The Plain Dealer, Women and the Future of Print Media

This is a copy of a rebuttal I made to legendary Cleveland journalist Roldo Bartimole on an article he submitted today to The Cleveland Leader website. I believe his analysis in the article is spot-on, even if I am not 100% in agreement with where he is coming from.

To read the balance of his article, along with his replies, please go to this link:

www.clevelandleader.com/node/9067#comment-30509

His article isn't so much about the overall dearth of women in journalism as it is about a newspaper whose future is very much in flux from the emergent electronic media and the blogosphere that is growing daily and has all the potential in the world to drown out the opinion of the print media worldwide.

Give this a read:

We may need more women editors in the world. But, in the grand scheme of the shrinking world of print journalism, Susan Goldberg's attitude is out of line.

We don't just need good female editors...we need good editors, period. Playing the sex card doesn't add up to a hill of beans anymore. You can either do the job or you can't. Judging from the product being turned out from East 21st and Superior lately, she has lots of work to do.

The electronic, non-paper media is NOT going away. The Plain Dealer is dying...slowly and surely. So, Ms. Goldberg's offense to Mr. Ettore's statement isn't going to do a shred of good for women in the world of print journalism anytime soon.

Choosing Betsy Sullivan was a good move for the PD editorial page. She has paid her dues on the street and, if she is left to do her job, she should improve the content of the PD op/ed page.

However, if she can't stand up to Brent Larkin he will have every chance to sabotage her aims and goals for the PD op/ed. Brent Larkin knows what he is doing and is just arrogant enough to put a dagger in the heart of those who would question his motives. If Betsy Sullivan can't stand up to him, her standing at the PD will be largely ceremonial.

And that's where the PD is right now. The old guard at the paper has been entrenched for some time, but is now pulling back the reins. The comparative youth movement at the PD is welcome, but needs to be steadfast in putting their own signature on what they believe to be the direction of Cleveland and the surrounding region and need to report without lording over from the old guard.

If the PD is to remain relevant, it will need to focus on directing opinion to a new paradigm: not standing for the way things have been done for generations with the carcasses of business and political failure strewn across the city. If Cleveland is to improve, the powers that be need to be challenged and pushed not wined dined and gushed over like they were holy Roman emperors. We know the results of their "work" and they are hardly worth the adulation.

The blogosphere and the e-media will be competing for the ad dollar fairly soon. And, since the market isn't growing, the competition will be fierce from those who have a realistic and logical business model.

The PD has to change or be left in the dust if they are to remain relevant in the new world of information gathering and dissemination. They have the clout and reputation. But is the PD just as likely to rest on laurels and milk its reputation?

I'm sure the bloggers and the newly emergent e-media are banking on that stance from the PD.

Q & A wit' buckeyehoppy!!! Weeeeeee!!!

Thank you Christina for the inspiration.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Not that I'm aware of. But my father's first name (Robert) is my middle name.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
At my friend's mother's wake. Her children did the eulogies and that had to be exceptionally hard. Their emotion got to me just enough to bring tears.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
I don't do cursive. I CAN do it, but it just seems laborious to me. I do quite nicely with printing. Why change what works?

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Pastrami.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
No human children that I am aware of. I have two feline children, though.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Sure..why not?

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
No way...me?...NEVER!... :)

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
YES!!!

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Kashi. Wheat Chex. Special K. Grape Nuts...I am a cereal junkie.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no...just depends.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Peach sherbet.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
I'm horrible with noticing a particular thing in people right off the bat. It usually takes a few minutes and, even then...

15. RED OR PINK?
Scarlet...as in Scarlet and Gray...Go Bucks!!!

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORlTE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My low threshold for anger. Depending on circumstances, I can have a real hair trigger, and that's obviously not good.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
I miss my mother...it's been seven years this coming Monday.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
No worries!

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
No shoes and gray workout shorts.

20. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My friend Joel, on the way home from work

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Jazz on WCPN-FM in Cleveland.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Goldenrod.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Nothing beats Italian sauce.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Yes. She is a very good person and her answers were very down-to-earth. That's very refreshing.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
In person: hockey, freestyle wrestling and baseball.
On TV: football.

27. HAIR COLOR?
Dirty blond with touches of gray.

28. EYE COLOR?
Baby blue!

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No, but I probably could use some form of vision correction at this stage of my life.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
House of Blues Jambalaya. Raw veggies. Cereal.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Mamma Mia.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
My washed-out reddish pinkish North Coast Parrothead Club long sleeve T.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Copping out here...both. It's actually refreshing to have both, at least for a little while.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs.

