Grumpy Editor

Some newspaper editors bury latest Benghazi details; Delivery problem? Call audience development division

With a House committee hearing producing fresh revelations on the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi that resulted in the murders of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, Grumpy Editor surveyed how key U.S. newspapers played the story. 

New York Times and Washington Post editors were among those who recognized the significance of fresh information eight months after the attack.  Both placed reports on column one of their front pages. 

Others going the front-page route included the Denver Post and Kansas City Star. 

But many dailies put the material on inside pages. 

Information from the House hearing didn’t make front page of the Los Angeles Times.  But its five opening-page stories included “Mexico’s cop test comes under fire” and costs of a freeway project. 

The Boston Globe managed to include the Benghazi update among 10 “refers” on its front page where the top story was: “Labs must test medical marijuana.”

The latest Benghazi revelations --- in which incompetence and misinformation were cited --- also bypassed front pages of the Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald, Philadelphia Inquirer and Detroit News.  With the latter, Benghazi was not among the eight “refers” on the front page where the main story was “Hazardous cargo may head to bridge.” 

Meanwhile, the Bakersfield California went all out with three-fourths of the front page showing a head shot of Gregory Hicks, former deputy chief of the mission in Libya and one of the three State Department “whistle blowers” at the House hearing. 

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Are further probes likely on Benghazi events?  Unanswered questions --- still hanging after eight months --- point to that.

Sharyl Attkisson, CBS News' Emmy Award-winning investigative correspondent appearing on C-Span yesterday, revealed she has a list of 25 questions regarding Benghazi still awaiting answers from the White House communications office and others.  “It’s hard to say where this (investigation) goes,” she said.  

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New name for circulation department

Say goodbye to a newspaper’s circulation department --- at least in Fresno, Calif.

The Fresno Bee, one of McClatchy Co.'s 30 daily newspapers in 15 states, renames the long-known circulation department as the (mouthful) audience development division. 

Sounds like something that would be promoted at a broadcast operation in efforts to boost listeners/viewers. 

But the Bee says the updated title --- sure to create havoc when subscribers phone in to report a missing morning delivery --- “more accurately reflects (the department’s) responsibilities.” 

The change, says Bee publisher and president Tom Cullinan, reflects the department's role to increase print readership and to expand the online audience through a variety of products and platforms. 

 

In case you missed these… 

Disciplinary actions:  A U.S. soldier riding in a vehicle in Afghanistan could face disciplinary action for throwing stones at a portrait of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.  Meanwhile, two seven-year-old Suffolk, Va., second graders were suspended for two days for making shooting noises while pointing pencils at each another…Hocus-pocus.  Standing about 30 feet apart --- and appearing to chat via satellite on a split-screen --- were CNN anchor Ashleigh Banfield and HLN anchor Nancy Grace.  Producers didn’t count on the same vehicles passing through the background.

 

New York print ranks get slimmer.  Two editors quit the Village Voice Thursday after being instructed to reduce staff by five.  On the same day, the New York Post sought to lower its headcount by 10 percent through buyout packages.  Later, the New York Daily News announced layoffs.  As Daily News editor-in-chief Colin Myler and president Bill Holiber explained it:

“The newspaper industry is going through an unprecedented revolution. Print advertising and circulation revenue streams continue to fall but our business transformation as a whole is strong and growing.”

11 days after deadly Libya attack: terrorists did it

Grumpy Editor’s pick as quote of the month --- 11 days after a military-style deadly attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admitted:

“What happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack.”

She added, “And we will not rest until we have tracked down and brought to justice the terrorists who murdered four Americans.” 

For more than a week, U.S. officials thought --- and widely proclaimed --- the attack was a protest stemming from a little-seen anti-Islam Internet video. 

The assault resulted in the murders of Ambassador Chris Stevens, diplomat Sean Smith, and ex-Navy SEALS Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods who were in Benghazi as part of a security contractor force.

Feels like some writers work out of White House PR office

Today’s quiz:  Guess the source of these in-print statements, focusing on GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, asks Grumpy Editor. 

