How Stupid can the Minneapolis StarTribune be?
Lance on May 07 2007 at 6:02 pm | Filed under: Lance's Page, Media
Incredibly stupid it seems. I know that in a world where depravity of the most gruesome sort is part of the daily news cycle, that saying that the decision to reassign James Lileks is the most shocking thing you have read today seems a bit skewed, but honestly it is. Car bombings, wiring a girls school to blow up and kill school children, that they targeted girls in particular because they are not supposed to get an education in their twisted worldview? That should be shocking. Unfortunately, when reading that were you really shocked? Disgusted maybe, but shocked? The answer for me is no.
I can’t imagine what is going on in the powers that be of the Strib, but idiocy doesn’t come close to capturing it. Instapundit is a good place to begin finding out about this, but I am near speechless. Maybe Robby can spend a few minutes of his time gracing us with a bit of personal reflection on what makes Lileks special. If so, please put it up. Anyway start here to experience the dumbfounded reaction across the web.
Update- From Lileks himself. Funny, but a wee bit miffed and confused:
Good question, isn’t it?
I’m not going to answer it yet, because it would make my announcement seem a little self-serving. Yes, friends, it’s finally happened! Synergy! Synthesis! Brand consolidation! In a move that was as welcome as it was unexpected, I’ve been moved – you could almost say promoted – over to the StarTribune online division.
I’ll be developing new content, both video and audio, as well as blogging throughout the day in a new, improved, evolving Bleat! History buffs will relish the new “Then and Now†feature; podcast fans who want something new to hear on the way into work may enjoy my new “Constant Comment†feature, in which I read the stories and offer small editorial asides (think the MST3K approach, applied to a newspaper, spoken aloud.) Since the production costs on the podcast are nil, we’ve lined up some unusual sponsors who otherwise might not be able to afford print ads. (Comic book stores, online merchants, start-up sites, and other niche clients.) The video stuff I can’t quite describe yet, but I know the objective: get the clips into YouTube and beyond, with the StarTribune logo embedded in the corner for all to see.
Diner? Yes. Weekly. And perhaps a Joe-Ohio type serialized online novel, set in Minneapolis, using the old Star newspapers from the 30s to drive the plot; it’ll be a way of promoting the new deep archive feature that makes the entire history of the paper, and hence the community, available as a searchable online resource.
In short, it’s everything I’ve been looking for. All these worlds are mine, except Europa! There are union rules about that, I gather.
Hah! Just kidding.
That didn’t happen.
As it happens, they’ve killed my column, and assigned me to write straight local news stories.
Really.
There’s been some talk that I might leverage my mad web skillz into a tech beat, reporting on the Internet. But a local beat about the Internet? How many stories can do you about six guys in a loft coding a hot new start-up? And heaven forbid we have to illustrate them, because then you get the inevitable geek-by-the-screen shot. Look! He’s customizing the drop-down location menu so it defaults to the United States instead of Afghanistan!
I don’t want to write about the Internet. I want to write on the Internet. I’d rather develop content than report about content developers. It’s that simple, and it’s also a matter of recognizing my failings: I am not Biff Deadline, Ace Reporter. I can do long stories with lots of color, all aslosh with subjective opinions, but writing straight news - clearly, simply, briskly - is a skill I lack, and I take off my hat to those who’ve mastered that discipline.
My column will end a week from this Friday. (There’s a series of pieces I can’t wait to write.) After that, it’s just-the-facts-ma’am - and I’ll no longer be telecommuting, either. This means I will start burning my share of hydrocarbons like a good American. Hell, I may leave the vehicle running all day outside the building just to make up for lost time. Maybe I will put a green roof on the car to balance things out. Some turf, some switchgrass. It’s murder on the paint but we all must do our part.
Would it matter if you contacted the paper? It very well might. Here’s the reader’s rep’s page.
If I can get my column back and / or a nice big Online gig, that would be a satisfactory conclusion. Reporting on internet start-ups as opposed to joining an internet start-up – eh, not so much.
And let that be the last time the phrase “not so much†is used here. It’s old. We’ve all had a jolly laugh, but I heard Jeff Foxworthy use it on an oil-change commercial, which is like the UN-approved international standard for something being over.
Technorati Tags: James Lileks, Minneapolist StarTribune, media
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Lileks has been on my “daily read” list for longer than anybody else. As dumb as I think the Strib is for reassigning him, I would guess that’s their loss more than ours, assuming (at minimum) that Lileks continues to Bleat.
More speculatively, wouldn’t it be great if this ended up getting Lileks a better gig somewhere else? The kind of gig he describes? Isn’t there a big-city newspaper out there that wants to develop a big Web presence? It’s not like Lileks would have to move–it’s the Internet, silly.
Laugh at my optimism if you must, but I predict a happy ending.
I think so as well, it doesn’t make it any less dumb. He is a huge potential asset which they have underutilized. Now they are getting rid of him. Stupid if you ask me.
I once made a mix tape entitled “Perfect Universe Top 40″ which included a bunch of songs that weren’t hits but were capable of being so, given the right radio support.
Well, in that universe, Lileks writes for the New York Times, doing exactly what he described.
Heck, if that happened, and if his stuff went behind their pay firewall, I would subscribe. Even if all he ever did was the comic books.