Paper's credibility takes more hits

On Monday night, the 6:11 local to Trenton from New York was standing room only. One reason we have such horrendous traffic is a bus and train system with too few seats, and little relief is in sight thanks to Governor Christie, who killed new rail tunnels.

One day, the front page of The Record reports a drug-dealing suspect allegedly kept his girlfriend prisoner in a padlocked room for at least two years.

But the next day -- today -- the Woodland Park daily publishes a "never mind."

The woman says the suspect never hit or abused her, and she asked to be locked inside for her own protection (L-1). 

Mean streets

In fact, the Paterson police are doing such a bad job fighting crime, she says she is afraid to go out into her "bad" neighborhood.

On Aug. 4, The Record's front page carried big, black headlines in which a state assemblyman dismissed charges he wrote $400,000 in bad checks. 

Not only that, but he blamed his financial problems on the poor economy and President Obama.

But in almost daily follow-ups, including a story on Page 1 today, the Woodland Park daily has uncovered at least 19 lawsuits claiming businessman Robert Schroeder of Washington Township "appears to owe $15 million."

Hail to the chief

On Tuesday, the Garfield police chief was pilloried on Page 1 for rolling up comp hours worth an extra $33,000. 

But today, he's quoted as saying he has no intention of asking for compensation for attending community events, and the $33,000 figures never appears in the follow-up story.

Who screwed that up? More importantly, can you believe anything you read in The Record?

Selling the paper

Is Publisher Stephen A. Borg so blinded by greed and is Chairman Malcolm A. "Mac" Borg so out of it they've failed to notice their flagship paper's widening credibility gap?

Why haven't they noticed the increasing number of sensational, largely unsubstantiated headlines since Editor Marty Gottlieb took over in late January?

Or the huge holes in the local news report under the so-called leadership of head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes and her chief yes man, Dan Sforza.

Comeback governor?

Readers are wondering whether Governor Christie is going to mention New Jersey's high unemployment rate during his keynote address at the Republican National Convention (A-3).

Or the couple of billion mass-transit dollars he grabbed to fix roads. Or will he list all of the cronies who have gotten high-paying jobs at the Port Authority or in his administration?

Or disclose that in his first 2 years in office, the property tax burden has risen 20% (A-11)?

The suggestion that Christie will use the speech as a springboard for a 2016 or 2020 White House bid doesn't take into account that he'll probably eat himself to death long before that (A-10). 

Penny ante column

On the front of Sykes' Local section, the entire Road Warrior column is devoted to a fee cut of 50 cents for online renewal of auto registrations (L-1).

In another L-1 story, Sykes makes passing reference to the "mad scramble" of commuters running for NJ Transit trains during the evening rush at New York's Penn Station.

But in recent years, coverage of mass transit is so poor, at least one woman who thought train service had been suspended drove onto the tracks at the Montvale station last week. 

Great photos

The front page and the Local front carry two terrific photos today, calling into question why Sykes has used so many fender-bender photos in recent years.

But why did the news copy editor who wrote the caption for the L-1 photo awkwardly say a woman was walking across an overpass "with an umbrella up." It's plain as day. 

No local news today

Don't look for any Hackensack, Englewood or Ridgewood news or news from many other communities in the circulation area.

Newsroom staff members are either on vacation or missing in inaction. Readers must be questioning what some editorial employees do to earn their paychecks.

And they must wonder what Gottlieb and the Borgs are doing not to notice the low productivity of some newsroom workers.

Editors let racial skeletons out of closet

The integration of Englewood's Dwight Morrow High School continues.

Two stories in The Record today give readers a glimpse into Bergen County's racial past and raise unanswered questions about the paper's role in bringing about change.

On Page 1, the obituary of James Payne -- a black Englewood man who built a house in overwhelmingly white Teaneck in 1951 -- balances the story of racial integration with terrific crime reporting on his death, the arrest of a suspect and a possible motive.

On the Local front, the big photo of white politicians mourning former Englewood City Manager Jack Drakeford, who was African-American, speaks volumes about that city's sordid racial history (L-1).

It's a white world

Both stories raise questions about Englewood's inability to fully integrate its schools, its neighborhoods or its government, and the role the wealthy Borg publishing family played in maintaining the status quo.

Chairman Malcolm A. "Mac" Borg has lived on Englewood's East Hill for decades.

Still, public schools weren't good enough for his precious offspring, Publisher Stephen A. Borg and Vice President/ General Counsel Jennifer A. Borg.

The first paragraph of the Drakeford funeral story hails him as "a civil rights hero," but he never was allowed to hold the policy making office of mayor nor did he have much impact on the schools, which today are almost completely filled with blacks and Hispanics.

Lesbian athletes?

Are some of the female Olympic athletes lesbians?

Have the media, including The Record, ever discussed the issue or do they just run photos like the one on the front page of soccer player Carli Lloyd having her breasts squeezed by a teammate?

A-1 also carries the fifth story in seven days about the growing legal and financial problems of Assemblyman Robert Schroeder, R-Washington Township.

