have you seen the boston heraLd LateLy

[sniffa]

the tabLoid has decLared war on the metro (but reaLLy, the boston gLobe) - devoting the Last 2 covers to caLLing the metro racist and insinuating that the gLobe by proxy, is racist.

i didn't acknowLedge it yesterday, but after seeing the cover for a 2nd straight day about the same subject i'd figured i'd ackowLedge their LittLe tempor tantrum.

(background: the heraLd threw a fit when the gLobe acquired the "boston metro" - a free fLier handed out train stations - and apparentLy they're going the smear route)

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. The Herald is a bullshit rag to begin with.

I wouldn't wrap fish in that paper.

[paineinthearse]

16. We can say "bullshit" here?

My kind of place!

I got booted from another group for posting a graphic of an Ann Coulter blow-up doll.

[meegbear]

2. What's todays screaming headline ...

I saw it yesterday and ALMOST picked it up to read it.

Dan Kennedy of the Boston Phoenix has been covering this in his Media Log:

http://www.bostonphoenix.com/medialog/index.asp

[sniffa]

3. "sLurs fLy at hub metro"

the editoriaL section is devoted to this breaking story as weLL (i Looked over a shouLder on the train).

i just read today's story - it's based on a fired empLoyee's accusation of racism. the rest is just bLuster

[jmm]

4. My high school English and Social Studies teachers

wouldn't let us read the Herald in school. They all said it was beneath the Enquirer.

[Arkana]

5. You mean that sap-oozing Republican rag that calls itself a newspaper?

[lukasahero]

6. I've only seen the Herald once

that was all I needed to figure out how worthless it was. They try to give it away free at the end of the day and have a hard time doing so. That's gotta tell you something.

[TaleWgnDg]

7. Aaaaaahhhhhh, the twisted mind of . . . Patty Purcell. Indeed.

Aaaaaahhhhhh, the twisted mind of . . . Patrick J. Purcell, (majority) controlling stockholder, president, and publisher of Herald Media Inc. (aka The Boston Herald) that also owns the Community Newspaper Co. which publishes both daily (MetroWest Daily News, Milford Daily News, Daily Transcript) and weekly papers in Eastern Massachusetts -- more than 100 papers in total.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/134/134256.html

" 'This validates the premise that combining a metro daily with a strong cluster of suburban dailies and weeklies makes both entities stronger,' Purcell said."
http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=37819

So, in short, it's okay if Patrick J. Purcell does it but not if the Boston Globe's parent company does it! oh. A *public* hypocritical hissy-fit is Patty Purcell throwing . . .

"In a brief statement issued yesterday
afternoon, Purcell said, 'This deal is
aimed directly at the Herald. It is
clearly anticompetitive and not in
the best interests of the general public
or advertisers. We intend to contest
this on grounds that the largest newspaper
in Eastern Massachusetts is making an
in-market acquisition that does not meet
Justice Department standards.'
Purcell declined to comment further."

"Globe publisher Richard Gilman issued
a statement saying, 'The Metro is a
single free newspaper in the Boston
media market, which has 18 paid daily
newspapers. In addition, there are a
considerable number of free weekly
newspapers including the many owned
by Herald Media Co. This may well be
the most competitive newspaper market
in the country.' "
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2005/01/05/herald_publisher_vows_to_fight_deal?pg=full

One should remind the farcical Patty that the mirror is beckoning him. A sharp insightful appraisal is needed! Indeed.

__________________________________________________

edited to add: For those not in the know, Purcell was handed the Boston Herald on a platter when News Corporation's Rupert Murdoch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Murdoch) dumped the newspaper into Purcell's lap when Murdoch *sold* it to Purcell not too long ago. Purcell remains *tied* to Murdoch in many ways and here's another one . . . http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/this_just_in/documents/03657650.asp
(Although dated March 2004, this article drops some insight into the hypocrisy.)

Murdoch is the reason that the Boston Herald slams Ted Kennedy at the drop of a hat. Kennedy long ago (when the FCC regulations/law allowed Kennedy to do so) stopped Murdoch from owning both a newspaper and a television station in the Boston market. It was quite a fight to behold. Murdoch and now Purcell just won't let it go, however.
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/murdochrupe/murdochrupe.htm
http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/this_just_in/documents/03337528.asp

.