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Karen.

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Who cares?

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
"Truth and Justice for Fun and Profit" by Michael Heaton

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Mouse pad?... LAPTOP!!!

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
I saw the end of the Cavaliers game.

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S).
The music of Pat Metheny. NOBODY inspires me like him!

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
The Stones, dude. Like the Beatles...LOVE the Stones!!!

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Jamaica.

45. WHERE WERE U BORN?
Lakewood Hospital, Lakewood, Ohio.

46. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
I'm sure everyone will have something worthwhile to contribute...(sounding like a politician there) :)

47. BIG WEEKEND PLANS?
Assisting the Euclid Jaycees with their Kid Wrestling tournament. Valentine's Day dinner at La Strada with my valentine. A drink at The Drink in Lakewood, then, awesome music from Michael Franti and Spearhead with about a thousand other hippies!

48. DOGS OR CATS?
BOTH!!! But I have cats right now, so they have the inside track!

44 Reasons buckeyehoppy is One Odd Fellow!

Thanx to Kathy for providing much needed inspiration to do this

1. Do you like blue cheese? Yes, I do.

2. Have you ever been drunk? Does right now count...j/k!

3. Do you own a gun? No. I'm too afraid of what I would use it for.

4. What flavor of Kool Aid was your favorite? Grape.

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? I'm not sure. I'm usually fidgety. Is that a sign?

6. What do you think of hot dogs? They're great...even if they are sucky for me.

7. Favorite Christmas movie? Scrooged.

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? The Hair of the Dog.

9. Can you do push ups? I'm sure I can, but I'm too tired to try right now.

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? I own no jewelry. The closest thing I have is an array of buttons that can be used as flair at TGIFridays.

11. Favorite hobby? Barstooling.

12. Do you have A.D.D.? What was the question...?

13. What's your favorite shoe? My Keen Hiking boots...the best US$120 I have spent in a while.

14. Middle name? Robert.

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? President Obama, the new streetlight outside our house, sleep.

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Hot tea, Iced tea and Beer.

17. Current worry? Why don't I have a cold one at my left hand?

18. Current hate right now? I'm not really into hate...I mean, "W" was a crappy POTUS, but I don't HATE him.

20. How did you bring in the New Year? At a very noisy club...should have stayed at the jazz joint we were at or at my friend's apartment.

21. Where would you like to go? Domestically...Key West. Internationally...Amsterdam.

22. Name three people who will complete this? Larry, Curly and Moe.

23. Do you own slippers? I do, but I use my Pittsburgh Steelers Crocs for the same purpose and they are much more comfy.

24. What color shirt are you wearing right now? Gray, with "Texas" emblazoned across the front in burnt orange.

25. Do you like sleeping on Satin sheets? No.

26. Can you whistle? Quite nicely, if I do say so myself, thank you.

27. Favorite color? Blue.

28. Would you be a pirate? Arggggggggg!

29. What songs do you sing in the shower? I don't sing in the shower.

30. Favorite Girl's Name? I don't know...maybe Theresa. I like my mother's name, Margaret, but she didn't really like it herself.

31. Favorite boy's name? Anthony

32. What's in your pocket right now? Nothing.

33. Last thing that made you laugh? The Vermont Teddy Bear Commercial.

34. Best bed sheets as a child? My NFL sheets with all the team names.

35. Worst injury you've ever had as a child? My mother dropped a mixer on my hand and nearly severed the tip off my right middle finger. It was saved, but it still looks gnarly and is a bitch to manicure.

36. Do you love where you live? Yes. I do.

38. Who is your loudest friend? Joel.

39. How many dogs do you have? None. Would love to have one, but my cats will kill me if I bring one home.

40. Does someone have a crush on you? I am confident in my appeal to several women! No one in particular, but I am confident!

41. What is your favorite book? "Tuesdays With Morrie" by Mitch Albom.

42. What is your favorite candy? Skittles.

43. Favorite Sports Team? Baseball: Cleveland Indians; Football: Pittsburgh Steelers; College: The Ohio State Buckeyes.

44. What song do you want played at your funeral? "Farmer's Trust" and/or "If I Could", both by Pat Metheny.

The buckeyehoppy Top 25

Inspired by a trio of classmates from my high school days: all female and all marvelous and, unfortunately for the single guys out there, all married, I am going to take a stab at the 25 things you (may, may not, may not want to) know about me. Hope you enjoy:

1. I miss both of my parents everyday and wish I was able to talk with either of them again as often as possible.

2. I LOVE the Food Network...I have a man crush on Guy Fieri!...and if I could have an affair with anyone other than my wife, it would be with Giada DeLaurentiis from "Everyday Italian".

