Competition—The Bean Counters are killing it …And that takes the thrill out of being a journalist

Read the other day that now TV stations are going to pool resources, so no matter what channel you turn to, the coverage will be the same.
That’s something that’s hit our local print media. I never thought I’d see a Plain Dealer byline in the BJ.
And not just a rewrite (don’t know if rewrite people exist anymore)…but also the complete story with credit to the paper on the lake.
So reporters, reporters and editors will not have that exhilaration feeling that comes with one-upmanship on the competition.
It’s a feeling that starts in your toes (you feel like dancing) and spreads upward until you want to yell: “we’re first…!!!! We scored a big one that time….
In the old days (I know old codgers always look back at the old days when newspapers were run by journalist and not businessmen who wouldn’t know a pica from type lice.
On my first paper, the afternoon paper and the morning paper (mine) were owned by the same family and the two crews shared desks. The right bunch of drawers belong to the afternoon shift, my drawers were on the right side.
And you didn’t dare put anything in the drawers that might give the afternoon folks a lead on a story.
One time, I happened to look in the wastebasket and found a bunch of letters torn into strips. I dug them out and put them together.
They were hometown releases on service folks that the armed services mail to newspaper.
Getting them all together in readable form, I typed them up and turned them in. Turned out the after folks had written their own story for the next day and then tore up the forms.
Even something like that give you a great feeling.
And if a big story came along… why you’d drink a toast at the local bar.
On this same morning paper, the one photog was married to an afternoon reporter. I don’t think it was intentional, but when he took photos for a Sunday feature I was doing, his wife would come up with a few paragraphs that took the edge off the Sunday story.
So I grabbed a 4x5 Speed Graphic and started taking my own pictures..and processing them myself.
In addition to my reporting duties, I would up eventually as the morning paper’s photographer, too.
So thanks Bean Counters—you’ve killed a big reason for becoming a journalist.

A local paper chase…

If you’ve ever dealt with a newspaper circulation department lately, then nine times out of 10 you’ve probably experienced a “paper chase”…”my paper didn’t come this morning, where is it?”
You call the circulation department and get the automated guru and thus began the number chase. You have to listen until the very end when you can talk to a live person; at least I think they’re live.
And that, as I found out, takes five minutes or maybe longer while that annoying voice says, “please stay on the line. All our representatives are busy with other customers…you call is important to us….”
Anyway this turns out to be just another example of newspapers keeping their distance from the public they rely on to buy their product.
(Bring back the paperboys and girls…somebody you had personal contact with…)
Anyway, when my Saturday papers—Akron Beacon Journal and Cleveland Plain Dealer didn’t arrive (both are carried by the BJ carrier), I called the Beacon and the Plain Dealer. Got the automated numbers game. Pushed the right ones (same for both papers) and reported failure to deliver.
Got my Beacon, but no Saturday Plain Dealer.
I didn’t’ pursue the matter.
Sunday, both papers arrived.
Monday.
Neither paper put in an appearance.
Now my mailbox is located a couple of feet from my paper box, so on my fourth or so trip outside, I looked in the mailbox.
Here are two papers.
Bother were SUNDAY papers…the Beacon and the PD.
Another bout with the phone numbers. This time I stayed around until told to push “0”. And I waited with that annoying busy message….
Finally got a live voice.
Explained the situation.
The Beacon person explained that I didn’t have to call the Plain Dealer since the Beacon carrier delivered both papers.
Later that day the two came.
(The lady didn’t seem to be interested in the double deliver of Sunday papers.)
Tuesday.
Paper box yielded Tuesday’s papers—plus a bonus…ANOTHER Sunday Beacon Journal!!.
What a way to run a railroad…off the tracks!!!!