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| The car-pool lane on the New Jersey Turnpike was full Monday evening, and it moved noticeably faster than the other lanes during the rush hour. |
Flacks for Big Oil or the Big Three automakers couldn't have written a more discouraging article than Monday's Page 1 story by one of the so-called transportation reporters.
Assignment error
Much of this coverage seems to be inspired by Deputy Assignment Editor Dan Sforza, who ignored mass transit -- including defective NJ Transit buses -- and wrote about "highways of the future" when he was a transporation reporter.
Readers also are well-acquainted with the Road Warrior's obsession with the MVC and his desperate reliance on drivers' e-mails to put out three columns a week.
The car-pool story dominated a mostly ho-hum front page on Monday, but didn't tell readers how many car-poolers there are in the Garden State, nor list car-pool lanes.
And the editors failed to mention how car-pooling saves the environment and reduces our dependence on foreign oil.
Full car-pool lanes
Even the choice of car-poolers is suspect:
What are these morons doing driving a gas-guzzling BMW sport-utility vehicle? They could save a lot more moola in something really fuel-efficient.
During the rush hour Monday afternoon and evening, the car-pool lanes on the New Jersey Turnpike and Route 280 were full, so there are plenty of other car-poolers to choose from, if the paper wanted to put car-pooling in a good light.
The attitude of Sforza, Editor Marty Gottlieb and head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes appears to be that car-pooling and light rail are evil forces that depress gasoline and auto sales, and as crusading journalists, they are going to do their utmost to put a stop to it.
Mike Wallace
Monday's A-1 wire-service obituary of Mike Wallace, the "60 Minutes" newsman with "a fearsome reputation," reminded me of when I covered the federal courthouse in Newark for The Record in the 1980s.
Reporters in the press room got word that Wallace would be taking the stand to testify in a lawsuit against the investigative news show over a story on fast-food franchising.
On the stand, Wallace was nervous under questioning by the plaintiff's attorney -- more nervous than many of the witnesses I had seen during several years of covering state and federal courts.
His demeanor was in stark contrast to his reputation, but showed another side of him few people knew.
Now, look at the editorial cartoon on A-10 today, showing a "gulp" from God when an angel announces, "Mike Wallace is here to see you."
Today's paper
Today's front page is just as boring as Monday's.
If you're going to run a Page 1 story story on wind-whipped fires in North Jersey, why in God's name would you use an A-1 photo of one that was set by children playing with matches?
Another A-1 story -- "Raising the curtain on suburban prostitution" -- doesn't mention the story broke in Harrington Park, where Sykes lives with her husband, Kevin O'Neil, a graphics director who was laid off for unknown reasons several years ago.
Since Gottlieb came over from The New York Times, he seems to have "discovered" that North Jersey's suburbs are filled with the homeless and prostitutes.
Nothing wrong with that -- unless you turn that new-found knowledge into greatly exaggerated front-page stories, as he has been doing.
An A-2 correction today fixes a headline on Saturday that said "Englewood" had installed a red-light camera. It is Englewood Cliffs.
Zisaville news
Cross-examination of a witness who testified against suspended Police Chief Ken Zisa on Monday is all Hackensack readers will find in Local today.
In Better Living, a cover story on the revival of the Three Stooges (F-1) is based on "the kings of lowbrow journalism" at The Record:
Editors Gottlieb, Sykes and Liz Houlton, head of production and supervisor of the error-prone news copy desk.
New Lawsuit filed 3-26-2012 Trenton.
ReplyDeleteNJMG vs State of NJ. Attorney Amy Cattafi representing the State.
How about a story Mr. Sasson.
Sorry. I just don't have the time to chase every Freedom of Information lawsuit The Record's general counsel files, and, unlike lawyers, I don't have access to the courts' database to look up these actions electronically.
ReplyDeleteCar-pooling? God! Imagine getting stuck in a long commute car-pool with someone like you!
ReplyDeleteAmericans have the right to piss away as much gasoline as they want!
Despite recent price increases, a gallon of gasoline is still cheaper than a half-gallon of organic lactose-free milk.
ReplyDeleteThat has given ShopRite executives an idea: selling gasoline for use in your morning coffee.
Drink up, moron. LOL.
O'Neill was let go for one simple reason--he did nothing.
ReplyDeleteAs head of graphics for North Jersey.com, Kevin O'Neil did nothing for years -- as any reader of the Web site could plainly see.
ReplyDeleteSo, the real questions are whether he was being protected by his wife, head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes, and in the end, whether the Borgs told them, she can stay if he goes.
Another notorious duo, Features Director Barbara Jaeger and sports Columnist Steve Adamek left together.
Jaeger is best known for forcing out Food Editor Patricia Mack in 2006, and rolling over and playing dead when Publisher Stephen A. Borg folded the Food section at the height of the obesity epidemic.
What a genius.
Fox news reported today on TV the top 10 worst jobs to have. Number 1 was a Lumberjack number 5 was a Newspaper Reporter.
ReplyDeleteCan you believe this victor? There was a day when Reporting was a well respected job,what happened Vic???
I'm not sure.
ReplyDeleteMaybe after years of working for editors who never leave the office and know less about any subject than the reporters themselves, the reporters start hyping their stories or taking short cuts.
The influx of young, inexperienced writers is one of the worst developments, especially when they replace experienced, knowledgeable reporters, so editors can cut costs under pressure from greedy families like the Borgs.
I've also heard there are lots of people willing to work for newspapers for free, just to see their bylines. What's worse are the editors who will take them on instead of experienced reporters, then fix up their shit on the computer.
Who is going to respect someone who will work for free or someone who is so young, they don't shit from Shinola?
Who is going to respect a restaurant reviewer like Elisa Ung who could care less about how the food she eats was grown or raised just as long as it's free?
Or who is so obsessed with dessert, she makes it an essential part of every meal, ignoring salads, greens and other healthy food.
I hope that helps answer your question.