THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 24, 1995 TAG: 9509230001
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: LYNN FEIGENBAUM
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Readers aren't the only ones to take issue with the paper. Second guessing has cult status among journalists, and there is no more unanimity in the newsroom than in the ``outside world.''
Often, the issues that most concern staffers don't create a ripple with the public, and vice versa. But last Sunday it was different. The sound and fury came from readers and staff alike.
I'm referring to the Sunday front-page lead, ``If Republicans win the Assembly, what happens to Norfolk's clout?''
As is often the case, the story was less troublesome than its packaging. True, it skimped on giving the Republican side of the situation, but the point was valid - Democratic lawmakers currently give Norfolk political clout.
What was jarring was its lead position and two-line banner headline - and the message that play seemed to impart. Readers put it best.
``I could not believe the headline,'' said Jeff Carlucci, administrator at Hampton Roads Christian Academy in Portsmouth. ``It's a blatant attempt to try to influence the voters of Norfolk. . . to keep the power of the Democrats in the Assembly.''
The newspaper, he said, should ``be ashamed of itself for doing something like that.''
The newspaper was - at least its senior editors. Memos went flying and editor Cole Campbell wrote a story for an in-house newsletter, ``Our story on clout missed the target.''
Monday's paper offered some redemption with a second banner story, ``GOP says clout can't cut it anymore.'' Reader Carlucci felt that helped balance things off.
But Steve Kurz of Virginia Beach said the damage couldn't be completely undone. A lot of people, he noted, subscribe only to the weekend papers. And what they got Sunday, he said, were ``scare tactics.''
P.S. What bothered me as much as the Sunday headline was what wasn't on the front page. Hurricane Marilyn had devastated parts of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, wiping out 80 percent of the homes on St. Thomas. Turn all the way back to page A6 for that story.
ELECTION LIST, LIST, LIST. I wish our Assembly woes had ended Monday but they came back to haunt us. The next day, as an aid to voters for the Nov. 7 election, a long list of candidates and precincts ran in the MetroNews section.
I found the list hard to follow. But, worse, it was full of mistakes and omissions because it was based on an outdated roster. On Wednesday we had to rerun much of the list.
Ironically, a correct list of Assembly candidates ran on Tuesday's editorial page. In this day of high newsprint costs, once would have been enough.
SIGNS OF THE TIMES. Maybe the newspaper's collective horoscope this week was, ``You need to pay attention to both the big picture and details, or you will lose your credibility with readers.''
Which reminds me, if you're into those predictions, you'll want to know that a new horoscope columnist starts Monday. Jeane Dixon's column replaces the one by Stella Wilder in The Daily Break.
PAUSE FOR APPLAUSE. At least some readers recognized the good stuff in the paper this week, including:
The three-day series on special education. ``Having two children disabled, it really made me feel like this community is interested in our children,'' said one caller. Others suggested more reporting on the subject.
Tuesday's Daily Break story on breastfeeding. ``With the rate of moms breastfeeding still in decline, articles such as these are needed,'' e-mailed a Virginia Beach mom. A Tidewater Community College teacher said she used the story in her nutrition class.
And one woman called just to say what a kick she gets out of our punny headlines, like: ``Democrats may take Lott's opinion with a grain of salt'' (on a Guy Friddell column) and ``Where there's a will, there's Elway,'' in Sports.
Maybe we need to take all our ups and downs with a grain of salt.
by CNB