3. I LOVE the people I work with in the HOB kitchen.

4. I want to make a pilgrimage to Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia...the hometown of my favorite hockey player: Sidney Crosby from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

5. I think Cleveland is great...don't mind the weather in winter because I know the trade off is going to be a marvelous summer.

6. I am certain that snow is useless unless one is skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing or making a snowman.

7. I am in genuine awe of Warren Miller...60 years worth of skiing documentaries and they are the ONLY movies truly worth seeing on a big screen.

8. I believe that life is too damned short for hate...there are things that annoy me, but I am slowly, but surely, eliminating hate from my life one issue at a time.

9. I'm not much for wearing suits, but I really want to know if they sell men's clothing where Don Cherry gets his wardrobe. I watch Coach's Corner on NHL Network during the 1st intermission of the first game on Hockey Night in Canada when I'm home on Saturday nights just to see what he is wearing.

10. I believe the most necessary things in life are a sturdy bar stool, an imperial pint of REAL beer and a bar keep that can hold up their end of a discussion.

11. I am sure that Flannery's, Melt Bar and Grilled, The Buckeye Beer Engine and Sullivan's Pub are all great rides in the amusement park of potent imbibing.

12. I believe that if you can't afford the cab or bus fare after a night of drinking that you have no business being out in the first place. Drinking and driving is expensive on many fronts and is a dumb idea.

13. I am genuinely hopeful for the presidency of Barack Obama. I just fear that the damage he will need to clean up is too great and will consume his first term in office.

14. I am sure that non-mechanized travel by bicycle or foot is far superior to cars or buses.

15. I am inspired whenever I hear Pat Metheny play guitar. I've never had many heroes, but he is a hero to me.

16. I believe one of the most breathtaking cityscapes in America is emerging from the Fort Pitt tunnel from the Parkway West (I-279) to see the skyline of the city of Pittsburgh. It's like entering the Emerald City in the "Wizard of Oz". Every city should unfold like that.

17. I feel much more accomplished everyday when I've had the chance to work a crossword puzzle. I also feel smarter when I can do one in pen and make no mistakes.

18. I am sure that if I brought a dog in to live with us that my cats would never want to deal with me again. They are the brattiest creatures ever...but I still love them.

19. I'm not sure what people listened to before Sirius Satellite Radio, but I fairly sure that the choices were neither as many nor as interesting.

20. I am addicted to internet discussion boards...and I am a total "post whore" :)

21. I believe that baseball's Opening Day should be declared a national holiday.

22. I would write more. But I get off on the feedback that writing brings and I don't always get that feedback. Ergo, I don't write as much as I would like because I am never sure what the response will be.

23. I am radically different now than I was in high school...and I like it that way...it is so much more peaceful to not have to worry about actions or what everyone else thinks.

24. I KNOW that there is no greater group of people in the world than the Bay High Class of 1984...and THAT'S the TRUTH!!!

25. Finally, I don't know about you...but I'm gonna have a beer...taking an inventory of "random thoughts" can be a helluva challenge! Cheers!!!

P.S. I am sure there is crap that I didn't think of mentioning!!! :)

P.P.S. Yes...here's some bonus add ends:

1. I can tell you that there is nothing cooler to watch in weather than storms approaching off Lake Erie.

2. I am much better creatively when listening to jazz...there's just something about the rhythm of jazz that allows for unfettered thought.

3. I am convinced that I would be a better commissioner for the NFL than Roger Goodell.

I Just Joined Facebook!!!

I am always up for new stuff and a dear friend of mine whom I have known for at least 35 years sent me an invitation to Facebook. I read through his profile and it looked fun enough. It was go time for Facebook and buckeyehoppy!

How fun is this thing? Well, I am in the process of catching up with lots of my classmates from Bay High Class of 1984. The reunion is approaching in July. But this is a great way to touch base with a few of them now. I am very much looking forward to reacquainting myself with some old buds from my more "innocent days" in Bay Village.

Facebook is a great place to find common interests and people who fall into those things you like. I can find stuff on the six-time Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Or stuff on the Cleveland Indians. Pat Metheny, who has no peer on the jazz guitar. Or maybe some doings in the world of comedy. Perhaps I can get a leg up on my friend Warlock in the comedy realm?

Either way, I have found a fun new toy to play with online. hope to talk with some of you soon on Facebook!