Errors, hype and deeply flawed reporting

Trucks, buses and cars crawling down the helix, top, on the way to the entrance of the Lincoln Tunnel in Weehawken on Friday morning -- in a scene repeated every weekday. The return trip on Friday afternoon was even slower through packed Manhattan streets.

By Victor E. Sasson
Editor

The Record today and Friday delivered a major error in a story about Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli, an hysterical headline declaring "a commuting disaster" in Fort Lee and flawed reporting on the disastrous Jersey shore fire.

On Friday's A-5, the first paragraph of the Molinelli story reported "the conviction of a mayor from a prominent family on misconduct charges."

But the reference is to the 2012 conviction on misconduct and insurance-fraud charges of former Hackensack Police Chief Ken Zisa -- who never served as mayor.

No correction appears today.

Another 'disaster'

Commuting by car, bus or train from North Jersey to Manhattan has been a disaster for the better part of a decade, but Road Warrior John Cichowski has had his swelled head up his ass for much of that time.

On Friday's L-1, he declared "a commuting disaster" over the closure of two Fort Lee tollbooths on the upper level of the George Washington Bridge.

What's the big deal? The vast majority of drivers -- who wisely use the truck-free lower level -- weren't affected.

Of course, Cichowski managed to please some of the morons who read his column by printing their names and failing to question why they don't use mass transit. 

The real 'disaster' in the Woodland Park newsroom.

Toll discounts?

Today on L-1, the Road Warrior declares an end to the so-called GWB crisis, but blasts rising tolls, squandering another opportunity to tell readers about discounts.

Today's A-1 report faulting the Port Authority for fast-tracking toll hikes also could have used a box listing E-ZPass discounts for drivers of hybrid cars and anyone with two passengers.

From what I've seen, only a minority of hybrid-car owners know they can get a Port Authority Green Pass -- a special, green E-ZPass -- that gives them off-peak toll discounts at the Hudson River crossings, and on the parkway and turnpike.

Green Pass customers are charged only a $4.75 toll at the bridge or tunnels during off-peak hours.  

Any driver with two passengers who has registered for the Port Authority Carpool Discount Plan (1-888-288-6865) pays only $4.25 at the Hudson River crossings at all hours.

Shore inferno

Today and Friday, Page 1 coverage of the fire that destroyed businesses in Seaside Park and Seaside Heights on Thursday seems incomplete when compared to TV and radio news reports.

Both stories report "the fire apparently started in a Kohr's frozen custard stand," but an employee interviewed by Channel 2 News in New York said she saw smoke coming up through the boardwalk.

New Jersey Public Radio (WNYC-FM) noted the severe limitations of local fire departments in fighting the fire, because no agency has a tracked vehicle capable of attacking the inferno from the beach side.

Many readers just assume the fire was set deliberately to collect insurance.

Governor Christie, who is pinning his bid for a second term largely on Sandy recovery, rushed to the scene and declared on Friday's Page 1:

"I feel like I want to throw up."

Isn't that the way he felt every  time he scarfed down another gargantuan meal before he had weight-loss surgery this year?

Happy birthday!

Local obituary writer Jay Levin continues to explore his fascination with centenarians in a front-page story about Sister Mary Victor Waters, a Tenafly nun who turned 109 today (A-1).

She is referred to as "Sister Victor." Gee whiz.

Levin has neglected one aspect of his beat: Explaining why so many black men die in their 50s.


Say what?

Here are more examples of sloppy editing from head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes and Production Editor Liz Houlton, supervisor of the copy desk.

The Friday Road Warrior column claims the Port Authority "cut the number of tollbooths from three to one on the big span," but the accompanying photo appears to show four or five open toll lanes.

A huge photo on A-6 today shows a helmeted firefighter looking down at a scorched boardwalk in Seaside Heights, but the caption says he is "scouring the remains of the boardwak businesses."

Is that scouring as in cleaning or did the caption writer mean scouring for clues?

An L-1 story declares that two truck trailers -- "each sporting 128 tires" -- crawled from Wyckoff to a PSE&G substation in Waldwick.

Readers can only assume all of those tires were mounted on wheels.