Commentary from a Published Writer

Today my name was in the newspaper. Oh, it was not there for what you think. It was not on the local arrests page or in the schedule of events and people to see this weekend. Instead, it was on the editorial page.

Two weeks ago, The Greenville News decided to tinker with their format. The publishers decided that what their readership needed was more local news. So more local news is what we were given. On the front page of the newspaper, there is nothing about the war in Iraq, global warming, or news of the dollar's continued decline in comparison to the euro and other currencies. There is no news of the treasonous acts of the President and Congress pushing through laws sanctioning amnesty for millions upon millions of Mexican invaders. The microscopic amount of world and national news now covered has been hidden away in the nether reaches of section one. Even the sports page is receiving the same treatment. No news of national sporting events on page one of the section, just local news of what Billy Sue and Jimmy Bob did in their latest athletic endeavor – eating out at Ryan’s restaurant, better known to the obese the world over as the feeding trough.

Well, I wrote a letter of concern to the newspaper to inform them of my displeasure with their new format.

I have subscribed to The Greenville News for over 4 decades. Your recent format changes and corresponding decline in your quality control have left me with the distinct feeling that it may very well be time to sever my ties to your publication. While I certainly applaud extensive and balanced coverage of local events, your narrowed focus tells me that your intent is to make your newspaper a "local" newspaper. Not being a resident of Greenville, Pickens, or Spartanburg Counties (and since you ceased considering your Oconee County readership long ago), I really have little need for your publication. When a newspaper tries to shape the view of the readers to a more, narrow local world view, it ceases to be a viable publication. The front page of your news section and your sports section should focus on major national and world news stories, not what Jim Bob did at the Greenville swimming hole. If your format change was a result of "focus" group approval, might I suggest that you have each tested for myopia.

Additionally, in recent days, there has not one newspaper arrived without print issues. Whole sections have been left out - like where is today's comics/puzzles/lifestyle/whatever the new name is section. Nearly every section is either creased, torn, has extra paper on the pages, etc., etc. Are you now outsourcing your print to Mexico, China, or Bangladesh? Or have you hired a staff of illegal, illiterate Mexicans to do your work?

If no change is evident soon, I will be looking for another newspaper to read.

A few hours after I dashed off those comments in the newspaper’s online commentary section, the phone rang. The lady identified herself as the news editor of The Greenville News. She wondered if it would be ok to publish the letter. I had written the letter to show my displeasure. Had I written it for publication, I would have been careful with my writing and made sure the commentary was pithy and chock-filled with what I am noted for. Nonetheless, I agreed to let them publish the letter if they chose to do so. For the last week and a half, I have opened the newspaper to the “Letters to the Editor” section curious to see if the letter was going to be published. Since it was not there, I figured they had just chosen not to publish it. I was surprised this morning to see the edited letter there with my byline.

http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070518/OPINION/705180326/1010

Obviously, they must have thought my illegals comment would make the whole staff resign and go back to Guadalajara or Juarez. But then they couldn’t read it anyway, could they?

I thought it was funny that my letter was in the newspaper. Obviously, it has not reached the higher ups at Pulitzer Publishing (And what a lie that is. Pulitzer? They have earned no awards for their pitiful offering.)

This afternoon the phone rang. That’s a big event at my house. No one calls except the automated calls I choose not to receive. So I ceremoniously dash to the phone. A lady from Salem called to thank me for my letter to the editor. When she and her husband read the letter this morning with their morning coffee, they were stirred to action. They went to the phone and called The Greenville News to cancel their two decade subscription. When they called – before eight AM, the wait time was nine minutes – due to an unexpected high volume of calls. The husband called back later in the day and had a more reasonable wait of four minutes. The lady kept saying how much that letter meant to them and helped them take action. Wow!

I suppose if my readership is acting on my letter, then I need to practice what I preach and give the newspaper the shaft too. I had hoped that the publishers would demonstrate some repentance for their sins, but it looks like none is coming. Now I have visions of a column in a worthy newspaper under my byline and titled “Rants and Venom.” Think my readership would be pleased?