“Republicans are fretting over the state of their nominee's campaign.” 

“A new flurry of polls (show Romney) behind.” 

(Romney is) “untested on the international stage and with limited foreign policy experience.” 

With unrest in Egypt and Libya (anti-American violence swelled to two dozen countries since Friday), "Romney accused Obama of apologizing for America, his first statement mischaracterizing events in Cairo before all the facts were known…” 

“Romney's foreign policy bobble was the latest in a series of recent missteps.” 

“Republicans have expressed worry that Romney may be starting to let the campaign get away from him. Others are pushing him to explain more clearly what he would do as president.” 

“Observers have noticed a change in the candidate who struggles to connect with his audiences and is tagged by critics as less than charismatic and even out of touch.” 

Answer:  Associated Press. 

Four AP writers were behind the lengthy story that ran in some newspapers over the weekend.   Sharing bylines were Steve Peoples, who covers national politics, and Thomas Beaumont, political writer.  Contributing to the piece were Beth Fouhy, White House correspondent, and Ben Feller, presidential campaign reporter. 

After reading the story, that ran two-and-a- half single-spaced pages when printed out, Grumpy Editor wondered if the material was produced in the White House communications office. 

Veteran journalists, at least those from the “old school,” were taught to leave the editorializing for the editorial page, use attribution from real, named sources rather than tossing in words such as “observers” and “others,” and not to let bias slip into the copy.

(Do naughty things like that and a growling editor would promptly transfer an offending reporter to the overnight police beat.)

Meanwhile, with recent events putting a strong spotlight on U.S. foreign policy, Amy Holmes, a news anchor on Glenn Beck's GBTV, on CNN's Reliable Sources yesterday, said media should:

"Go to the sources...find out what is going on in the Middle East.  Americans are tuned in and reading newspapers. What is happening over there?  What happened to our State Department?  Where were our ambassadors?  Did we have advance warning?   

"Who, what, where, when and how in the Middle East --- instead of Mitt Romney."

 

 

U.S.’s $2 billion clean air package story mostly buried

With most editors focused on a flurry of Washington developments plus problems connected with a tropical storm and expanding wildfires, many missed a $2 billion clean energy package that the U.S. announced during a three-day United Nations conference in Rio de Janeiro attended by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, notes Grumpy Editor. 

Editors who drive to work dodging growing roadway potholes, not fixed because of lack of funds, should be concerned on $2 billion more going in the form of grants, loans and loan guarantees for programs to advance the adoption of clean energy solutions in developing countries. 

"In the 21st century, the only viable development is sustainable development,” said Clinton to delegates from 192 nations.  “The only way to deliver lasting progress for everyone is by preserving our resources and protecting our common environment." 

Earlier, a State Department spokesperson mentioned, “The UN Secretary General’s Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative represents an important opportunity for the international community to address issues critical to the future of sustainable development, energy access and economic growth.

“Expanding the use of efficient and clean energy technologies is a priority of the Obama Administration, domestically and internationally, and increasing energy access is a central challenge facing the world.”

With all this going on in Brazil, lacking in news reports from current heavy flooding from a tropical storm in Florida and major wildfires in several states, including Colorado, affecting many thousands of residents, was any mention of financial aid including assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

 

Al Jazeera broadcasts ‘real news,’ says Hillary Clinton

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton seems to be doing a bit of PR on the side, touting the Al Jazeera TV channel as providing “real news” despite long-time efforts of CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Voice of America (VOA) and BBC, observes Grumpy Editor.

While her remarks didn’t get much coverage in U.S. print and broadcast media yesterday, she told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday that the U.S. is losing the “information war” in the world to such “quality” channels as Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera, an international news network based in Doha, Qatar, launched Al Jazeera English, on Nov. 15, 2006, which now has broadcast centers in Doha, London and Washington, D.C.

"Viewership of Al Jazeera is going up in the United States because it's real news," the Secretary of State declared.

"You may not agree with it, but you feel like you're getting real news around the clock instead of a million commercials and, you know, arguments between talking heads and the kind of stuff that we do on our news which, you know, is not particularly informative to us, let alone foreigners."

