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Since November 2, 1999
More changes in Honolulu's rapidly evolving newspaper scene.Staff were informed yesterday that Star-Bulletin editor in chief and publisher John Flanagan is stepping down. Here's the email message sent to staff:
Fellow Star-Bulletin staffers,Effective October 1, I will become contributing editor of the Star-Bulletin and begin writing several columns a week for the editorial page.
Frank Bridgewater will become the head of the news department and Don Kendall, will add the title publisher.
After 15 years at the paper and more than 30 in the business, I'm looking forward to this new challenge. The last two years have been tumultuous and it will be refreshing to try something different.
I thank all of you, especially those I've worked with for so many years.
It's been a privilege.
Aloha and mahalo,
John Flanagan
An article in this morning's Star-Bulletin makes Flanagan's move public. According to the story, Flanagan's new position as columnist is modeled after the role assumed by the late Bud Smyser, who served as a columnist for nearly two decades after "retiring" from the paper.
Managing Editor Frank Bridgewater will assume the position of editor, and the publisher title will migrate to Don Kendall, president of Oahu Publications, which owns the paper.
Meanwhile, Gannett Pacific Corp., owner of the Honolulu Advertiser, announced that it has purchased Ladd Publishing, a small publisher of a free classified newspaper, Buy & Sell, published twice a week, as well as a separate Maui weekly, Maui Happy Ads.
The move comes just a week after Gannett purchased Pennysaver, another free advertising paper. Both Pennysaver and Buy & Sell were previously published by MidWeek Printing, now part of the Star-Bulletin/MidWeek business combo owned by Canadian David Black. If you've got the money, as Gannett seems to have, this is a pretty clever and effective way to take outside printing jobs away from your competition--instead of competing for their printing jobs, just buy the companies and move their printing onto your own presses.
Thanks to a mention in the diary section of this week's Honolulu Weekly, some of you are visiting here for the first time. Click on "About iLind.net" above for a little background on the site, then enjoy yourself wandering around. If you've got questions or comments, don't hesitate to let me know.While searching for something else, I found a blurb in Editor & Publisher indicating that Gannett and Scripps will extend health benefits to their employees' domestic partners starting January 1. Interestingly, there's no info about this move among the press releases on Gannett's own web site.
Advertiser writer Tim Hurley went back yesterday and bolstered his account of the Maui man who may have fabricated the tale of losing his son and daughter-in-law in the World Trade Center attack. Hurley picks apart the tale by comparing a series of claims made by the father with statements of his son, revealing the father's version as apparent fiction. A fascinating tale.
An alert reader sent in this info yesterday after spotting a photo by Advertiser photog Cory Lum:
There's a photo in today's issue of the New York Times [Thursday, Sept. 20] on page B3 in the National Edition by "Cory Lum for the New York Times" of a deserted Waikiki. The cutline reads: Waikiki Beach in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu was nearly deserted at 11 a.m. yesterday. The story is called "America's Fear of Flying Has Devastating Effect on Tourist Business."The New Yorker Magazine has several excellent background pieces in its From the Archive section, including a long profile of Bin Laden by Mary Anne Weaver, which first appeared last year. Very interesting reading, under the circumstances.
If you're looking for a way to express concern about the prospect of war, there are plans for a silent vigil this afternoon in downtown Honolulu:
SILENT VIGIL FOR PEACE AND RECONCILIATIONFRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2001
4:00 to 6:00 pm
HONOLULU FEDERAL BUILDING, 'Ewa side along Ala Moana Blvd.(In case we are unable to gather at the Federal Building, we will meet at an alternate site: 'Iolani Palace on King Street)
This is a silent vigil.
We are gathering in a solemn and prayerful spirit out of respect for all thelives lost to terrorism and war.
Please bring candles and Ti leaves (which represents Lono, peace, life and healing in Hawaiian culture) Wear green as a symbol of life, peace, unity and healing and to show support for our Arab, Muslim and Middle Eastern friends and neighbors. Signs will be provided.
