Behind the Linestag:forum.connpost.com,2009:/behindthelines//672009-02-19T20:16:04ZYour source for answers to questions about something you've seen in the Connecticut Post or connpost.com. Assistant Managing Editor Ted Tompkins listens to readers' concerns and explains the reasons behind some of our news decisions. You can e-mail him at ttompkins@ctpost.com
Movable Type 3.32We're adding mega-sports content on connpost.comtag:forum.connpost.com,2009:/behindthelines//67.65842009-02-19T19:49:44Z2009-02-19T20:16:04ZIn addition to all the local sports content you're accustomed to seeing here on www.connpost.com, we're adding comprehensive coverage of national college and pro sports. You can read about your favorite NBA and NHL teams, along with complete coverage of...Ted
In addition to all the local sports content you're accustomed to seeing here on www.connpost.com, we're adding comprehensive coverage of national college and pro sports.
You can read about your favorite NBA and NHL teams, along with complete coverage of men's and women's college basketball, Major League Baseball, and PGA and LPGA events. You'll find news, scores, standings, injury reports, recaps, box scores, transactions and the latest odds on the games.
Just click on the sports menu on the home page and select the sport you're looking for.
Why the Blagojevich story didn't make page A1tag:forum.connpost.com,2008:/behindthelines//67.59952008-12-16T21:04:14Z2008-12-16T21:24:21ZI received several phone calls from readers last week asking about the way the Post played the arrest of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The story appeared on our Nation & World page, inside the C section. The callers thought the...Ted
I received several phone calls from readers last week asking about the way the Post played the arrest of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The story appeared on our Nation & World page, inside the C section. The callers thought the story merited page A1.
We certainly discussed how to present Blagojevich's arrest and finally settled on a prominent top-of-the-page "tease" -- including photo -- to the story inside. One argument for it making page A1 was that it might resonate with Connecticut readers who remember what happened to Gov. John Rowland and Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim.
But with our philosophy of putting on page A1 news of import to the region -- and considering that CNN and other cable channels blasted the story all day -- we opted for inside coverage.
We know you don't always agree with us -- heck, at our own news meetings we sometimes disagree on how to play a story -- but we always try to consider all sides of the story and what it means to readers.
In the end, the Blagojevich story lost out to a Stratford fire chief in hot water over the bidding process for a firetruck, area Muslims marking the annual observance of Eid-ul-Adha and a fatal crash on the Merritt Parkway, among others. Those were all stories you couldn't get anywhere else.
If you look closely, you'll see changes in the Posttag:forum.connpost.com,2008:/behindthelines//67.51512008-09-16T20:10:52Z2008-09-16T20:24:19ZA number of readers have noticed some changes going on with the appearance of the Post in the past couple of weeks. That's the result of the newsroom converting to a new computer system much anticipated by the staff. In...Ted
ttompkins@ctpost.com]]>
What do you mean it wasn't 26 degrees in Bridgeport?tag:forum.connpost.com,2008:/behindthelines//67.48812008-08-07T19:11:01Z2008-08-07T19:34:24ZWednesday's Connecticut Post was filled with entertaining, meaty stories. Among them: The anthrax probe that centered on the death of an Oxford woman. The end of 25 years of Bridgeport police department oversight by a special master. A local take...Ted
Wednesday's Connecticut Post was filled with entertaining, meaty stories. Among them:
The anthrax probe that centered on the death of an Oxford woman.
The end of 25 years of Bridgeport police department oversight by a special master.
A local take on the opening of the second "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," much of which was filmed in the area.
A deadly dog virus on the rise.
The U.S. Olympic basketball team defeating Australia.
But the only thing readers wanted to talk to me about Wednesday, and continuing into today, is our weather faux pas on the bottom of page A1. Seems the predicted high temperature for that day was 42, with an overnight low of 26. I thought it seemed a little cooler than normal, but...boy, temperatures like that in August would have been a real page one story.
