Grumpy Editor

Grumpy Editor, observing the holidays, returns Jan. 3

Grumpy Editor is taking time off to celebrate Christmas and welcome year 2011.

He --- and his grumpiness --- will be back on the scene Jan. 3.

Video features ‘Cup Size Choir’ promoting bras as gifts

Using the holiday season to promote its name and (ahem, bras) in an unusual way, La Senza, part of Limited Brands Inc., is attracting attention with a video on the Web that has generated more than 578,000 views in a week utilizing seven scantily-clad beauties each beaming a different note to the tune, “Deck the halls with boughs of holly,” observes Grumpy Editor.

Name of the singing group, complete with a heavenly harp background, is The Cup Size Choir.  (No kidding.)

For men, trying to get a handle on things when shopping for holiday gifts, it’s an eye-catching way to showcase a comparative look at cup sizes A through D.

Rather than placing the singing seven in heavy coats, scarves and mittens in a snow scene around a Christmas tree to plug lingerie, La Senza shows the bra-clad carolers reclining on beds while vocalizing specific notes.

See the performance here.

Specialty retailer Limited Brands, Columbus, Ohio, also is the parent company of Victoria’s Secret.

The sexy chorus certainly beats (visually) Burl Ives singing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and the seven are more in tune vocalizing “Deck the Halls” than The Chipmunks’ Alvin, Simon, and Theodore in the CD, “Christmas with the Chipmunks, Vol. 2.”

Want to guess what’s missing from today’s newspaper?

Chances are you have not noticed something missing in your newspaper today and yesterday, figures Grumpy Editor.

Is it the weather map, the almanac, a comic strip or crossword puzzle?

None of the above.

Most Associated Press writers and photographers are removing their names from stories and photo credits in a “byline boycott” to protest proposed cuts at the news cooperative.

About 1,200 AP employees in the U.S. are represented by the News Media Guild, a local of the Newspaper Guild-Communications Workers of America.

AP staffers did the same routine two years ago as a protest of management’s stance in contract talks.

The not-for-profit news organization is facing more problems now. 

 AP’s net income last year dropped 65 percent to $8.8 million from $25.1 million in 2008.  U.S. newspapers now account for about one-fourth of revenue.

Withholding bylines or photo credits isn’t new.  Other news outlets --- including The Wall Street Journal and Washington Post --- also employed the tactic in recent years.

What participants don’t seem to realize is that most readers --- other than family members, friends and fellow staffers --- aren’t aware of the dropped bylines.

Some AP bylines continue over stories from overseas points, the United Nations and some sports reports.

Current protesters are adding a new wrinkle to the no-byline campaign. 

Guild members and supporters are wearing red shirts.

Grumpy Editor reminds that red usually is associated with a financial loss, danger --- or a bullfight.

Freelance writers face lower pay, fewer publications

Freelance writing, once a thriving activity even for moonlighting full-time staffers, is taking a hit in the down economy as pay and the number of high-yielding publications ebbs, notes Grumpy Editor.

A Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW) survey finds freelance business journalists average $25,000 to $30,000 a year.

Nearly three out of four of the 67 freelancers surveyed reveal they are making less than when they worked full-time jobs, reports Chris Roush, SABEW research director, who also directs business journalism efforts at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The survey notes business freelancers average 75 cents to $1 per word.

Most write for newspapers, magazines and Web sites.

Yet, despite the paltry pay, more than two thirds of respondents say they would not return to full-time business news jobs.  The inducements to stay freelance, they mention, include a flexible work schedule at home and the ability to write for multiple media organizations.

Along with journalists specializing in business writing, freelancers in general these days face tougher times as article lengths in most news outlets have decreased along with pay per word, finds Grumpy Editor who cites other current turn-offs, making life shaky and wearisome for freelance writers: 

• Targeting publications paying $2 to $3 or more per word is rare now, as publishers seek to boost bottom lines.

• Non-responding (often inexperienced) editors, even when contacted by veteran writers who contributed in the past.

• Slow pay, often bordering on no pay, with tired excuses such as “the accounting department lost the invoice.”

