Three Down
Three people in the newsroom were laid off this morning. There’s not a lot to say except how much it unbelievably sucks.
In other news, I then had a conversation with a reader and sent this note to the newsroom:
A man called to say that he liked the big article we had about proper displays of the flag and wants to see a similar article about the pledge of allegiance, the national anthem. (I asked which one, or both, and he said they were the same thing.) He said he always sees men with their hats on during the national anthem. He wanted me to assure him we would do an article about it. I told him I would pass the message along (hence this message.) I suggested he write a letter to the editor about it and he said letters to the editor were worthless. “I know about letters to the editor before you were born.” He said they go in one ear and out the other, that people just read them and talk to their neighbor or wife or whatever and don’t do anything. I said I thought that was sort of the point, to make people talk and think, and perhaps they would change their behavior. Then he said that when he sees people wearing hats during the national anthem he taps them to give them the message, and that he’s done that 10 times and I’ve never done it. So he tells me.
So I assured him I’d send his message along. He said he’d call back in a few weeks if we haven’t run anything.
If we want to drive up clicks, we should tape these conversations and put them online.
