It's not just that the Globe dedicated FIFTEEN reporters, photographers and editors to its list of the 25 most allegedly stylish people in Boston. Or that it was spread over six pages (with four pages of non-stylish reviews weirdly stuck in the middle). Or that they somehow decided that city Councilor Michael Ross is more dapper than city Councilor John Tobin. No, what really got me about the whole thing was the intro (print only):
Did Jack Welch and Jack Connors' bid for the Globe just coincidentally coincide with that letter from Ted Kennedy supporting Globe union workers? John Ellis writes in the Wall Street Journal there may be a link - Harry at Squaring the Boston Globe summarizes for those of us who don't have WSJ subscriptions.
The Globe's circulation continues to plummet, but John Daley wonders if the Globe has identified a new flock of readers to go after: The under-served ornithologist demographic.
Mats Tolander finds the Globe articles on Boston's population shrinking/growing raise as many questions as they answer. Also, could the Globe tell us if Tom Menino said Census Bureau numbers showing an increase are a "psychic boost" (Friday) or a "psychological boost" (Saturday)? Is the Globe covering for Hizzonah or did the reporters just misquote him?
Gienna readily admits she voted "yes" in our Just what the Globe needs: The return of Mike Barnicle poll. No, she writes, it's not because she doesn't remember all the stuff that got the Old Plagiarizer (and Patricia Smith) fired. It's just that she longs for the day when the Globe had columnists whom she actually looked forward to reading:
... But seriously, when was the last time you read a Globe column that was so good you cut it out of the paper and posted it on the fridge? ...
So former GE honcho Jack Welch and local ad honcho Jack Connors might try to buy the Globe - for about half what the New York Times paid for it back in 1999.
Michael Gee, late of the Herald, rips into the Globe in general, and Brian McGrory in particular, for the coverage of last night's gubernatorial debate:
"And Grace Ross?" McGrory wrote of the Green party candidate last night. "She seems really nice. But let's step beyond the political correctness and admit that she has none of the support and qualifications that entitle her to a spot on the stage. She's a distraction and she no longer belongs." ...
Dave Copeland, himself a former knight of the keyboard, says the Globe missed its chance for a great first paragraph on an otherwise boring story about efforts by Amherst to crack down on drunken college students. Buried in the story was:
Amy will not vote for Kerry Healey, but still finds Brian McGrory's column on her last week, the one in which he wonders what happened to the fun Kerry Healey of old, the one who gleefully drinks raw Coke by the case, insulting:
Dan Kennedy tells us what we know at the moment on the Patrick brother-in-law story: The Herald claims the state started looking into it after the Globe called, but then the Globe didn't think there was a story, so somebody dropped a dime to the Herald, which, of course, felt it was vital for voters to know about something that Patrick had nothing to do with.
The Healey campaign, of course, is just shocked that anybody would think it had anything to do with the affair.
Writers for both the paper and boston.com are rebelling against a management proposal to tie future ink-stained raises to increasing revenue at the dead-trees edition, but not the pixellated one, because guess where the revenues are going up and where they're going down?
Via Dan Kennedy.
In the long run, probably doesn't matter, but Greg Reibman notes dueling claims in the Globe and Herald from Roslindale residents on who found the poor baby.
Michael Gee (yes, that Michael Gee) marvels that on a day in which two men are thrown out at home on the same play, all the CHB can come up with is alleged amazement that New York has two major-league baseball teams and a subway:
Over on the Dig, Media Farm notes that the Globe managed to write two articles about Yo La Tengo without once mentioning the entire name of its new album. In one article, it came out as "I Am Not Afraid of You." In the other, a more daring editor allowed "I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat ..."
The complete name (Globe editors, cover your eyes): "I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass."
Ezra writes that the Sunday Globe Magazine cover story on James Taylor pretty much sums up everything that's wrong with the magazine. Especially the cover photo and the long paragraph about Taylor singing "Kumbaya" to his twins while he and the author sup on poached salmon, soba noodles, bok choi and spring rolls as the kids try to snap off the writer's nose before Taylor shepherds them on a trip to Seiji Ozawa's pool.
Dan Kennedy generally likes the new look of the Boston Globe online, but wonders where all the photos went:
... One of the pleasures of reading the Times on the Web is the excellence of the photojournalism. The Globe's got some fine photographers. Can we please see their work online? ...
I met up with bodybuilder John McClay and shot some video while he worked out at Gold's Gym in Braintree. John will be competing in the USA National Wheelchair Bodybuilding Championship this weekend.
My story came out yesterday....but the article and video is still online, if you want to check it out.
David Scott notes the irony: The almost entirely white Globe sports department offers up a detailed look at the lack of diversity among college coaches.
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