Getting fired 101: Simulating rape on your equipment manager

Those who don't have staffing responsibilities should heed what Moddy wrote here. Bravo.

 

Moddy's absolutely right.

At my shop, I don't have the option to sit on my rotund posterior and let a shitload of GAs and other peeps do stuff. I often end up writing the crime briefs and writing about Congressional hearings and sentencing dates.

In the end, an editor's responsibility is to get the paper out. Even if that means writing stories yourself. I haven't worked a day with Lynn Hoppes, so I have no idea if that's a case of "it's a big story, I'm doing it so I can win an award" or "everyone else is tied up, so I'll pitch in."

 

Been an editor, rewritten A1 stories, never hogged part of the byline.
I'll pay $5 for every byline Hoppes "shared'' that wasn't on A1.
Meanwhile, WTF?
"Rhyce, in an exclusive interview with the Sentinel, referred all questions to his attorney..."
Some exclusive interview!

 

I think this new poster has an axe to Grind, Grind, Grind.

Moddy and forever_town's points are well taken. But I would be shocked if the Orlando Sentinel had a shortage of energetic bucks who would jump all over an investigative story. Orlando isn't exactly a coverage area with a million things going on, which is part of why we laud that newspaper so much here: its great, aggressive work even in a middle-tier sports town.

 

Bullseye!
And, no PR, my axe doesn't need grinding, though I may be a "new" poster.
Just hate to see Mickey Mouse journalism.

 

ZZZ, shouldn't you have a Mazda?

 

Yeah, but they weren't exporting them when I got that damn Datsun 1000. I did have a Mazda RX3 that I inherited, but never photographed before the seals were shot. It was a fun car, a "sleeper" that surprized a bunch of Beemers even though its MPG sucked.
Back then, my pride was a '70 El Camino with a 400CI small-block, bored out .030 over, a 3/4 race cam, line-lock button, 3000 stall converter on the auto tranny, a 456 rear end, Centerlines with Mickey Thompsons on the rear and VW tires on the front, adjustable rear air shocks, a 400-watt stereo with six humongous speakers behind the seats and A Six Pack of ZZTOP. Took every 'Vette in town at the Stop-Light Showdowns. Also got stopped by every cop in town -- like waving a red flag at a bull.

 

Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing.

 

Lynn, you sure catch a lot of shit on here. How do you sleep at night?

 

Newspapers have search engines, some better and quicker than others. Some archives go back further too. And some don't return every pertinent article.

But a basic search at orlandosentinel.com for "Lynn Hoppes", followed by an archive search, might go a long way toward seeing what the truth of all this is. For those who have cared to debate it here.

For what it's worth.

 

I obviously don't work at The Orlando Sentinel, so I can't comment on their personnel situation except to say I thought Lynn Hoppes was a woman until this thread.

However, if there's a big investigative piece or a story of mega importance to your market, you don't just throw some energetic buck on it without considering the writer's experience level. You don't send some greenhorn to cover your most important story unless you're insanely stupid or incredibly courageous.

 

The Sentinel has often been lauded here for being quite aggressive and gutsy in hiring quality youngsters, winding up them up, and saying, "GO!" Based on where they end up over the years, its greenhorns have the well-earned reputation of being better than many places' veterans.

If someone said that Mr. Hoppes had to help on these stories because he had the local, longterm connections necessary to get these stories to the finish line, that makes absolute sense. And that should satisfy any questions.