• Past routine of payment on acceptance now comes closer to payment on publication.

• Cumbersome, lengthy contracts (often late in arriving) loaded with legalese geared to publishers’ desires.

• Sudden change of editors, resulting in different ideas on treatment of submitted articles that have to be re-worked, generally at slim or no extra pay for time-consuming additional research or interviews.

Media grumble as Sarah Palin visits Haiti’s cholera clinics

Print and broadcast media (except Fox News) did not keep it a secret that they were miffed at Sarah Palin because she did not meet at length with them during her two-day visit to earthquake-ravaged Haiti to observe cholera clinics, notes Grumpy Editor.

The key reason she avoided meeting with non-Fox News media is that the former Republican vice presidential candidate is a Fox News contributor.

It’s that simple.

Yet, other news organizations expressed shock at her snubbing the press, although she made herself briefly available at aid group Samaritan’s Purse compound in Port-au-Prince.

Associated Press was able to take some photos of Palin who was accompanied on the trip by daughter, Bristol, and husband, Todd. 

However, most media yearned for more, such as a full-scale press conference detailing her visit as a guest of Rev. Franklin Graham, son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, whose organization, Samaritan’s Purse, works in the impoverished Caribbean nation where it has built 10,000 shelters since the January earthquake.

The former Alaska governor also has been busy with “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” on the TLC channel.

Killer smog chokes Tehran, Iran blames U.S.-led sanctions

Killer-smog-in-Iran stories over the weekend blame the U.S. for bringing air pollution to the critical level but media overlooked another major smog attack four years ago, in a continuing battle with dirty air, that put the finger on cheap fuel used in cars not meeting global emissions standards, points out Grumpy Editor.

Iran averages about 5,000 pollution-related deaths a year, according to official figures.

The report on the latest bout with air pollution, resulting in a reported 2,500 recent deaths in Tehran and other major cities, cites emissions from vehicles using low-quality gasoline produced in Iranian refineries.

U.S.-led sanctions curbed the supply of imported higher-quality gasoline.

Iran recently converted petrochemical plants into refineries to fill the vacuum from lost imports.

The Wall Street Journal reports an Iranian government official says domestic production of gasoline contains 10 times the number of harmful particles than imported fuel.

Smoggy air continues to prevail over the years, imported gasoline or not.

In early January, 2007, Iranian officials cited air pollution in Tehran as the cause of  9,900 deaths over a one-year period, including 3,600 in October, 2006.

Most of the deaths were attributed to heart attacks and respiratory illnesses brought on by polluted air.

The U.S. wasn’t blamed for the killer smog at that time.

Howard Stern rants, gets new 5-year Sirius XM contract

Hey, sometimes in these modern times it pays to bash a company executive --- complete with expletives --- on radio when a contract is up for renewal, observes Grumpy Editor.

For Howard Stern, a “colorful” on-air rant on Tuesday led to a new five-year agreement yesterday with Sirius XM Radio Inc.

So those seeking renewal of agreements with their companies should take note.

Stern on Tuesday slammed David Frear, Sirius XM chief financial officer, after the CFO indicated the shock jock would have to take a pay cut to stay on the air, reported Dylan Stableford on TheWrap.

With Stern nearing the end of a five-year, $400 million contract, Stableford wrote that Frear, at an investor conference in New York on Monday, mentioned the satellite radio personality would have to agree to return at “significantly less money.”

That triggered Stern the next day to bellow on air:  “I am not taking a f---ing pay cut,” relayed Stableford.  “Why would I have to take a pay cut?...Who is this guy to say this in public?”

Then Stern pushed on with, “I know what I have done for this company.  I am more important than Oprah, in this company, anyway.”

Then the dust settled.

In announcing a fresh five-year agreement (with terms not disclosed) yesterday, Mel Karmazin, Sirius XM’s chief executive officer, said, “Howard is a great talent and we are thrilled that he will continue to provoke, engage and entertain on Sirius XM.”

