Thursday, November 09, 2006

Battalions of reporters for what?

I so agree with William Marimow, the new editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Mr. Marimow said he would continue the focus on local news, and told the staff that the days of sending “battalions” of reporters to events like Hurricane Katrina or the war in Iraq were over.

Talk about a waste of money. What are a dozen reporters from the Philadelphia Inquirer going to tell people in the Philly area about Iraq that they won't find out from the New York Times, CNN, or Baghdad Burning? Nothing. Unless there is some kind of local relevance, and there rarely is, regional metro papers should stop this practice. It's a waste of money, time, and it clearly stems from a desire to win a Pulitzer or other prizes. Do that by focusing on your local communities -- that is the news that people look for from you, whether they get it in print or online.

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