[sniffa]

10. 3rd day in a row - metro story is the cover story

"heraLd fiLes antitrust suit"

[Rockholm]

11. What did the Metro guys say?

Very nice front page apology in the Metro. I HATE the herald. Dumb paper. Dumb columnists, dumb readers.

[sniffa]

12. i dunno

i don't even pick that up anymore - it reaLLy is a shit rag. the onLy reason i enjoy the metro is for the feedback section. :D

[Rockholm]

8. Sniffa, It is a right wing plot to destroy Metro!

See, the right wing hates the Metro because of a perceived left slant. Good grief, one reports the news accurately and it is left leaning. The Metro has a few liberal columnists (Meghan Bard) and some conservative columnists (Greg O'Brien?). Toss in the leters which, except for Althea Garrison and Miguel Guianapana from Whitinsville, are mostly liberal and what do you have??????? A TARGET. The right wing is going to do anything and everything in their power to destroy The Metro.
Fuck you Pat Purcell and SCREW the Herald.

[sniffa]

9. ahhh migueL

i haven't read the paper in weeks so i haven't seen any of his LoveLy Letters.

[ohkay]

13. Dear Althea..

Wasn't she the one who wrote that people who criticized the President should be arrested? I laughed so hard I almost spit coffee on the T that morning! I wonder if she's a real person.

[TaleWgnDg]

17. welcome to DU, ohkay . . . n/t

[ohkay]

26. Hey Thanks!

:)

[Rockholm]

23. Sadly, she's real.

[stepnw1f]

14. What A Pathetic Right-Wing Rag

They are competing with a free leaflet of a paper. And still the Metro blows the Herald away. Pathetic indeed.

[paineinthearse]

15. Danny Schecter's on this

For those old enough to remember the old 'BCN, you know Danny Schecter. He's heading MediaChannel ("...a media issues supersite, featuring criticism, breaking news, and investigative reporting from hundreds of organizations worldwide. As the media watch the world, we watch the media.").

See their coverage at http://www.mediachannel.org/

Metro Execs Resign; Globe Knew
Of Racism But Didn't Report It
MediaChannel.org
Metro International executives who made racially disparaging remarks that set off a media firestorm this week have resigned, according to Pelle Tornberg, company president and CEO. He also promised to take action on several other fronts to repair the company's reputation following a MediaChannel report that revealed a pervasive corporate culture of discrimination at Metro.

For full coverage, go to http://www.mediachannel.org/views/dissector/affalert313.shtml

p.s. Danny was on WGBH's "BEAT THE PRESS" last night, and has asked me to pass this along: "tell greater boston you liked me". I'd like to see him as an "irregular" regular contributor. Contact GREATER BOSTON/BEAT THE PRESS at http://greaterboston.tv/index.php

[TaleWgnDg]

18. welcome to DU, paineinthearse (love the username!) . . .

and I go back farther than Charles Laquidara "the big mattress" on 'BCN.

.

[MADem]

19. AAAAAGH!!

BCN.....oi vey!!!!!!!

OK, NOW I feel old....

[paineinthearse]

24. I predate that

I remember when it was on just Friday and Saturday nights.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

20. This is a GOP plot ot destroy a left leaning paper.

GOP = Nazi

[jackster]

21. and what I find even more galling

is that at least yesterday I think two of the three letters to the editor (tongue in cheek) of the herald were about this stupid little story

my bf reads the herald for the sports and to see how far up bush's rear end they can get in one day!

[BlueManDude]

22. They printed my letter critisizing them on Thursday

I wrote how it was hypocritical for a consevative newspaper to be looking for the fed gov't to be protecting from the competition.

[paineinthearse]

28. post a copy here

[edbermac]

25. Yeah I did a thread on it in the Lounge...

They didn't acquire it yet did they?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=2461074&mesg_id=2461074

[ohkay]

27. I'm stealing a quote from somewhere,

but I can't remember where.

"I would only pay 50 cents for the Herald if it had a complimentary dollar in it".