This Week’s Sunday Chronicle an Embarrassment2009/chronbldg2.jpgbyline‚ Apr. 07‚ 2009If you want to understand why the SF Chronicle is dying (and will not be missed), look no further than last Sunday’s edition. First, Carla Marinucci had a hit-piece on John Burton’s run for state Democratic Party Chair, which (a) ignored Burton’s progressive accomplishments that have earned him such praise, and (b) wrongly suggested that bloggers don’t support his run based solely on quoting his opponent. Second, Joe Garofoli had a front-page story about politicians courting the blogosphere – which highlighted an event with City Attorney Dennis Herrera that happened more than two months ago! Over four years after Howard Dean showed the power of the netroots, Garofoli acted as if politicians wooing bloggers was some new trend. Finally, the paper assigned Julian Guthrie to cover this weekend’s Cesar Chavez parade – although Guthrie was a scab during the Chronicle’s Newspaper Strike of 1994, and no one bothered Chavez more than a strikebreaker. Meanwhile, the Chronicle’s buyouts have begun, with the paper losing reporters not based on merit – but rather on their acceptance of a buy-out. The paper’s cost-cutting measures should start with laying off writers who produce an inferior product (which would be the logical thing to do.) Instead, the Chronicle is getting rid of the only reporters worth reading. |