Most of the callers I spoke with or received messages from thought it was funny. Some wanted to rub our noses in the mistake. Others were extremely upset with us. "If you can't get the temperature right, what can I believe in your paper," was how one reader put it.
Here's how the mistake happened: The daily elements of page A1 are kept in a computer file and pulled out onto A1 each night. Those temperatures were built into the template as spaceholders until the real numbers are plugged in during the copy desk's evening shift. Sometimes, in all the confusion of editing stories, building news pages and tackling all the other behind-the-scenes work the copy desk does, something gets missed. Nobody feels worse about it than the person responsible, believe me. I know. As a former copy editor, on more than one occasion I've had one of those slap-your-head moments in the car on the way home after a shift. "Did I remember to...?" Of course, at that point, it's 1 o'clock in the morning, the presses running and it's too late to fix. You just have to regroup and move on to the next day, hoping that newspaper will be the perfect one you've been striving for all your newspaper life.
We know you count on us, and we appreciate that. But sometimes, despite the best of intentions, mistakes find their way into the newspaper.
Forget the seven words you can't say on television...tag:forum.connpost.com,2008:/behindthelines//67.45272008-06-23T20:01:46Z2008-06-23T20:15:59ZI know this blog is supposed to tackle issues at the Connecticut Post and www.connpost.com, but the death of George Carlin's got me bummed out. Yes, he's famous for that bit about the seven words you can't say on television,...Ted
legally drunk."
Too much.
And I'll leave you with one of Biff Barf's favorite sports lines:
"And we've got a partial score, here, folks. Yankees 6, ...]]>
Who knew column on Russert would spark this?tag:forum.connpost.com,2008:/behindthelines//67.45262008-06-23T19:09:57Z2008-06-23T20:00:33ZYou just don't know what's going to set off readers. Staff writer Amanda Cuda certainly could not have predicted the reaction to her Sunday column on the media coverage of NBC newsman Tim Russert's death. In fact, one Shelton reader...Ted
http://www.connpost.com/ci_9651507?IADID=Search-www.connpost.com-www.connpost.com#]]>
Finding space for all the high school graduationstag:forum.connpost.com,2008:/behindthelines//67.43782008-06-17T23:02:15Z2008-06-17T23:25:34ZOne of the more difficult tasks here at the Post is trying to include all the high school graduations in the newspaper so that size and placement is fair to all. We really wrestle over this. This week alone, nearly...Ted
One of the more difficult tasks here at the Post is trying to include all the high school graduations in the newspaper so that size and placement is fair to all. We really wrestle over this. This week alone, nearly two dozen graduations will take place, and we're covering them all in words and pictures.
That's the hard part.
Sending reporters and photographers to each ceremony drains much manpower and often means a split shift for staffers, but it gets done. Because we know readers expect it.
The other challenge is finding the space, especially in today's world of shrinking newspapers. Tuesday's Post, for example, included photos and stories from Barlow, Harding, Central, Stratford and Bunnell ceremonies Monday night. It would have been one more if Shelton had not postponed to Tuesday night, so Wednesday's Post will include seven graduations.
Accommodating them all means creating pages in the A section with plenty of space for photographs and text, while still leaving room for other news. We were fortunate that no major stories broke this week that would have demanded a large amount of space.
And thanks to connpost.com, we are able to offer readers many more graduation photos than we can publish in the newspaper. In fact, you can scroll through slideshows of photos and even purchase those you like.
As much work as graduations mean for many on the staff, we know that you only graduate from high school once, and we try to capture and preserve that day in words and pictures.
So if you didn't see a picture of yourself, or your son or daughter in the Post this week, check out www.connpost.com. They just might be there.