The new contract, running through Dec. 31, 2015, gives Sirius XM the added right to transmit Stern’s programming to mobile devices.

Despite Obama’s 'Fed freeze,’ many workers set for raises

Non-government workers and Social Security recipients not getting higher payments in 2011 will be interested to learn that despite President Barack Obama’s widely-covered announcement last week freezing federal workers’ pay for two years, more than 1.4 million government employees still will receive a 2.6 percent to 3.3 percent raise, notes Grumpy Editor.

Stephen Losey, in a federaltimes.com article, explains Obama’s proposal only cancels cost-of-living adjustments for two years.

But regularly-scheduled “step increases” for General Schedule workers, who make up two-thirds of the civilian work force, will continue, he points out.

Losey adds, “In addition to General Schedule employees receiving step increases, some of the government's roughly 187,000 wage-grade employees also will receive step increases. And many employees will receive promotions, which also come with salary increases.”

In addition, reminds Grumpy Editor, members of Congress, unless they decide otherwise, are a month away from receiving a hassle-free, annual automatic pay boost.

This comes at a time when more than 58 million Social Security recipients --- facing higher expenditures on many fronts --- again will be without the traditional upward cost of living adjustment for 2011.

That’s because Washington (echoed by the media) claims inflation is “tame.”

Seniors did not receive a COLA for 2010 either, something that hasn’t happened since automatic adjustments were adopted 35 years earlier.

History Channel gives scant coverage of Pearl Harbor Day

Pearl Harbor Day yesterday, marking the Dec. 7, 1941 Japanese surprise attack on the U.S. Navy base in Hawaii that triggered America’s entry into World War II, received minimal attention on the History Channel which devoted its prime time to sports cars between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. in both Eastern and Pacific time zones, notes Grumpy Editor.

Only TV programming focusing on the event was "Tora, Tora, Tora:  The Real Story of Pearl Harbor" (not to be confused with the 1970 movie) which aired at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time .

Also airing (8 a.m. and 2 p.m.), but not tied directly to Pearl Harbor Day, was “Dogfights: Kamikaze,” relating to Japanese aircraft with suicide pilots that attacked American warships in the last year of World War II.

The channel’s prime time was set aside for “Top Gear,” a popular series in Great Britain since 1977.

Wrapping up the day, Modern Marvels at 11 p.m. spotlighted hazardous shipments.

The History Channel’s Web site, however, contained basic details on the Pearl Harbor attack under “This Day in History.”

Text on the Web site pointed out, “The day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, President Roosevelt appeared before a joint session of Congress and declared, ‘Yesterday, December 7, 1941--a date which will live in infamy --- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan’.” 

Fourteen two to four-minute videos on the Web site contained clips relating to the Pearl Harbor attack and later World War II events.

India inspires more savings with higher deposit rates

In an effort to give the U.S. economy a solid shot in the arm, perhaps business writers should ask Washington lawmakers and the White House on their thoughts of implementing a plan along the lines India promptly put into effect to spur savings and investment, suggests Grumpy Editor.

India authorities acted with speed.

Note the time span:

On Friday, Reserve Bank of India Governor Duvvuri Subbarao said that country’s banks need to increase deposit rates and reduce lending rates to help the economy.

Then yesterday, State Bank of India, Bank of India and other financial institutions raised their deposit rates by up to 150 basis points across various maturities ensuring higher returns for depositors.

Subbarao just before the weekend said, “To achieve our collective aspiration…we need to raise the level of national savings and channel those savings into investment.”

The decision of State Bank of India and Bank of India to raise fixed deposit rates will prompt other lenders to hike their rates to compete for savers' money, reports The Hindu, a New Delhi daily newspaper with a circulation of 14.7 million copies.

Higher interest rates on savings in the U.S. would provide account  holders with more income. Thus, more funds would inspire more purchases, boosting the economy and creating jobs.

Current annual percentage yield (APY) for a one-year certificate of deposit in the U.S., according to Bankrate.com, is 0.51 percent --- that’s a shade over half of 1 percent --- and doesn’t add much to U.S. wallets.