News-Record.com

Everyday I read your paper and hope in vain that you will address just one of the local issues of concern. This morning, as ever, I was disappointed.

Yes, you are besieged with trolls. Through your neglect and the abdication of your responsiblity to report local issues, your paper is also relegated to the sidelines of discourse, like a bad blog.

If you want a better blog, create a better paper.

"It's telling that I've received several private e-mails applauding my decision,"

Those would be from the cabal, right?

And puhlease, get over yourself.

You're in Greensboro. Compared to those whom you linked, you are ignored.

Move to a bigger city if you fell the need, but while you're still here, why not try your hand at some hard-nose reporting?

Would it kill ya to publish The Troublemaker?

Amen, Fec.

John, in the wake of your first post, I've gotten some e-mails too. So rather than "troll" here, I put up a post on the subject . . . on my blog (which I can only assume has been sidelined by some of the people who e-mailed you).

Hi Sue. Slumming again?

I've got news for you (and Mr. Rubel) I DON'T treat children the way I and others have been treated in this "community" blogosphere. We're not talking about "childish" behavior. We are, in fact, talking about an altogether different animal . . . alas, very much adult.

Your original post on this subject . . . and your "resolution" got the comments it deserved.

You're guilty of at least sloth and probably cowardice. Your competition is handing you your hat and you have yet to stand.

Sir, have you no honor?

Sorry, my blog's down again.

Did I mention that Jerry and the Hammers are a bunch of knuckleheads? You should be mopping the floor with'em. It's not like they're real journalists or anything.

*I'm an arrogant, solipsistic, attention-needy freak who pretends to have an opinion about everything. I don't have time to listen to you. I barely have time to listen to me.* Stein

That's the best line in Stein's column and about sums up the current state of the newspaper industry and its leaders.

Most of your content was on the net days ago. What's your demographic target, erudite luddites?

And I've got a TV that spews myopia 24-7.

The jobs you provide are often a strange form of punishment and you are one of the single greatest hazards to our local environment.

Would you please tell my delivery person to get a muffler?

You're in form tonight, Fec.

I'm proud of you!

My delivery person is actually quite good. He/she has a real talent for accurate tosses of bundled papers from speeding cars.

The tosses always result in a tight one foot group, which is outstanding, given the physical science and dexterity involved.

How many people routinely disagree with you JR?

5? 7? Maybe in a very heated debate -- 9?

I think that's about the number out of the entire readership of the N&R...

How is that so bad? Because when something happens that confirms our positions we post about it as if to say "Ah Ha! We were right"?

There's certainly an edge to stuff some of us post, but it's not mean spirited -- except maybe to the industry or the general atmosphere at newspapers -- typically not you personally. (Calling you "out of touch" is not exactly a very mean insult -- it's common to call the top boss that in most organizations..)

I simply don't get what is so awful and bad.

Every month or so an event happens that is part of an ongoing theme. When it does, some people (5-7 negative) post on it. Those posts are prompted by a new event. They might recite arguments of the past, but what are we supposed to do? Just start writing "ditto" every month?

And, then, when a COMPLETELY new item is brought up by you and one of us points out a valid issue with it that is completely not part of any ongoing "issue" -- you ignore it (or seem to anyway.)

Things could be a whole heck of a lot worse. What do you want? A love fest?

Also, people think that what happens here is "crowd rip?"

Wow. Sounds like a few people pretending to be "victims" so as to gain sympathy for their point of view...

Dudes and doc, are you so clueless that you don't realize you are making his point with your outrage? Yeah, you hate the paper. Yeah, you want him to write about your problem. Yeah, you don't understand why he isn't responding, altho he's told you. Can you get some new themes, at least? I live in Oregon but even I'm tired of reading the same old complaints by the same old people and I only drop by a couple times a month.

I guess Fec made a resolution too.

Oregon guy/girl, it's good that you drop by, but are you so "clueless" that you don't get that we LIVE HERE and we care about what is going on in our community? And we have a PROBLEM with a local newspaper (or in my case, newspapers) turning the other cheek to so much of what is going on right under their nose . . . or (JOURNALISTICALLY WORSE) their biased/soakedinrace/wink&nod reporting being accepted as the status quo? What happened to "truth to power" . . . the real job of a newspaper?

Where do you suggest we go to express our "outrage"?

John hasn't told me anything except that my story (which I am now primarily telling on my blog . . . which was developed because of his response to my comments - including ignoring them) doesn't cut his mustard. There hasn't been a "why" in the conversation, and I have yet to even speak to a reporter.

By the way, lately my blog has had a lot of similar legal corruption (in the "only North Carolina" way) to talk about. Most of my links for that are from other sources.

John keeps putting up these poorpitifulme posts . . . "tell us what you think" (oh, but notyoubecauseIshallignoreyou) . . . when he is the one with ALL of the power here. He proves OUR point every time he pulls a stunt like this. On the original post, he got called on it.

We'll get a "new theme" when we actually see something SUBSTANTIVE happen/change. I've been here in this ether almost two years and I really don't see it.

I'm a she and from one female to another, you're looking foolish by continuing to harangue. I have read enough to see that you think it is all about you and he has decided that he knows enough and has no interest. Hurts but so be it. Get over it. The paper has no obligation to tell your story. Find someone who wants to.

True to your word, John, you are eerily quiet. However let me direct your arttention to the last comment by Hube on your "Christmas List post ( Dec 11 ? )Perhaps you missed it in the holiday rush.
Jaycee, Sam and others are not alone. But it's your paper and not the readers.

You are also strangely silent on the Willow Oakes debacle. As Hoggard said " It stinks...."

I saw it. I haven't banned anyone. I've simply said I'm not going to continue to have the same debates over and over with the same people. And that's what many of the commenters here want to do.

I'm glad you and other bloggers are interested in Willow Oaks. Why you would think I'd make a comment about that is beyond me, though.

John,

How disappointing . Your answer is a semantic pretzel. By "you" I meant of course the News-Record non coverage of the Willow Oaks story. Shucks for all I know you have 6 reporters out there right now trying to find support and justification Mitch Johnson's lies and illegal___________ ( the name of this action keeps changing like the flavors of Sandy Carmany's kool aid ). Your inaction is shameful and must be an emabarassment to some of your staff with an ounce of journalistic integrity.