What happened to Friday's comics?tag:forum.connpost.com,2008:/behindthelines//67.39582008-04-25T16:00:34Z2008-04-25T16:07:18ZThe phones here at the Connecticut Post have been ringing off the hook this morning because the comics were omitted from Friday's newspaper. A production error is to blame. We will publish Friday's comics on Saturday, on page A16, along...Ted
www.connpost.com. Just click on the Lucy Van Pelt link on the upper right side of the Web page. ]]>
'For Better or for Worse' makes comebacktag:forum.connpost.com,2008:/behindthelines//67.36612008-03-21T20:51:26Z2008-03-21T20:54:51ZFor those among you who are fans of the comic strip “For Better or for Worse,” breathe easy. It's coming back to the Connecticut Post on Monday. According to John Burgeson, the Post's comics editor, the strip was dropped several...Ted
For those among you who are fans of the comic strip “For Better or for Worse,” breathe easy. It's coming back to the Connecticut Post on Monday.
According to John Burgeson, the Post's comics editor, the strip was dropped several weeks ago, on reports from its syndicate, Universal Press Syndicate, that Lynn Johnston, the strip’s creator, would be retiring this spring.
Since then, Johnston announced that she would retire the strip in September of this year. After that, the strip will go into repeats, Johnston said on her Web site, www.fbofw.com.
“We had a number of complaints when we dropped the strip,” said Burgeson. “Unfortunately, at the time, we were told that the strip would end very soon, so we had to make some difficult decisions.”
The Post will continue to carry “For Better” until the strip’s many plot lines are tied up, he said. This will happen at some point in September, although the exact date of the ending of the strip hasn’t been announced.
In 1985, Johnston was the first woman to receive the Reuben Award for Cartoonist of the Year from the National Cartoonists Society. She has also received the Order of Canada and has a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame.
Whatever happened to civility?tag:forum.connpost.com,2008:/behindthelines//67.36372008-03-18T19:31:22Z2008-03-18T20:13:39ZYou see it everywhere: on the roads, in stores, almost everywhere you go. It's become a me-first world, with courtesy and respect taking a back seat to smart-alecky, rude behavior. You can especially see it in the comments on stories...Ted
www.connpost.com. Some are downright nasty, others fail in efforts to be funny. Many are just hurtful.
As an example, a story on www.connpost.com today about a woman whose car crashed into the Mill River in Fairfield contained the following comment from a reader: "Maybe she thought she was going through a car wash."
Is that helpful? I wonder if people were forced to attach their names or e-mails to their comments on stories if they'd try this? To me, it's just plain cowardice.
And Bill Cummings' story today on Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch is another example. Since the story went up early today, 22 comments have been posted, with many taking pot shots at Finch and others.
The editors here, and at newspapers around the country, are wrestling with how to deal with this new wave of public comment. In newspapers, letters to the editor, which are generally thoughtfully written, are never printed without the writer's name. Nothing anonymous. But on the Web it's nothing but anonymous. The debate here is: Do we let this go on? Certainly it helps with traffic on our Web pages, but at what cost? The consensus has been that if any comments on a story get out of hand, all of the comments will be taken down, not just the offending ones. But is that fair?
Some argue we're providing a public service, to let people vent. Others take us to task, saying we're shirking our responsibility by not deleting cruel comments.
If people can't police themselves, maybe we ought to institute rules. Or just not offer the opportunity to comment. Either way, the debate is ongoing.]]>
For some, losing this comic really is 'worse'tag:forum.connpost.com,2008:/behindthelines//67.33252008-02-18T21:11:54Z2008-02-18T21:29:37ZIt's not the homicides or the stories about people losing their homes in the sub-prime lending crisis that elicit the most outspoken responses. No, it's the comics. Or in this case, the end of a comic. “For Better or for...Ted
It's not the homicides or the stories about people losing their homes in the sub-prime lending crisis that elicit the most outspoken responses. No, it's the comics. Or in this case, the end of a comic.
“For Better or for Worse,” which appeared on the Connecticut Post’s comic page for more than 25 years, was replaced today by a new comic, "Arctic Circle." And it's not sitting well with those of you calling or e-mailing me today. "How could you do this?" was the tenor of several readers, lamenting what they felt was a poor choice by Post editors.