And the geniuses who run the Editorial Page finally get around to asking Schroeder to explain publicly how he plans to do his job in the Assembly while defending himself against criminal charges and at least 15 lawsuits (A-20). 

F.U. to commuters

As commuting in North Jersey becomes more nightmarish by the day, Road Warrior John Cichowski continues to search for the most obscure and irrelevant topics for his column (L-1).

Today's entire column discusses sun glare on Route 3. Let's see, there are 10 other highways with sun glare, so that means at least 10 more columns on the subject.

The news copy editor who wrote the caption on an L-2 photo leaves the impression the child injured while riding a bicycle was hit by a Ridgewood police car.

Head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes and her deputy, Dan Sforza, couldn't find room for any Hackensack news today.

More clunky captions

In Better Living, the copy editor who wrote the captions for the food photos with today's restaurant review has "come"  and "butt" on his or her mind.

Instead of saying meats "are" expertly seasoned, the caption tells readers the meats "come" expertly seasoned.

On the salad photo next to that, the caption says the shepherd salad "comes" with greens and tomatoes.

The big photo of the restaurant clearly shows outdoor seating is literally on the Hudson River, but the caption describes a "patio abutting the river."

Elisa Ung's favorable review is of another boring Turkish restaurant, this one with high prices (BL 18-19). I saw the word "Turkish" and turned the page.

Low-quality review

Freelancer Jeff Page will put anything into his mouth for an Eating Out on $50 review (BL-20).

There's no discussion of the beef that goes into burger he ate, just his description of how it was "juicy" and full of "rich beefy flavor," presumably from animal antibiotics, growth hormones and other nasty additives.

Bon appetit.

  

From slow news to no news

Is it time to change the map on medical marijuana laws?

The most stimulating element on Page 1 of The Record today is a photo from the Olympics with strong lesbian overtones.

How low can you go? Editor Marty Gottlieb indulges in some athletic T&A to sell the Woodland Park daily.

The four stories on A-1 could hardly be called news, and all but one of them could run anytime: 

Take a look at the piece under this headline: "The growing burden of student debt."

Does the story present any solutions or report that officials are doing anything about the problem? The way it is written, readers lose interest almost immediately.

Obesity news

And what about the silly "Dems tracking Christie," the headline over the lead story?

I guess Gottlieb doesn't realize readers are sick of politics or that no one has to track a governor who is so in your face and who laughs off his growing waistline and the obesity epidemic that affects so many Garden State children.

Bumbling businessman

Unbelievably, Assemblyman Robert Schroeder and his financial and legal problems appear on the front page for the fourth time since Saturday (A-1).

The Schroeder story has turned into a series, unfolding like a cheap thriller.

The number of lawsuits facing the Republican lawmaker and alleged lawbreaker from Washington Township is now up to 15. Stay tuned. 

Another veto

If readers ever get to A-3, they find a story on Christie vetoing a bill to regulate surrogacy and define the rights and responsibility of those involved.

Why didn't Gottlieb put this news story on Page 1?

Even the medical marijuana story on A-4 is better reading than anything on the front page.

Traffic makes the news

Head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes and her deputy, Dan Sforza, are so desperate for local news, they put a Lyndhurst traffic jam on L-1.

On L-3, a headline reports "Closter nearly finished with pond restoration," as if residents are on the edge of their seats, wondering how the work will turn out.

Schools are out

Also on L-3, the Hackensack reporter provides an update on negotiations over a new contract for teachers.

The story says the school board hired an outside law firm under a contract not to exceed $17,000 rather than use its own attorney, Richard Salkin.

Salkin calls that "a departure" from past negotiations, but the story tells you nothing about the outside firm or whether it has links to any school board member or city official.

Christie curse

Buried on L-8, the second Business page, is a story on Christie approving expanded tax credits for developers who build near "transit hubs."

The last paragraph quotes Jeff  Tittel of the New Jersey Sierra Club as saying "the governor is hurting jobs in New Jersey and the environment."

Why are all these Christie stories scattered through the paper?

Wouldn't it make sense to have the most significant on A-1, then fill the continuation page with the rest, so readers can tell at a glance what their governor is up to?

Or would that pierce the veil of how the editors are treating the millionaire-loving Christie far more gently than his Democratic predecessors?

Lazy editors refuse to do the legwork

Colonist and native agree to build the Court Street Bridge.

Three days ago, The Record gave a state assemblyman a front-page platform to blame President Obama and the poor economy for his financial and legal problems, including charges he wrote $400,000 in bad checks.

Assemblyman Robert Schroeder said he had made a "mistake." 

Gullible editors

Now, it turns out, the Republican assemblyman from Bergen County and his company have been named in at least six federal and state lawsuits trying to recover $1.78 million from "unpaid bills in recent years," according to a Page 1 story today.

How gullible can Editor Marty Gottlieb and head Assignment Deirdre Sykes get? 

