NJ Editors Slip Up & Allow Decent Writing
Today’s top story by Ginger Gibson grips the reader with this compelling opening:
Dozens of state workers had been peppering Gov. Jack Markell for more than a half-hour with questions and accusations about his proposal to cut their salary by 8 percent when a woman who works for the Office of Management and Budget asked why he wasn’t doing more to recruit companies from overseas.
AdvertisementMarkell changed his tone and interrupted her, thrusting out his left arm.
“Stop,” he said sternly.
The room, which had been buzzing, suddenly turned silent.
In Other News About News: the Delaware State News has changed its trim size to better reflect that fact that it is devoid of content.
“Beware of the hidden agendas held by those who say newspapers are dead.”
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/42514382.html
Is Ms. Gibson the only writer left?
BTW, there were some serious cut/paste issues and a funky sentence thrown in there as well. I am no grammar nazi, but I am not in print, either.
Obviously their editors are overworked if they allowed real journalism to slip through. 😉
True. Good article, and clearly demonstrates why Markell didn’t have the balls to bring this dog and pony show to Sussex. Also interesting, yet typical, that some employees were told not to speak up by their supervisors.
The NJ’s copy editing staff has been cut to ribbons. You now have people who were formerly editing sports stories doing news and vice-versa – so your expertise doesn’t count for anything.
Expect a lot more glaring errors to slip through, like the one on the Kent & Sussex edition A1 the other day – where a caption for the DAFB story appeared under a photo of celebrants at the Phillies game.
I feel really bad for the State News, as I know a couple people who work there. Tab formats work when you have a tab mentality – feisty and irreverent, not boring and blah. I fall asleep trying to get through the “Mr.” and “Ms.” titles they insist on using, like we’re still in the 1950s.
I think INI has about 10 reporters left at all of its publications – the State News, Sussex Post, Leader & State Register and Milford Beacon. The weekly reporters design their papers as well. There’s just no way they can cover their territory. Andy West is a complete and total idiot.
But the State News has Bruce Pringle, who is close to the best in the business in Delaware.
Yes, Bruce is good. He’s one of those I feel sorry for. But he’s just covering Dover, not the legislature or the counties, where his talents could really be used. He’s one of those who was misused and mistreated for a long time by Gannett, and finally chose to bag it. Can’t blame him.