Tag: my newspaper career

What Happened to the Democrats?

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

The Wolf Man | Universal Monsters, Horror, Werewolf | Britannica

Lon Chaney Jr. turning into the Wolfman–it was a parable.

When I was a newspaper editor and reporter, back in the 70s, a big part of my job was interviewing politicians and other public officials, five days a week. Working in Monmouth County, NJ, most of the government–state, county, and local–was occupied by Democrats.

It didn’t matter. Except for a few very bad apples, these were sane, decent men and women who held a public trust. Did some of them have ideas I couldn’t agree with? Of course–but that’s life. Different ideas don’t have to be evil, stupid, or crazy ideas. Long-time Congressman Jim H.–everybody knew he would listen to them, if they needed him. Assemblyman Walter K.–a prince, a nicer man you couldn’t meet. Mayor Arthur G.–always had his town’s best interests at heart. Frank S.–party hack who turned a no-show job as sewerage authority director into a labor of love. I could go on and on naming dozens and dozens of them, but you get the point.

What happened to turn this major political party into a rats’ nest of power-hungry, corrupt, deluded, and America-hating shysters? How does that happen? For all my familiarity with the subject, I can’t begin to offer an explanation. All I know is they’re dragging my country into the gutter. Power and wealth for them, Third World hell-hole for the rest of us.

Theories, anyone? I’m more than willing to hear them.

 

Memory Lane: Our Ace Reporter (Not)

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Cartoon Reporter Stock Illustrations – 5,276 Cartoon Reporter Stock Illustrations, Vectors & Clipart - Dreamstime

As managing editor of a weekly newspaper, my job included hiring and training reporters, most of them part-time. I relied on suburban housewives and high school kids, and they never let me down. Common sense and a little bit of coaching, and they were good to go.

My publisher, however, hired a guy who came highly recommended by a major university journalism school. I could’ve sent him out to cover the Great Chicago Fire, and he would’ve come back with two paragraphs about a weanie roast. I had to rewrite his work–every time.

One night I sent him out to cover a school board meeting. He came back with a report that nothing had happened worth writing about. For some reason I didn’t believe him. I phoned the board president at home and found out they’d voted to spend several million dollars to build an extension to the high school.

The publisher was hopping mad that we’d almost missed that story and he ordered me to fire Mr. J-School. Which I did, of course.

If you’re one of the zillions of Americans who wonder what’s gone wrong with our nooze media, I can answer you in just two words: “journalism school.”

And it hasn’t gotten better.

(He also, uh, “covered” a support group for people with terminal, incurable diseases… and came back with nothing. *Sigh*)

Memory Lane: Hiring Reporters

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Cartoon Reporter Stock Illustrations – 4,781 Cartoon Reporter Stock Illustrations, Vectors & Clipart - Dreamstime

It used to be part of my job, as managing editor, to hire reporters for our newspaper. Mostly I hired high school and college students. They were enthusiastic, quick to learn, and excited by the opportunity. With just a little training, most of them went on to be perfectly serviceable stringers. Some of them even went on to become full-time reporters.

Now if an ordinary bright teenager can do it, surely a journalism school graduate can. (Gives you an idea of how idealistic I used to be, doesn’t it?) Along comes this guy from the University of Whatsit School of Journalism–highly recommended, my publisher is already crazy about him… He even carries a handbag. Very avant-garde.

I send him to cover a school board meeting. He comes back and writes this tiny paragraph about how nothing happened. Something told me I’d better check, so I phoned the board president. It turned out the board that night had voted by spend millions of dollars on a highly controversial plan to expand the high school.

Well, maybe he can do a feature story. There’s a mutual support group for people who’ve been diagnosed with fatal illnesses. They’re still able to get around a little, but their number is up. You’d think they’d have a few poignant things to say.

Mr. J School came back from their meeting without a story. “They just didn’t have all that much to say,” he told me. He must have missed that lesson on “Asking questions.”

I wanted to fire him. Finally the publisher got to wondering why he wasn’t seeing Mr. J School’s byline on his paper. “It’s because he doesn’t write anything,” I explained. So I finally got the green light to send him packing.

I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that he eventually found a cushy home in someone’s nooze factory.