The View From The Closet (What's Going On At The Record Searchlight, Anyhoo?)

Working at the Record Searchlight has certainly been interesting lately. People want to know what it's like "inside."
"What happened to Doni?"
"What is morale like?"
"Is the new editor a demon sent from Beelzebub to turn our local paper into The National Inquirer?"
"Do you still have free popcorn on Friday?"

These poor fools are asking me, like I know something. Well, I do know about the free popcorn and so far the supply line has not been compromised. Score one for management.

But, let me take a moment to explain my station at the paper. I sit in an anteroom with a computer and a limited and monitored connection the The Network and the outside world. I am working in graphics applications programs creating a few cartoons, illustrations and some "infographics" to hopefully amuse and enlighten our readers.

I am poorly paid and often feel as though I'm the trained picture-making monkey kept for general amusement and the occasional office fecal-flinging competitions. I have come to grips with this and I harbor few illusions.

I am the wise-ass kid in the back row shooting spitwads at the teacher. There is no chance of me graduating or of being taken too seriously so you can generally trust me. So, here's what I think is going on at the paper...

My Zen Buddhist studies have taught me to speak only to my own direct experience. My impressions, as well as anyone else's you may have read, are quite simply only impressions. Feelings. And "feelings" as we all know, are just feelings and they seem to come and go as they please and our oh-so-important "impressions" really don't mean shit to a tree.

On Doni Greenberg

So, my direct experience on the Doni Greenberg issue is this: I saw her cry when she left.

My direct experience with Doni to that point had always been wonderful. I always knew her to be a kind, warm, intelligent and gracious person. I enjoyed her good humor, her generous encouragement and her saying, "bless you," whenever I sneezed.

I don't really miss her though, because thankfully, she's still my friend and I can read her blog and get my "Doni fix" on my computer. Wonderous technology. Our loss is Doni's neighborhood bird population's gain. The universe maintains its balance.

On The Direction Of The Paper

This is an interesting question. I think the public perception is currently devolved into seeing our local newspaper as being "sensationalized" and devoid of worthwhile content. I don't really understand that perception. But, again, perceptions are something like impressions, they really, really don't mean shit to a tree.

My direct experience with the paper has been heavily involved in trying desperately to learn what readers would find most useful and trying to give it to them in a manner that they can use and enjoy. The problem with that is that every single reader is unique and wants something far different from the paper than what you as a reader may want. One person wants more national news, one person says there is too much national news and wants more local news. Fine. Make up your freakin' mind, will ya? It's obvious you can't be all things to all people and trying just gets you beat to a bloody pulp. What hurts is that if you add a feature that kids like (Snap! for example) for some reason it makes another reader so mad they want to spit (and they do.) Never mind that it's just one page once a week in the paper. Can't you find it in your heart to share a little? The Soduku is completely useless to me, I hate 'em. Mainly because I can't do them. But I don't think its a terrible thing to devote a little space to. I know some people must like them - so I can turn to the Pearls Before Swine comic strip and enjoy that. I'm sure most people think it's a waste of ink, but we share.

The page designers have been told that readers (in general) like color. They like shorter stories with fewer jumps. They like alternative story forms, non-narrative ways of conveying information quickly. But, heaven forbid if they actually provide such a service. Those who don't like it rail that the newspaper is forcing "lite" news down their throats. You can't win for losing. So you do the best you can and hope you're providing a worthwhile service for the majority of readers. God knows you can't please 'em all.

But, what do I care? I sit in an anteroom and shoot spitwads. I just hope some of them stick.