An old complaint

A little over a week ago, I complained about our local newspaper. Then, while cleaning out a space in my desk back home (I blog from my Mom's computer so I have an excuse to leave my cave), I came across a letter I'd written to that same newspaper only a few months after I'd returned to this community (the precise date of publication was May 1, 2001). It was largely because of this letter that I received an invitation to continue to write my weekly column* for that same paper, and I have been doing so, now, for more than four years.

Here's the letter, followed by the editor's response:

To the editor:

When I was young and my family first came to this town, we learned that the local newspaper was a joke. Since it had been printed using a linotype as late as the early 1970s, print quality was virtually illegible, photos were - at best - indistinct, and many typographical errors occurred in each news article. The writers, too, were often incapable of finding, let alone telling, of newsworthy events, and they and the editors were grammatically inept.

I am pleased to note your print quality has improved.

Yours truly,
(blah blah blah)


Editor's note: For the past several months, the entire staff at the Review Atlas have been makig concentrated efforts to improve not only the quality of this newspaper, but the quantity of local news as well. Your comment is more than appreciated.

In light of the quality of recent editions (both print and online), I'm sorely tempted to resubmit this letter, under a new nom de plume.

I doubt it would do any good, though.

It's hard to keep from falling into deep despair over the old media.


*which the editors very kindly print each Friday, at no cost to me