Posted on 01/09/2005 6:41:39 PM PST by Pikamax
Hi, Why Did You Drop My Paper? By ANNA BAHNEY
ournalists at The Philadelphia Inquirer began the new year in proper fashion, by working the phones. But some senior editors were not calling sources. They were calling readers.
On Thursday, a handful of top editors, including the executive editor, Amanda Bennett, began making personal phone calls to former subscribers, many of whom dropped the paper this year after The Inquirer ran a series of editorials favoring John F. Kerry for president.
"If the people I call say, 'Yes, I was mad at your editorial,' then the next thing I say is, 'Would you like to come in and talk about it?' " Ms. Bennett said.
The Inquirer's election coverage included a daily editorial page series called "21 Reasons to Elect Kerry" that began on Oct. 10 and ran to Election Day, addressing different aspects of Mr. Kerry's proposed policies. That feature was paired each day with an op-ed piece highlighting President Bush's policies and record on the same issue.
"I am sure we lost subscribers in the fall, given the intensity of emotions of this election and given the scrutiny of the media," said Chris Satullo, the editorial page editor. "We did our job rather forcefully in supporting Kerry, and that only raised the stakes."
Last week, the paper's circulation department came up with a list of a couple of hundred people who had canceled during the election cycle and had not been contacted. The list was divided among editors and editorial board members - each with 15 or 20 names - and they began calling.
It is too early in the dialing process to present any results or plans for future discourse, Mr. Satullo said. But he said that he relished the dialogue with readers, adding that he tried to steer them away from using the terms "bias" and "objectivity."
"Those terms have been drained of any stable meaning," he said. ANNA BAHNEY
TC
The Libs still don't get it. This is very good for our side.
The only reason why many people subscribe to rags like the Inquirer is the coupons.
I stopped subscribing to the Baltimore Sun over 20 years ago and I love it when I get a call from them to resubscribe. Never mind that it's only a telemarketer calling, I still love to rant at them.
SHUT UP PHILLY INqurior editor
I don't know about you guys I be throw f-bomb at this guy on the phone
Trust me he wouldn't want me meet in person to person
When the SF Chron did this, I called 'em up and told them that if they didn't stop littering my driveway, I'd have 'em arrested! True.
Dude, I think somebody just stuned your beeber.
As I recall from my days at the university, those who failed in the sciences became business majors. And those who failed as business majors became liberal arts majors. And those who failed as liberal arts majors became journalism majors. The only major below journalism was ornamental horticulture and basket weaving, as I recall.
I have probably insulted thousands of folks with this post, but what they hey. Flames really can't propagate through cyberspace anyway. LOL!
Yes, I have lived here 39 years longer than Hillary & Bill have. We worked tirelessly to defeat her in 2000. Now, we are working even harder to defeat her in '06.
Losers supporting losers.
When clarification comes through from the local North Carolinians, we have discovered that there is a "Denver", North Carolina. And there is a Rome, New York....
Get my drift?
I was called by the Inq, I told them that if my Bird refused to use it why would I have it around the house?
Perhaps that letter should go to the owner of the Inquirer.
True story: years ago a preacher friend of mine called his local Allstate Insurance agent to inquire about getting a reduced auto premium since he was leaving the Houston area to open a mission church in China - the agent was stunned, and said they would have to cancel his coverage - that is until the preacher corrected himself by explaining he meant China, Texas
uh...most of us work 9-5 or longer and STILL manage to spend WAYYYYYYYYYY too much time on the internet after we get home and put on the pjs....
Good news BUMP!
I wish the Inquirer would just hurry up and die along with the rest of the socialist old media.
Dear Mr. Armor
I'm afraid I don't know what you are talking about. No such article or quote has appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer that I am aware of.
Sorry I can't help you.
Sincerely,
Amanda Bennett
--------------------------
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld
I wrote back to thank her for replying. I noted that I was wrong to think the posted article was in the Inquirer, that instead it was in the NT Times. Other than that, I stood by my e-mail to her.
Will report if I receive any further reply.
Billybob
He wants to discuss why you cancelled their newspaper, so long as it doesn't include "bias" or "objectivity"?
Why bother talking with them at all?
They should just make conversations up, it will be a lot closer to want they want to hear.
I stopped buying the inky about 7 years ago due to its AWM (anti-white male) tendencies.
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