THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 27, 1994 TAG: 9411240015
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J5 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Lynn Feigenbaum
LENGTH: Long : 105 lines
It seems appropriate this weekend to indulge in a little thanks-giving. This is tougher than it sounds.
Readers who call the public editor's office seldom have thanks in mind. Usually they're challenging the newspapers' accuracy and fairness, or wincing at misspellings, bad grammar and painful typos. Often they're angry, to put it mildly.
Satisfied readers are less apt to pick up the phone. But I've gotten a surprising number of upbeat calls lately.
So, herewith, my second annual thanks-giving column - not a complete feast, just a sampling of the newspapers' good works in the past few weeks.
HEARTFELT THANKS. ``Tina's Heart,'' a two-part story on a 16-year-old girl's heart transplant, won the hearts of a number of readers.
``It flowed from emotion to emotion like no other human-interest story that I have read,'' said Steve Kurz of Virginia Beach. ``It showed insight and compassion.''
Kurz had particular reason to empathize with the story, which ran Nov. 13 and 14. He had a mild heart attack in June and some of the medical procedures Tina went through were familiar to him.
``I am much older than Tina but had the same feelings,'' he said.
``Tina's Heart'' was written by staff writer Diane Tennant, who had less cause to be thankful. Her name was misspelled in the first installment and left off entirely from the second.
REWARDING COLUMN. When readers aren't blasting our opinion-page columnists, they'll sometimes acknowledge being moved by them.
Frances B. Van Norton of Norfolk admits she usually calls to gripe. But this month she picked up the phone to praise Perry Morgan's Nov. 6 column, ``Southern summer's reward.''
The newspapers' former publisher, Morgan writes most Sundays for the Commentary section. That day, his column revisited October and November in a small town where, ``Like butter and syrup on a hot biscuit, the two months melted together and made a little season.''
Van Norton cut out Morgan's column and saved it. ``It is beautiful prose,'' she said. ``He always writes well, but this is exceptional.''
QUICK RESPONSE. Two readers thanked us for responding quickly to their calls.
Harold R. Parker of Portsmouth was really annoyed when he saw the photo of state Sen. Hunter Andrews in the Nov. 18 MetroNews section.
Parker said he doesn't know Andrews but how, he asked, could we run such a horrible photo of the man?
Indeed, it was a poor picture - a blurry shot taken while Andrews was talking. After Parker's call, one glance convinced photo editor Alex Burrows to have the offending picture tossed out.
Earlier in the week, another Portsmouth reader asked a favor. In the Currents community section, said Howard I. Horwitz, you have a column called Church Notes. Couldn't you use a title that welcomes other religions, too?
Days later, it was done. Portsmouth news editor Joe Banks changed the column name to the more ecumenical Religion Notes.
Both Parker and Horwitz were grateful, and a bit surprised, at the quick response. ``It's nice to know that things can happen that fast,'' said Horwitz. ``Thanks for taking such prompt action.''
A MILITARY SALUTE. ``Final Flight,'' a front-page story three Sundays ago, recounted the life and death of a Navy F-14 pilot, Lt. Karl Scott Belczyk. The story, by military writer Kerry DeRochi, hit a chord in the Navy community.
Mark Estes, a pilot in the Navy Reserves, was particularly grateful. ``I just wanted to thank you for finally, finally giving us a true picture of what naval aviation is really like, day in and day out, for naval aviators and their families,'' said Estes, a Norfolk resident.
``It is real refreshing to read something about the significance of what these folks do other than attend Tailhook parties.''
Another military story also drew praise, again with the hint that it was overdue.
Doug Nichols of Virginia Beach was glad to see the Nov. 4 front-page story on U.S. families displaced from Guantanamo.
``I spent four years there and it's something near and dear to me,'' said Nichols, who describes himself as a retired Navy E-6 househusband. ``I'm glad you guys finally paid some attention to the story.''
It helps that, for the past three years, the Pilot and Ledger have had a staff writer - currently Dale Eisman - full time in Washington. Two Eisman updates on the Guantanamo situation ran last week.
TRAVELING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. Having a full-time travel writer/editor is a relatively new innovation for the newspaper, and Rosemarie Hughes, a Virginia Beach retiree, is delighted.
``Tell Steve Harriman,'' she said, ``that his writing, as well as other articles in that section, has made the Sunday Break my favorite section of the paper.''
Hughes, who has complained in the past, likes the rest of the paper better now. ``It seems like everyone lately has been putting a super effort forth,'' she said, ``and I am really enjoying it now.''
Well, how can you top that thank you? I won't even try.
But I'd like to throw in my own thanks to readers. Whether you call to complain or compliment, we really do value hearing from you.
Sure, I could do without the occasional blistering harangue. But your calls, letters and e-mail messages let us know that you care about the newspaper.
So, our thanks to you. And we hope you had a happy Thanksgiving holiday! MEMO: Call the public editor at 446-2475, or send a computer message to
lynn(AT)infi.net.Call the public editor at 446-2475, or send a computer
message to lynn(AT)infi.net.
by CNB