tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7983372.post112310673688660327..comments2023-11-05T04:04:12.442-05:00Comments on Short Schrift: Two Newspapers and a Player to be Named LaterTimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13026955797817424956noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7983372.post-1123840450969340702005-08-12T05:54:00.000-04:002005-08-12T05:54:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7983372.post-1123210294686041072005-08-04T22:51:00.000-04:002005-08-04T22:51:00.000-04:00I hope that Robin posts on this one. I'd love to h...I hope that Robin posts on this one. I'd love to hear what he knows and what he has to say.<BR/><BR/>I was extremely disappointed to hear that Gannett picked up the <I>Free Press</I> for a number of reasons. Gannett has long been the major newspaper player in southeast Michigan, and the <I>Free Press</I> was, seemingly, a lone but substantial holdout. (Hell, Gannett even bought Hometown Newspapers, publisher of crappy free local weeklies, including the Ferndale, Royal Oak, and Berkley <I>Mirror</I> newspapers.)<BR/><BR/>And while the <I>Free Press</I>'s news reporting has been less than stellar, especially of late, Knight Ridder newspapers have been praised for pursuing stories, particularly those critical of the war on Iraq and its rationales, that other papers have buried.<BR/><BR/>Secondly, this sale makes a lot of questionable decisions made by the <I>Free Press</I> editorial staff look even more problematic. In particular, there seems to be a conflict of interest in the <I>Free Press</I>'s treatment of star writer Mitch Albom when has was caught filing a story describing events that never took place at the 2005 final four. Mitch Albom sells papers. Readers who find out that the guy that owns the other paper now owns your paper cancel subscriptions, but you may be able to keep them if you convince them their favorite writers will stick around. (In fact, the <I>Free Press</I> felt that Mitch Albom's continued tenure under Gannett merited a front page mention.)<BR/><BR/>Oh well, now I have a reason to get the Sunday <I>New York Times</I>.Gavinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09902304588711972110noreply@blogger.com