Black Monday - Is this the worst day for print journalism?

And that's what ticks off many in the business, that her hands are tied and she's forced to make stupid statements in order to keep morale up.

 

First of all, someone should tell her it's not "a lot less journalists." It's "a lot fewer journalists."

Second, her claim about maintaining the quality of the reporting is a sleight of hand that plays off the measurable drop in the quantity of content. But less is less, if you have fewer watchdogs to do that watchdog journalism.

Third, why do newspaper managers continue to spout this crap when they know that they have hired and nurtured vast rooms full of people with radar to cut through such gobbledygook? Why can't they just say things straight, in ways that wouldn't send journalists' b.s. detectors into frenzied beeping and flashing?

Everyone -- the public included -- knows what's going on by this point. They only make themselves look like out-of-touch, privileged asses by sticking with the corporatespeak and salesmanship.

 

Easy answer to that one: If they don't, they'll be gone and the paper will have plenty of out-of-work journalists to choose from to replace them.

 

Hell, *I* got that right in my e-mail to her!