Too many magazines, and some newspapers, make it very difficult to contact staffers --- which is just plain dumb, grumbles Grumpy Editor.
Readers may have hot tips, article suggestions, added information or just plain praise.
So it’s interesting to note Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine’s editor Mark Solheim, in the February issue, devotes a whole page to “Thanks for the Feedback.”
Four pages further into the magazine all staffers, from editorial to sales are listed.
As Solheim points out on his page: “At Kiplinger, the best feedback of all comes directly from you. One of the guiding principles of the Kiplinger family of publications is reader service. We aim to be as useful to you as possible and to respond when you reach out to us. That’s why I include my e-mail address at the end of my column, and it's why articles now include writer’s e-mail addresses.”
Kiplinger’s also employs another method to get feedback --- a panel consisting of several hundred readers who volunteer to rate each issue.
IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…
WHAT, NO COURT MARTIAL? Maj. Gen. Ryan Gonsalves, who recently headed the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colo., is denied promotion to three stars because he referred to a female congressional staffer as "sweetheart" during a meeting in October, 2016.
FAVORITE WORD ON CNN. After President Donald Trump reportedly asked why the U.S. should welcome migrants from “sh-tholes” like Haiti, Central America or African nations, that word was mentioned at least 36 times Thursday on CNN, tallies Gateway Pundit.
FORGET STEERING WHEEL, PEDALS. General Motors thinks folks would drive a car without steering wheel or pedals, reports Fortune. The automaker petitioned the federal government for permission to deploy self-driving Chevrolet Bolts that lack steering wheel, pedals and other manual controls ahead of the planned launch of a robo ride-sharing service next year.
SOMETHING TO BARK ABOUT. The FBI has a new agent --- with four legs, a yellow coat and a wet nose: Harley, a two-year-old Labrador retriever. She works with the FBI’s New York outpost and the Westchester County Police Department sniffing for flash drives, hard drives, SIM cards and other storage devices in criminal cases where electronic evidence is sought.
BACK TO WORLD WAR II GARB? The Army will decide later this year if it should switch back to its classic World War II-era “pink and green” dress uniform as part of an effort to link troops more closely to the service’s history.
COST OF OIL RISES AGAIN. Oil reaches $70 a barrel for the first time in three years as production cuts by OPEC and rising demand drain the global surplus.
NEW FLAVORS LOOM FOR DIET COKE. Look for new flavors such as “ginger lime” and “twisted mango” and a revamped can design for Diet Coke, first change with the Coca-Cola beverage since 1982.
MORE APPEAL FOR STOCK OWNERSHIP. Bloomberg reports Warren Buffett says U.S. tax cut legislation makes stock ownership more attractive by making companies more valuable by giving owners a bigger share of profits.
NOAA CITES WEATHER-LINKED DAMAGE. Massive damage from the unprecedented number of hurricanes along with fires, floods and other weather-related events, cost the U.S. a record $306.2 billion last year, estimates the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
SUDDEN RICH KID. For Shane Missler from Port Richey, Fla., it was time to retire at the ripe old age of 20 after winning the whopping $451 million Mega Millions prize in the Florida Lottery.
15 YEARS ON OVERNIGHT RADIO. George Noory this month marks his 15th year as host of “Coast to Coast AM,” an overnight radio show fed by Premiere Networks. The program features interesting interviews on various topics with the focus on paranormal or conspiracy theories. On Tuesday's show, for example, the key topic will be on the coming ice age.
UNDELIVERED MAIL. In Louisiana, a federal prosecutor says a 50-year old former U.S. Postal Service worker took mail from his rural postal route to his home in Pitkin where he burned at least 20 tubs of mail.