Saturday, February 2, 2013

Editor Alan Finder is lost and found

A construction trailer and other equipment were set up last week in the visitors parking lot at 150 River St., Hackensack, the old headquarters of North Jersey Media Group.



The byline of Alan Finder appears on the front page of The Record today -- two days after Editor Marty Gottlieb folded the section edited by his pal from The New York Times.

Finder -- identified on A-1 as a former Times' City Hall bureau chief who covered the Koch administration in 1986 and 1987 -- writes a long-winded "appreciation" of former Mayor Ed Koch, who died early Friday.

In typical newspaper fashion, the congestive heart failure that killed Koch is mentioned in passing, again squandering an opportunity to educate the public about a leading cause of death in the United States.

Finders keepers

Finder has a sweet deal at The Record, where his talented wife, Elaine Isaacson, has been employed as a graphic artist for many years. 

In late 2011, Finder took a voluntary buyout after 28 years at The Times, according to the New York Observer, which didn't report any of the financial details.

Gottlieb anniversary

Gottlieb, who left The Times to take over the Woodland Park newsroom of The Record a little over a year ago, hired Finder to edit Signature, the feature section that folded last week only five months after it appeared.

Why Signature was created instead of reviving the popular Food section remains a mystery.

Could The Record really afford to hire Finder after a downsizing in 2008, relocation of North Jersey Media Group headquarters in 2009 and a drastic decline in local-news coverage? 

Why is he being kept on?

Makes more than vets?

Salaries at The Record are secret, but can you imagine how much Finder is pulling down, in addition to his generous Times severance and pension?

If veteran newsroom workers at The Record knew exactly what he is being paid -- certainly more than they're making -- I'm sure the howls could be heard as far away as Hackensack. 

What the hell?

The Koch obit dominates Page 1 today, but don't miss the bright from Staff Writer Leslie Brody, who reports on a no-curse pledge by girls at Queen of Peace High School in North Arlington (A-1).

The lead story on A-1 today says Sen. Bob Mendez, the New Jersey Democrat who won another term in November, now finds himself in deep mierda.

Hackensack loses again

Head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes and her deputy, Dan Sforza, managed to find only three pages of local news today, none of it from Hackensack, where at least 11 candidates are vying to get on the ballot in the May 14 City Council election. 

10 comments:

  1. Victor please look up what happened. You are still missing the story and its been a week since it was reported.

    If you were in the loop you would know why the section was folded, why Finder doesn't have a sweetheart deal, not that you reported details, and why it wasn't a good week at The Record.

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  2. I am not "in the loop," and haven't worked there since May 2008. Look up the story where?

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  3. Anon is referring to an internal memo from a week ago but it's not online anymore. Guess you'll never know but it's fun to watch you speculate.

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  4. Why not just fill us in, moron? Are there cutbacks? Why protect the greedy Borgs?

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    Replies
    1. Excuse me? Why not do your own homework instead of passing off speculation as facts? Readers of this blog may never know what goes on there if not for other media that cover it better.

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  5. You mention 11 candidates in the Hackensack race. I only count 10 - 2 slates of 5. Who else is running? Why hasn't it been reported?

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  6. Beats me. There may be as many as 15 candidates, all of whom are getting nomination petitions signed or already have the required signatures.

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  7. Today, The Record reports on another slate of 5, but doesn't say if they have the backing of one of the major political parties. The first slate of 5 also is mentioned in today's story.

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  8. I see you you did say "at least", but you must have had a reason for picking the number 11. Not Sharing?? In answer to your last comment about political party backing - check out their facebook page.

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  9. Can't find it. Why not send me the link?

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