Monday, January 3, 2011

More opinion disguised as news

On today's page 7, under a prominent "News" slug, we find a piece by AP's Larry Margasak about how the Rs in Congress plan to waste the coming two years grandstanding to beat the President, and how great that will be.

This is obviously political opinion, not news. I also notice that the editor placed a pointer to it on page one, boosting its prominence.

Cheerleading for obstructionism and political gamesmanship is no way to start off the new year, editors. Nor is misleading your readers. Could we please have a resolution in the editorial offices to try harder to act like journalism professionals?

Editorial: Questions left in wake of city's thaw

Questions, indeed, and the editor gets around to them right at the end, after a tedious "Days Past" digression. Apparently he was researching the weather in 1967 rather than putting those questions to our city officials.

An event like the weekend's winter storm brings the whole town together and requires official response. So far there's nothing in the Courier. I for one would much prefer reading the answers than wasting time on the editor's idle wonderings.

Last I heard there was still a working newsroom at the Courier -- would it be asking too much to gather some news?