OUR MESSAGES:
•Express our grief and support for all victims of terrorism and war - No more victims, no more terror
•Urge our leaders to practice peace now more than ever - No War - War will not end terrorism
•Affirm the humanity of all people - Extend friendship and support to our Muslim, Arab and Middle Eastern brothers and sisters who may be facing harassment and violence.
•Uphold civil liberties as a basis for a free and just society
Sponsored by the Ad hoc Committee for Peace and Reconciliation.
For more information, contact the American Friends Service Committee (808) 988-6266.
I decided yesterday morning that my knee felt "pretty good" and thought it was ready for a short walk. By the time we reached the Kaaawa fire station, about a quarter mile, I realized this was a mistake. Another couple of hundred yards along in front of Swanzy Beach Park, and I realized it was a very big mistake. I sent Meda ahead with the dog bones, and I headed back up the hill. Slowly. Leg now in total pain. I kept wondering how people find the strength to escape from dangerous situations with a broken leg. I know this knee isn't broken, but it sure does hurt. Drag the let along a few more feet. Stop. The fires behind you. Run! Drag the leg a big another few feet. Stop again. Repeat. I thought about trying to hitch a ride up the hill, but there's almost no traffic on Kaaawa's back roads at that time in the morning.
I did get home, where I was greeted by Black Betty, a little recently rescued dog who lives next door but who burrows out under the fence in order to a) visit us, hoping for a dog bone, and b) run through a couple of yards to the next street, where she wants to hang out with two of her former friends. She apparently waits up there for her person to come home and retrieve her. It's an almost daily ritual. He's talking electric fence, but I'm not sure it will work.
Back to the knee. It was then off to the Medical Group, itself an adventure because by this time I couldn't put any weight at all on that leg. I eventually ended up getting wheeled from exam to xray to exam to specialist and back in a nice little chair, and I've got a return engagement this morning. Between the shot in the knee, the pills, ice packs, etc, I can at least hobble around this morning. I guess that's good news. The cats aren't really too sure about the person lurching through the house with odd movements and strange groans. But they're resilient.
A company newsletter went up in the Star-Bulletin newsroom a couple of days ago. Here's how it described the morning of September 11:The editors were in the newsroom by 5 a.m., the press started running at 7:30, the first truck left our plant at 7:40, and the first paper was sold at 7:55.The Star-Bulletin got its special issue out hours before the Advertiser, according to the newsletter. By 11 a.m., 80 percent of the single copies had been sold, and by the end of the day that total came to 27,000.
It's interesting to see how much the Internet has changed public discourse. While daily newspapers and other corporate media are presenting an extensive but very restricted view of world events primarily driven by the "official" government view, the Internet is full of credible, alternative viewpoints which are being quickly shared via email by friends and acquaintances, broadcast on special interest lists, and so on. Foreign perspectives are readily available, as are those of organizations worldwide. Many of those views tend to be much more critical of the U.S. government's positions. It highlights the inability of the major media to successfully reflect the diversity of the larger community, despite pretensions to the contrary.
The question of how to return to everyday life is very much on people's minds these days. I've heard several interviews in the past couple of days talking about quiet, mundane events and their importance. Here's a small moment in our home--Mr. Lindsey stuffing himself into the same box that Lizzie's been sleeping in, with the stash of cat toys close at hand. His fit isn't quite as elegant as hers, but he enjoyed it just as much.
I started a new job this week, but not as a writer. It's part-time for now, full-time in a couple of weeks, and temporary, expected to run anywhere from a few months up to a year. It's an interesting opportunity, and I'll have more to say about it later. For now, suffice it to say that I may have to adjust my schedule for updating this page. We'll see.
