Jay Mariotti resigns

You have a generous definition of "journalist."

 

Damn.

A little bit Lynne Hoppes-ish with the guilt tripping about leaving the business, but damn. Ebert's one of my favorites. I enjoy reading his review after I watch a movie almost as much or more as I do the movies themselves.

 

I have the book definition of "journalist," Ace. Don't be obtuse.

 

How about "former so-called journalist?" Can we agree on that?

 

Roger Ebert is the gold standard of criticism. Nuff said.

 

Yes. And he stooped to Mike Nadel's level here.

Nuff said.

 

His rhetorical gifts were wasted in this case, I will grant you. Him leaving right after being expensed in Beijing doesn't pass the smell test, and you know it. Not that I am as passionate about Mariotti as others, but I can still say he should have been principled, and resigned before Beijing.

 

Apparently the Obama column story is true:

http://blogs.suntimes.com/fullcourtpress/2008/08/my_take_on_jay_leaving.html

 

Guess I've been counting on more leadership and answers from the dues-paying union brothers who also manage colleagues, while sitting in a hotel room on assignment covering a beat, while planning the next week's worth of papers and enterprise targets, while looking down from on high with that 360-degree vantage point. Y'know: Bubbler.

You want meat? I got your ... OK, how 'bout this, then? Let's start by having a lot of these job-cutting, morale-sapping suits and suits-pleasers do exactly the opposite of what they've been doing. Y'know, Costanza style: Just do the reverse. Because this way isn't working. Re-invest in the product, give people something good to read, value and reward experience and knowledge, don't try to turn reporters into talk-show yakkers and photogs for a Web product that won't generate the money for their salaries anyway, don't give me on Thursday the exact same content that I read in the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times on Tuesday and call it "news."

Or just keep patting the bosses on the back while trying not to look at the fallen soldiers of this business and the end of journalism in any way that makes a difference, that's all.

 

The real fun, here, is in reading the reader comments which follow. Cover the waterfront.

 

I've always defended intrapaper firefights here, between columnists or whatever. This is a bit over the top, but I'm still enjoying the hell out of it.

 

A couple of points, none of which are related to Jay's work or personality.
1. The idea of the Herald hiring him strikes me as improbable to a degree somewhere near Bill Belichick hiring me to ghost his autobiography. It ain't got the dough.
2. Whatever the real story, Mariotti's comments on resigning were perfectly acceptable. People leave jobs all the time. Nobody has to apologize for bailing on the newspaper business. As the old press box saying goes, "you're allowed to root for yourself."
3. The Sun-Times' reaction was bush to the googolplex degree. That kind of shit would earn the editors of a college newspaper a talking to from the faculty adviser.