The Secretary of State overlooked Voice of America which started broadcasting internationally in 1942 and now transmits about 1,500 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming weekly to an estimated worldwide audience of 123 million people --- sans commercials.

Britain’s BBC also broadcasts worldwide without commercials.

The U.S. has dropped the ball since the Cold War when VOA and other U.S. broadcasts were influential, Clinton said, adding, “We have not kept up with the times.”

 

Somali pirates kill 4 Americans aboard captured yacht

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UPDATE

The four Americans aboard the  U.S.-flagged Quest were shot and killed by their Somali captors, the U.S. Central Command announced today.

 It marked the first time U.S. citizens were killed in pirate attacks on shipping in the region.

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Earlier posting...

It’s rather strange that U.S. media have to get updated input on Somali pirates’ latest grab, a U.S.-flagged yacht, from one of their official (or unofficial) spokesmen rather from the U.S. State Department or the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain, observes Grumpy Editor.

Identified only as Hassan, the pirates "spokesman" over the weekend fed the press latest details on the captured yacht.  He said a warship with a helicopter was shadowing the U.S. vessel.

Only word from U.S. agencies and the military is that they “are monitoring the situation.”

Somali pirates Friday hijacked the yacht, S/V Quest, about 275 miles off the Oman coast in the Arabian Sea.

Four Americans were on board, including the yacht’s owners, missionaries Jean and Scott Adam, from Southern California.  They were in their seventh year on a round-the-world journey, distributing Bibles along the way.

Tough talk comes from the spokesman for the pirates.

Hassan, just before the latest hijacking, told reporters in Somalia that pirates would target Americans in retaliation for last week’s New York court sentencing of a Somali pirate to 33 years in prison.

Americans would suffer “regrettable consequences,” he added.

Just two weeks ago, pirates in the same area --- 220 miles off Oman --- hijacked a U.S.-bound 1,082-foot long supertanker that provides one fifth of daily U.S. crude imports.  With a crew of 25, the Greek-flagged Irene SL was headed for the Gulf of Mexico.

Despite its mammoth size, making it more visible from the air or sea, there has been no further word on the supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of oil worth  $200 million.

Between 30 to 40 vessels and 660 to 800 crew members are being held by pirates who generally seek ransoms.

 

Stranded Americans in Egypt await word on escape route

As chaos and lawlessness continued for a seventh day in Cairo, print and broadcast coverage by U.S. media has been scant on weary and concerned Americans stranded in Egypt awaiting overdue word on evacuation, notes Grumpy Editor.

While meetings, including photo ops, focusing on the violent protests  in Egypt continued in Washington, and the U.S. embassy in Cairo yesterday recommending that Americans leave Egypt as soon as possible, getting out of the country posed a major problem.

Thousands of travelers, including Americans, were stranded at the Cairo International Airport.

Among Americans were Diane Kelley and her husband.  She managed to tell CNN Saturday that they were concerned by the lack of help from U.S. authorities and they were awaiting a way out.

Through yesterday, the U.S. had not dispatched any special flights to fill cancellations by airlines, including Delta, the only U.S. carrier with direct service to Cairo.  Delta earlier suspended service to the area.

Meanwhile, other nations --- acting promptly --- have flown in additional flights to evacuate their citizens.

An airport official told Associated Press that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan sent in more than 15 flights in total to transport their nationals out of the country, adding that Royal Jordanian and Bahrain's Gulf Air switched to larger aircraft to accommodate more people.

A State Department spokesperson late yesterday said the U.S. was hopeful in sending chartered aircraft to Cairo for the trapped Americans today --- one week after protests started.

However, chaos mushroomed at the airport today as thousands of foreigners, including Americans, sought to flee the unrest.

Setting off further grumbling by Americans was word from the State Department that those taking chartered flights will be billed for the cost, mainly to Europe, and would then need to make their own travel arrangements home.

About 52,000 Americans are registered with the U.S. embassy in Cairo.