5.29.11
This is an Archival Site
There is now a new Rogovoy Report home
5.18.11
Weekend Preview May 19-24
Bob Dylan tributes, Deborah Voigt, Tom Paxton, Bill Kirchen, John Kirk and Trish Miller
5.18.11
Celebrating Bob Dylan's 70th Birthday in Style
Paying tribute to the greatest rock songwriter ever
5.17.11
FILM REVIEW: In a Better World and Of Gods and Men
Review by Seth Rogovoy
5.17.11
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5.12.11
Deborah Voigt Headlines Mahaiwe Gala
Opera star to sing arias, show tunes on Saturday, May 21
5.15.11
Famed Spiritual Teacher to Speak on Nonviolence
Mother Maya in free talk at Sruti Yoga in Great Barrington, Mass., on Friday May 20 at 7pm
5.12.11
Special Effects Wizard to Be Honored by Film Festival
Doug Trumbull to be Feted by BIFF
5.11.11
Weekend Preview May 12-16
Cultural Highlights of the Berkshire Weekend
6.4.09
Talk about a small world
Elaine and I grew up together, but only just recently met....
5.8.11
Berkshire Living to Cease Publication
A Farewell from Publisher Michael Zivyak
5.8.11
twiGs Branches Out
Lenox boutique launches new e-tail site
5.8.11
[MUSIC REVIEW] Avalon Quartet in Close Encounters at Mahaiwe
Review by Seth Rogovoy
5.8.11
[MUSIC REVIEW] Avalon Quartet in Close Encounters at Mahaiwe
Review by Seth Rogovoy
5.7.11
[FILM REVIEW] Bill Cunningham New York
Review by Seth Rogovoy
5.7.11
[FILM REVIEW] Bill Cunningham New York
Review by Seth Rogovoy
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Eagle owner calls newspapers boring
4.29.06
In a speech to the annual meeting of the American Society of Newspaper Editors earlier this week, Berkshire Eagle owner William "Dean" Singleton, who also controls the MediaNews newspaper chain -- the fourth largest news chain in the U.S. -- called newspapers "boring," according to a report in the New York Times.
The story, which focused on a recent deal for MediaNews to acquire four Knight Ridder newspapers, said Singleton is "known more for his managerial zeal in cutting costs than his promotion of journalism," and quoted him as saying it's time to start giving consumers what they want, which is more entertainment news and "less long series that we love to do but our readers hate to read."
The article quoted Singleton as damning newspapers for "boring readers because editors and reporters write for one another, not the public" in the pursuit of awards and backslapping.
The Denver Post, Singleton's flagship newspaper, is in the midst of a reduction of 25 positions.
Further on in the NY Times article, Singleton says he won't take his company public because to do so would be to make a pact with the devil. Easy for him to say. He IS the devil.
4/29/2006
True: Newspapers are boring their readers.
False: Readers want more entertainment and "fluff" journalism.
We want more stories about the human experience, more color, detail, and good reads. Stop telling and start showing.
It doesn't have to be a boring city council meeting story. Those are important, but tell us why. Show us. Show us the 80-year-old woman who struggles to pay for weekly groceries when Pittsfield raises taxes.
Show us how the heroin addict who died last week sunk to such low levels, stealing cigarettes and peddling them for dope.
Singleton is right, in some ways. He's way off in others.
Reporters need to get the phones out of their ears, butts out of the seats and put their feet to the pavement
5/8/2006
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