In fact, however, the strip's artist, Lynn Johnston, has been in semi-retirement since September and has been using recycled story lines since then, according to John Burgeson, our comic page editor. “This has resulted in confusion for readers, in part because of the disjointed timeline, and in part because Johnston’s artistic style has evolved over the years.”
United Media, which syndicates "For Better or for Worse," said Johnston would be retiring from the strip almost completely soon, and that it would either drawn by a new artist, or that the comic would simply go into repeats. So the Post decided to go in a different direction.
“Arctic Circle” is a new strip from artist and writer Alex Hallatt, who is from New Zealand. It centers on three penguins who have journeyed from Antarctica to the Arctic to escape the thinning ozone layer.
It remains to be seen if you will enjoy "Arctic Circle." But what is clear is that the passing of "For Better or for Worse" is a blow to some of you.
Comics no laughing matter for some readerstag:forum.connpost.com,2008:/behindthelines//67.31542008-01-23T20:58:12Z2008-01-23T21:45:39ZOf all the things that spark phone calls from readers, it's the comics that seem to bring the most fervent reactions. Especially on those days when the comics are printed in black and white. An explanation, but first a little...Ted
ttompkins@ctpost.com and we can open a dialogue.
]]>
Post stories spark plenty of feedback on message boardstag:forum.connpost.com,2008:/behindthelines//67.30462008-01-07T19:44:40Z2008-01-07T19:59:08ZIn addition to the usual way of offering feedback on Post stories online by clicking on the comment button, did you know our message boards are another way to interact with readers? On the right side of the homepage at...Ted
http://www.topix.net/forum/source/connecticut-post?showinvis=1 You might be surprised who you'll run into.
]]>
Don't put Finch and Perillo in the same categorytag:forum.connpost.com,2007:/behindthelines//67.29292007-12-06T18:47:23Z2007-12-06T19:07:46ZStaff writer Bill Cummings' story Thursday about Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch holding down two jobs has produced some interesting reader responses on www.connpost.com. One in particular calls the Post biased for not criticizing Jason Perillo, who is a state representative...Ted
and an alderman in Shelton.
First of all, Cummings' story wasn't taking sides, just illustrating the conundrum, even getting Finch to admit he doesn't know what to do.
For Perillo's part, it's true he does hold two jobs, but here's one major difference: aldermen in Shelton are not paid for their often-intensive services. Being an alderman in Shelton doesn't put food on the table, so another job is necessary for most. Finch, on the other hand, will earn $124,000 annually as Bridgeport's mayor, making his salary of about $30,000 as state senator a side income.
When Perillo, who also finds the time for his role as chief of Echo Hose Ambulance, was sworn in to replace the late Richard Belden, he said he wanted to remain on the board of alderman because "I made a commitment to the residents of Shelton. This doesn't change that."]]>
Not taking sides in Finch-Caruso storytag:forum.connpost.com,2007:/behindthelines//67.28932007-11-28T20:11:56Z2007-11-28T20:29:59ZWednesday's story on Bill Finch considering Dennis Murphy, an ex-Ganim staffer, for a position in his new administration elicited a number of responses on connpost.com. All but one took the "business as usual in Bridgeport" tack, but one admonished "the...Ted
Wednesday's story on Bill Finch considering Dennis Murphy, an ex-Ganim staffer, for a position in his new administration elicited a number of responses on connpost.com. All but one took the "business as usual in Bridgeport" tack, but one admonished "the Post [to] stop beating Caruso's corruption drum and move on to writing stories about how the Finch administration is trying to move the city forward."
We've accurately and fairly covered the September primary, November's election and Chris Caruso's subsequent lawsuit over the fairness of the election. We're not on anyone's side. Not Caruso's, not Finch's. Staff writer Bill Cummings and others present the issues and you decide.
We'll continue to coverage Bridgeport politics and we'll be watching Finch, who will be sworn in Saturday, to see how well he does indeed move the city forward.