September 19, 2001 - Wednesday
Yesterday's dueling stories about a Maui man's tale brought this comment from someone in the S-B newsroom:You'll notice that the Tiser and the Star-Bulletin have totally different accounts today of the Maui man who was falsely reported as being killed in a plane crash. The Tiser says Jude's father made the whole thing up. The story does not explore why he would do that, however. Their story was primarily based on one interview with the son. The Star-Bulletin says Jude's father was conned, based solely on an interview with the father. One-source stories got through our editors? There's factual differences in both accounts too. Who do you believe? (Rhetorical question.) I hope Brill's does something about all the disinformation that has spread in the aftermath of this attack.And this from a former Gannett editor on the realities of corporate life:
As someone who tried to swim against the tide, I must tell you, it is a no-win proposition. I got my head handed to me by Gannett and ended up leaving a business I had loved for the better part of 20 years. I'm in other forms of media now, but I miss newspapers because I miss the excitement, the camaraderie, and, because I think I was pretty good at it.There is not much margin of error if you are a Gannett editor, and the higher you climb, the less margin there is....
Being mean spirited is the essential quality necessary for senior Gannett editors. Gannett editors get rewarded more for being mean than for anything else, and, it is a great strategy for any Gannett editor who is not sure what to do. That's because being brutish and mean shows you are tough, shows you are taking action, shows you mean business. Negative action is always easier (especially for insensitive or the management-challenged) than positive action. Tearing down is always easier than building up.
So, to answer your question, anyone brave enough to swim against the tide is likely to not be around Gannett for very long. It would be nice to think that there is room in such a company for people wanting to change it from within, but there's not. Anyone who tries to go against the grain in Gannett for very long will find they aren't tolerated for very long.
Or to put it another way, why is it that there is no real Iraqi resistance to rise up and get rid of Saddam Hussein? Answer that question, and you'll find the answer to why no one can really swim against the tide at Gannett.
The writer added that things would be worse at the Advertiser without the Newspaper Guild protections that shield the rank and file. "Thank God they have them. Even with those union protections, (Gannett editors can still make) life hell for everyone around with their bullying, pettiness, and intimidation of everyone."
A Maui man incorrectly said his son and daughter-in-law were among those missing at the World Trade Center, according to today's Honolulu Advertiser. Advertiser Maui reporter Tim Hurley contacted the son at his home in Olympia, Washington, and found him very much alive.A more complete story in today's Star-Bulletin, not yet available online, says the father may have been the victim of a scam. He told the Star-Bulletin that in a series of telephone calls allegedly notifying him of his son's death, he was asked to provide certain specific information, including social security number, to someone posing as an airline representative. The hoax was not discovered until the son emailed the newspaper that he was fine. What a country!
Here's one reply to Sunday's entry:
When I read that email excerpt in your Sunday diary about how the Gannett employees are not the corporation, my heart went out to them. Of course, they are people just trying to make a living in a place with few options for journalists.But that other voice, from the 60's, whispered, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem." And I wonder, is anyone at Gannett brave enough to swim against the tide?
Some leave, some gripe, some become active in their respective unions, some "leak" information about things they find offensive. And, in the newsroom, people still try to produce the best newspaper they can under the circumstances. But it's an interesting question as increasing number of journalists find themselves working in less than ideal corporate conditions. I'm not sure what the options are.
Another reader had this to say:
I got up this morning listening to the BBC radio news. I heard the word "CRUSADE" being used. Now is this coming from the "appointed/anointed - W" or one of his staff?!? It is bad enough, his declaration of "WAR", now this?!? There was a caustic, letter to the h-s-b, about the use of the word "WAR" and how "well" the "DRUG WAR" is going. Now the use of "CRUSADE"?!?If it is true, this country will be in deep "trouble"!!! A "Hundred Years WAR"?!? A "Millennia WAR"?!? What countries does "W" bomb? The obvious being Afghanistan, what about Egypt and Saudi Arabia, where some of the identified skyjackers came from. How about Syria, the hotbed of radicals, Lebanon, Jordan, etc.?!? The whole Arab world?!? There will be no choice for the moderates in the Muslim world, they will be "silenced" and be "forced" to join with the radicals and fanatics in their "HOLY WAR" against the west!!! UNREAL!!!
