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To the Slaughter
Meet the New Strib Reader's Rep: Everybody/Nobody
Friday was the last day that the Star Tribune offered readers with beefs the name and number of a real person who would listen to them. Here's the new procedure, as described under the headline "Have a Concern?" as it ran in Saturday's paper.
"The Star Tribune is committed to correcting errors that appear in the newspaper or online. Concerns about accuracy can be directed to corrections@startribune.com. You may also call the main number, 612-673-4414, weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. and ask to be connected to the appropriate department. Contact information for editors can be found in each section of the newspaper."
I wonder what poor bastard has been assigned the thankless task of sorting through the new corrections e-mail bin? It's doubtful the task was considered a plum assignment. Then, about that "main number" folks are directed to call. In the good old days of the live switchboard, the one person answering that line into the newsroom already had his or her hands full for eight frickin' hours a day. With no one bothering to use the new automated system, I'm sure the pressure has already increased exponentially. Now, add to that the reader's rep overflow--which is considerable and populated with regulars who call as much to chat as to vent. Oy.
My favorite part was the final suggestion that concerned or disgruntled readers could contact the editors of various departments directly, only no specific phone numbers were listed, just the vague directive to search through the sections for contact information. These are folks whose voicemail picks up 24/7 because they're up to their eyeballs 24/8. Some of these folks can't even get back in timely fashion to their own staffers who call or email questions about breaking news stories. What chance does Joan Q. Public stand of getting a response while her question/concern/correction is still fresh?
With a reader's rep, the paper--though management may have been cynical about it--at least gave the appearance of wanting to hear from its readers. This latest system strikes me as one big FU.
15 Reader Comments
Kate Parry was a horrible reader rep.
She didn't represent the readers.
She had her own agenda, and is a big factor in the slow and painful (for some) demise of this liberal rag.
Remember Kate, according to Judge Smails, "the world needs ditch diggers too."
Perhaps each of the NEW! IMPROVED! regional sections of the Strib will have their own ombudsman.
That way, if you are unhappy with the coverage of the Dassel Weasels 5th grade girls basketball team, you'll have someone to call.
Good times!
LAMBERT: Imagine if they rip Edina High football.
Brian and Deborah,
I too have been getting tired of the 'beating the Strib' postings, especially when I read the story linked below.
Given your media column, this seems to tell a better story about the state of local journalism.
--Where is the famous 'Minnesota Connection' news story on the local MSM? You gotta figure Sgt Anderson didn't call Portland with this story first, he must have contacted all the local channels here, right?
But, all we had locally on it seems to be--
> Citypages did one paragraph on it on their Blotter over the weekend.
So--How come I'm first reading this story on a Portland TV station website?
That story ran in the star Trib. last wednesday, page B1, with a short follow two days later.
Someone let The Other Mike know that it doesn't have to be an either/or situation: On the Internet, there's plenty of newshole in which to bash the rapidly rotting Twin Cities dailies, while chasing after other blown stories and media shortcomings.
I'm less offended by the clipping of Parry's and anyone else's wings as a Strib ombudsman than I am by editor Barnes' unconvincing argument that it was a choice to have more "smart" reporters writing and reporting. Sure. Every reporter who survived the purge on Portland Avenue is smart, every section is improved and the paper is better than ever, just like all those above-average kids in Keilor's fantasy land.
This non-stop sales job from the top brass about every move being the shrewdest and smartest and futurest-looking not just for the Strib but the industry and freedom and humanity is tiresome. The paper's management has not backed that up in any way; rather, it has made that ambition impossible to reach, given the cutbacks in staff, space and budget. They can tell us till they're blue in the face that the Strib is better but it is shrinking, its ingredients have been thinned and it is farming out work that used to be done by full-timers to freelancers or wire service copy.
It makes itself more expendable each day, while yelling in our ears that it is better, damnit!
Just admit that you're contracting yourselves out of the big leagues and going from an American League entry to a Northern League team. Otherwise we cannot believe a word that you say or print.
My point, payattention, was not that the local media totally ignored it; my point was that they missed the journalistic opportunity to give this news the exposure it needs to be truly heard and acted upon.
My point is that if you ask 10 of your neighbors if they are aware of this story--how many of them do you think will payattention?
My point is that knowing of a story and moving people to act on the news therein are two different things and both are the role of the media--and if the local media will not carry the water for this story, are we offloading this responsibility to Portland ORE instead of Portland AVE?
I couldn't disagree more with people complaining about too much Strib coverage. From a political point of view -- and no offense to my friends at the StPPP -- the Star Tribune, as the state's largest newspaper, was the newspaper of record in MN for so many decades.
As such, it has mattered hugely in MN public affairs. I don't know what our "share record, NP of record" is, anymore.
That's a public affairs crisis. We no longer share common sets of facts.
LAMBERT: God I love it when you start talking, "facts".
A longer diatriabe is in order, but that's my quick two cents.
Objectively, screwing citizen soldiers who were in Iraq for 22 months by pulling them *one day short* of GI Bill coverage is a Page One (of the whole newspaper) story.
Support the troops and all that.
Senator Coleman has already assured the troops that their money will be available.
Let's talk about the Reverend Obama.
We all know what happened when you were faced with the "facts" everyday on WLTK, Lambro.
Janacek whipped you like a red headed step child.
LAMBERT: I strongly suspect your hearing is as faulty and selective as your command of "facts".
BTW it was "KTLK" and her name is Janecek. But, close enough for you.
Sorry, my proof reader is at the spa.
For me, the bottom line is, this state is losing it's major metro daily. And it's sad. (No offense, PP.) The paper is going downhill, fast, everyday. I notice in the Source section more and more features are canned stuff from other metro papers, rather written in-house. We can read that stuff in the Brainerd paper.
As for Kate: I'm glad she's gone. But I think the position needs to be filled, and it's sad that it won't.
Kate will be remembered most for ripping into Sid -- way, way, overblown, even by my standards. Yeah, and she was probably a good watchdog on gender issues, which is important, but beyond that ... she was inadequate.
And who can forget her shock SHOCK at the outdoor sex article in VitaMN.
I also wanted to say I agree with Sarah: We need continued Strib coverage, not less.
This, to me, is a major media crisis: Our metro paper is being disemboweled right before our eyes by people whose major concern in life is making money, and lots of it.
It makes me sick and I'm scared about what we will have left in the end.
LAMBERT: What we'll have is more people who think "news" is anything that comes from Sean Hannity.
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