I vaguely recollect a time or two complaining about my little world class town's newspaper of record, that being the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. If I remember right I've made note before of the fact that I am not alone in bashing this deteriorating newspaper.The complaints directed at this newspaper have grown so widespread and numerous that the newspaper itself seems to be joining in the bashing, in that of late it regularly prints reader's whines.
For example, on Saturdays on the editorial page there is always a section called "Cheers and Jeers." Now, me with my, well, negative nature, only read the "Jeers." The "Cheers" all too often are just dumb.
Like this one--- "Cheers: To Jean Johnson in home fashions and Mary Anderson in appliances at Sears for helping with a recent purchase."
I can't help but wonder if Jean and Mary sent in this "Cheer" to toot their own horn. I also can't help but wonder why the Star-Telegram would print it.
In today's "Cheers and Jeers" there were a large number of Jeers directed at the Star-Telegram, proving yet again I am not alone in my Star-Telegram bashing. What follows are some of the anti Star-Telegram Jeers.
Jeers: To the Star-Telegram for publishing awful photos of the NASCAR drivers in the April 3 Race Week section. They looked like bad driver's license pictures or police mug shots. Jeers to NASCAR if those were the only photos supplied.
--Shaun Eason, Arlington
Jeers: To the Star-Telegram for making no mention of a prominent day in U.S. history in the April 18 paper. The Doolittle Raid of April 18, 1942, was the first time in World War II when we were able to attack Japan on its homeland. Anyone know if any of the 80 crewmen are still alive?
--R.H. Rastall, Granbury
Jeers: To the Star-Telegram write Gaile Robinson for omitting the Amon Carter Museum's masterpieces Bluebonnets in her April 6 story on the Julian Onderdonk exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Art. Why not cheer for the home team?
--Ruth C. Stevenson, Fort Worth
(make note of the above Jeer exhibiting the local's anti-Dallas fixation that I find so bizarre)
Jeers: To the Star-Telegram for being MIA at the races at Texas Motor Speedway, which is in Fort Worth. The other paper (meaning the Dallas paper) was there, but not you. For many years, you gave away newspapers in the campgrounds and in the stands. Great idea for Fort Worth. No longer.
--Steve Unger, Lake Kiowa
Jeers: To the Star-Telegram for selling auto advertisements that have the front end of the cars coming out of the ads into the news columns. I understand the need for ad revenue, but the paper doesn't seem to understand that customers don't want the ads leaping out at them.
--G.K. Worley, Fort Worth
(personal note: I agree, those ads are very annoying and look really cheesy)
Jeers: To the Star-Telegram for the May 2 gardening story that began: "It's time to give your lawn its first haircut of the season." Maybe in Philadelphia, where the story originated. But this is Texas, and I've been mowing my grass for three months. Can't the Star-Telegram find someone from here to write about the yard?
--Mark Watson, Trophy Club
Okay, that's it for Jeering at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for the day. It's time for breakfast.
DT,
ReplyDeleteI confess to a drive-by train-wreck obsession with the Cheers and Jeers section of the FWST.
How worked up does someone have to be to send in a "Jeer" over something like this:
JEERS
To the person driving a Red Honda CRV, between 2:45 and 2:47 p.m. last Tuesday at the intersection of McCart and Alta Mesa, who cut me off as I was trying to turn into the Klip 'N' Kurl parking lot. I had 3 German Shepherd puppies, 28 boxes of Lego and a wedding cake in the back seat, and your lack of consideration for others created a horrible mess.
I promise you, there will be something like that in the paper this week.