The 20th century, brought a lot of industry and technology to make the world "smaller", but I'm afraid, the human animal, has not grown any wiser!!!
I'm hobbling around after somehow injuring my knee and then trying to ignore to it for most of the last week. After yesterday's morning walk, it felt alright, but an hour later it was too painful to stand on. I limped my way through the rest of day, but it's off to the doctor later today to find out what I've done to it.
Star-Bulletin staffers were told at the end of last week that Tuesday's special edition sold some 28,000 copies statewide, matching if not exceeding the Advertiser's sales.Insiders at Pacific Business News say that the Advertiser is going to run a full-page ad in PBN's next issue blasting the Star- Bulletin for putting out non-ABC approved circulation numbers. Gannett's certainly putting on a full-court press on this issue.
"Mankind has gone mad," one national leader said over the weekend. Who would guess that the quoted leader is Libya's Muammar Gaddafi? The Reuters' story on his reaction to last week's events is certainly an eye opener and an indication of diplomatic openings that need to be pursued.
I have a hard time reconciling the morning calm in Kaaawa with the approaching war. It's especially difficult in the absence of any faith that the administration of Bush the Younger has the wisdom to understand the need for restraint.
Kaaawa calm
It's the second anniversary of Rupert Phillips' official but premature announcement of the Star-Bulletin's closing, and the six month mark since the "new" Star-Bulletin began publishing. The event was marked with a staff party last night, obviously complicated by the events of the week. Several dozen staff and guests attended the low-key affair. Friends asked me to join in, but after going back and forth in my own mind, didn't attend.Several Gannett defenders chimed in this week. One person seems to have written under more than one pseudonym but with a common theme. Here's a sample:
You absolutely suck as a writer and obviously you couldn't be objective if your stupid ass cat's life depended on it, which seems to be all you care about. I happen to be a former employee of Gannett who lives on the mainland now and I am appalled at your comments. Gannett is a class act! Gannett truly cares about their employees and I had never been treated better by any company and never will! Its all about respect, and people respect Gannett and the advertiser. Believe me, people really don't give a shit about what you write nor what you think.It's still a free country, although perhaps not for long, and so the writer's entitled to his/her opinion.
Another comment, though, was much more thoughtful and troubling, deserves a reply.
Those of us with close ties to the Advertiser realize your Web site primarily exists to slam everything its staff does or is assigned to do. I'm only familiar with news staff, people dedicated to gathering facts and putting together stories. They do a good job. Why you and the SB have to demonize these decent people is beyond me. I used to have friends who work at the SB. I was perplexed when these people turned icy toward me after the sale of the SB. It wasn't my choice, but, I can live with it. I know the people at the Advertiser are not the corporate entity Gannett. They are individuals with feelings, families. Most of them have decent work ethics. None of them have had any say in who owns their paper.Does this site slam everything the Advertiser does? No. I just reviewed entries over the last six weeks, and several times I've praised Advertiser stories. Several other times I have called attention to items, such as this week's sales memo and an earlier instruction to inform on library use, which have put the Advertiser in a negative light, but those raised substantive issues and, in my view, constituted legitimate criticism.
I've been very open to criticism and correction, and have incorporated most comments that are received. If you're unhappy about any specific point, let me know where it's wrong or misleading. I haven't disclosed writers' names unless they specifically authorize or request it.
Friends at the Star-Bulletin notice that I've also been critical of some things on their side of the world as well, and I've gotten emails bemoaning that those criticisms have been unnecessarily harsh.
But I've tried to comment on events in a relatively straightforward manner. If you want a different and far more opinionated view of the news world, check out Burl Burlingame's version of the Honolulu newspaper war. I think that readers will note a difference in tone that is not trivial, and perhaps appreciate my modest effort a bit more.
On the other hand, I agree with the writer's lament that Advertiser staff are not "the corporate entity Gannett", and I don't mean to have implied that. If I have, I apologize. It's been a week where such admissions seem appropriate.
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