Editors sell out to NFL's publicity juggernaut

Snow began falling during the night, transforming Hackensack into a winter wonderland.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
Editor

As a pro football game, it was almost as boring as The Record's Sunday paper.

Still, Editor Marty Gottlieb completely transforms today's edition into what reads like a National Football League house organ.

Virtually all of Page 1, the Local front and the Better Living cover are filled with stories about Sunday's Super Bowl, the parties and the hype readers have had to endure for two years.

Bridgegate

The latest developments in the Bridgegate scandal were demoted to A-3 and addressed in an editorial (A-13).

Governor Christie was booed at a Super Bowl event in the city on Saturday, and one of his aides, Christina Genovese Renna, resigned on Friday "before she was to deliver documents" to investigators (A-3).

A surprisingly large number of last-minute shoppers showed up at Whole Foods Market in Paramus on Sunday afternoon, about 6 hours before the Super Bowl began.

Bellyaching

Commuters' complaints about NJ Transit service have fallen on the deaf ears of the Road Warrior and the lazy assignment editors for more than a decade.

But today's Local front leads with "rail backups" and long lines experienced by 33,000 fans who took mass transit to the Meadowlands, not the 28,000 I mentioned earlier (L-1).

Story loses fizz

On the Better Living front, Staff Writer Virginia Rohan's appraisal of Super Bowl TV ads contains a glaring omission:

No mention of actress Scarlett Johansson, spokeswoman for Soda Stream, a home seltzer maker, or censorship of the words that ended the spot, "Sorry Coke and Pepsi," two sponsors of the sports farce. 

Johansson says the homemade seltzer is "better for you," made with less sugar and saves bottles.

NPR scoop

Today, New Jersey Public Radio (WNYC-FM) is reporting 10 companies that received Superstorm Sandy relief contracts contributed to the Republican Governors Association, which Christie heads.

This is what 'follow the money' means

Dan Sforza, a local-news assignment editor at The Record of Woodland Park, was the inspiration for this sculpture at Hackensack University Medical Center.

Editor's note: "Eye on The Record" is using a new template on Google's Blogger platform after the original became corrupted. Popular Posts, My Blog Roll and a list of previous posts appear at the end of the posts, instead of on the right. I am still able to use the original template for "Do You Really Know What You're Eating," my food blog.

Another Page 1 story on the cozy relationship between Governor Christie and the national group that helped him win "his long-shot campaign" in 2009 is a good example of how the media can explore the corrupting influence of money.

It's a tool The Record's editors have rarely used in recent years as they virtually ignored the need for campaign-finance reform and local ordinances against "pay to play."

In last year's North Jersey congressional campaigns, the Woodland Park daily gave the most coverage to candidates who raised the most special-interest money, such as author and relentless self-promoter Shmuley Boteach, a rabbi who lives in Englewood.

That bias has continued in the early months of New Jersey's gubernatorial campaign between Christie, the GOP bully, and state Sen. Barbara Buono, D-Metuchen. 

Money in local election

Now, Hackensack readers wonder whether The Record will "follow the money" backing candidates in the campaign for City Council. The election is on May 14.

The phrase "follow the money" refers to an investigative tool used by Washington Post reporters in their stories uncovering the Watergate break-in during the Nixon administration. 

More poor editing

Before I move on to other Page 1 stories, check out the incredibly sloppy editing of Washington Correspondent Herb Jackson's story on the Republican Governors Association and Christie:

The lead paragraph states that Christie won his campaign against Jon Corzine "four years ago," but he didn't actually "win" until November 2009. 

Taking flight   

Readers who believe the paper's local-news coverage is for the birds find confirmation of that in stories and photos on A-1 and L-1 today.

At the top of the front page, Staff Writer John Brennan continues to mine his addicted gamblers beat -- in yet another story that puts the vast majority of readers to sleep.  

Dull headline

Editorial Page Editor Alfred P. Doblin should stop writing headlines for editorials, if he is going to continue coming up with duds like this one on A-13 today:

North Jersey suffers

Totowa development center to close  

That  is such old news, especially when the editorial criticizes the Christie administration for not sending officials from the state Department of Human Services to talk to concerned families at a public hearing.

No accident

There is so little local news today a layout editor had to blow up another gee-whiz, non-fatal, rollover-accident photo as big as possible to fill a gaping hole on the Local front today.

"Car wreck in Westwood" is the incredibly unimaginative overline, and the caption blames police for the usual lack of information about the driver or the cause of the accident.

Millionaire chef

For the second day in a row, Better Living promotes another celebrity chef on its cover (BL-1).

"Jose Andres is not a just chef and prolific restaurateur," Staff Writer Elisa Ung says in the first paragraph, hoping to whet readers' appetites.

Tickets to the New Jersey Wine and Food Festival that Andres "healdines" range from $30 to $448.

No thanks.