They have full-time federal and state courthouse reporters at their beck and call, so why didn't they perform the basic legwork of checking court records on Friday to prevent publishing Saturday's embarrassing story?

Small-minded columnist

Writing off a state Supreme Court decision upholding red decals on the license plates of young drivers (A-1), Road Warrior John Cichowski can't resist a "cute" expression (L-1).

He refers to the decals as "itsy-bitsy red tags," then proceeds to put readers to sleep.

Bridge to nowhere

On Sykes' Local front on Monday, Staff Writer Stephanie Akin does a hell of a reporting and writing job on Hackensack's Court Street Bridge (L-1).

Reopening of the bridge is one of the final pieces needed to transform 20 acres along River Street -- The Record's old headquarters -- into the site of a Walmart.

Hackensack readers can only wish Akin devotes her considerable skills to covering municipal affairs.

 

Editors play Obama blame game

Joe Cerniglia, chef-owner of Campania in Fair Lawn, jumped to his death in September 2010. On Friday, a restaurant review of its replacement didn't even mention his name.

Suspects facing criminal charges -- including a wealthy Republican lawmaker from Bergen County who landed on Page 1 today -- will say anything to justify their alleged crimes.

But all those bored editors at The Record and other media are under no obligation to print every one of those  idiotic statements.

Too bad Editor Marty Gottlieb's desperate need to sensationalize the news won out today at the Woodland Park daily, where a big, black A-1 headline calls $400,000 in bad checks a "mistake."

It gets worse. 

Assemblyman Robert Schroeder "is blaming President Obama and the poor economy for his financial and legal problems," according to the first paragraph of the news story, which is paired with a political column.

You have to plow through the text all the way to the continuation page (A-8) before Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chisea is quoted as saying Schroeder allegedly acted deliberately, bouncing "numerous checks ... that were written to two people who invested large sums of money" in the lawmaker's company.

Some "mistake."

Road rage

Why are drivers charged only $5 at the Tappan Zee Bridge, but $12 at bridges operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (A-4)?

Check out the photo with today's editorial, showing the GOP's Laurel and Hardy presidential campaign team in Colorado -- including absentee New Jersey Governor Christie (A-11).

Chickening out

On the front of head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes' Local section, same-sex couples came to their senses, failing to show up for a "kiss-in" at Chick-fil-A in Paramus (L-1).

Doctors had advised them against wasting money on low-quality fast food filled with harmful animal antibiotics.

School is out

Englewood Councilman Eugene Skurnick voted against the Garfield Boys & Girls Club taking over operation of the Mackay Park ice arena, citing the latter city's "poor schools." 

But nowhere in the L-1 story does Sykes mention Englewood's decades-long reputation for "poor schools," which prompted the removal of virtually all white students.

Even in the recent intense coverage of Englewood's school board outsourcing 90 jobs, Sykes never mentioned the city's middle and elementary schools are filled only with minorities (Letters, A-11).

Self-serving

Leave it to the Better Living section to put a positive spin on self-serve yogurt-shop owners slashing their labor costs in a struggling economy, contributing to the state's high unemployment rate and laughing all the way to the bank (BL-1).

The Garden State has long history of fighting self-serve, as any driver can attest. 

At least the yogurt-shop owners aren't blaming Obama.

Friday's paper

On Friday's front page, Gottlieb and Sykes made no attempt to report in the obituary of Englewood Councilman Jack Drakeford whether his color was the reason he held "virtually every prominent position" in city government "except mayor" (A-6).

Chairman Malcolm A. "Mac" Borg has lived in a mansion on Englewood's East Hill for decades, but he and his newspaper have done little to call for integration of the schools or change the fortunes of thousands of residents who live on the wrong side of the tracks.

Lawsuit news

In Friday's Local section, the big Hackensack news is yet another story about lawsuits filed against former Police Chief Ken Zisa (L-1).

But the story appears to be incorrect in listing the settlement agreement as $320,000 for five police officers and $80,000 in court-approved legal fees (L-1 and L-6).

As Eye on The Record reported on Wednesday, the settlement totals $425,000, which will be paid by the city's insurer.

Readers see red

Most drivers can't wait for their towns to install red-light cameras, improving intersection safety and raising badly needed revenue.

Road Warrior John Cichowski, however, continues his negative campaign against the cameras, hanging his entire Friday column on a woman who paid an $85 fine, but has joined a suit to seek a refund (L-1).

Dissing dead chef

In Friday's Better Living tab, readers got indigestion from the poorly edited appraisal of Sage in Fair Lawn by Restaurant Reviewer Elisa Ung:

"Until Sage opened in late March, the former Campania had been empty since late 2010, a few months after the suicide of its chef," Ung writes.

"I felt a little sick each time I passed it, remembering the meatballs and merriment that used to be inside."

I'd think recalling the suicide of Chef Joe Cerniglia -- not "the meatballs" -- would have made her a "little sick" every time she drove past.

And is there any reason his name was omitted?

Plus, does it make sense to report "many customers didn't realize Campania had ever closed"?