes.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the initials "L" and "H" could just as well stand for "Laughs A Lot" and clitoral "Hard-On" for newsroom workers.
And I think most of my readers agree with me about the precipitous decline in quality; the lazy, incompetent assignment desk; and Liz Houlton's dysfunctional news copy desk.
Clitoral hard on? What?
ReplyDeleteVictor, maybe you would have been better off making noise like this in public when you worked for the paper, considering it doesn't seem like anybody ever knew who you were. What would they do, fire you? They did that anyway.
Since the Clementi trial was an obvious witchhunt to punish someone for the death of an 18 year old boy who routinely kicked his roommate out of his dormroom so he can have sex with a grown man nearly double his age, I wonder when Clementi's mother, who did not approve of her son's homosexual lifestyle will go on trial?
ReplyDeleteWho exactly are you? Hiding behind "Anonymous." What a pussy.
ReplyDelete