Las Vegas Review-Journal/Dan Wheldon

Jesus, as people in an industry that knows and understands the pinch of time and money, this is being a little nitpicky. The story is there. Read it.

Are you going to write a letter to the editor, too?

 

The preview of a race in which a driver was killed is a story about THAT DRIVER'S TEAM being winners no matter what happens.

Eight hours after the wreck, and it's the top story? And you call that nitpicky?

 

For the most part, I agree with what you're saying. The paper has the story up and that's the most important thing. But the fact that at nearly 2 a.m. where I live on a Monday morning, the site still has the preview as the main story does seem a little off. Had something even more important in Vegas happen between the crash and the time the screen shot was taken, then I'd understand, but that doesn't appear to be the case. It's the reason you have online editors.

 

Also I'm calling bullshit on this.

 

It could be any number of reasons, including just plumb forgetting to take down the other story. Or just forgetting to code up the breaking story with whatever needed to put it on the front page. Shit happens.

 

Really?

 

Of course it's the reason you have online editors.

Problem is, a lot of papers don't have online editors. The reporters and copy editors ARE the online editors.

 

Yes, really. If you're loading up 20 stories at the end of the night, posting other breaking news, and oh yeah, putting out a paper, sometimes stuff gets forgotten about. It happens.

 

Ya know, the business would be in better shape if so many people who purport to love it weren't so quick to make excuses. This was inexcusable. Again, you have a huge event in your town and someone dies in the process, you stay on top of it. If that means using every resource you have, that's what you do. You do the best with what you have; you don't fuck up and then rationalize it.

 

Baron is right when he said that shit happens ... everywhere. If it doesn't happen at your paper, let me know the name of it and I'll start a subscription today.

 

Exactly. The story was appropriate to have at the top before or even during the race. But when news of the fatality came out, the new news should have been up top right away. Wire story, staff brief, whatever. Sam's driver was killed. I doubt he felt like a winner Sunday night.

 

That's not the point. Of course mistakes happen. Everywhere. To everyone. But this is a BIG mistake, and to make excuses or say, literally, "Shit happens" is a terrible attitude to have. I've made plenty of mistakes, and certain ones that were far less significant ate at me for a long time. Are people so bitter about the state of the business that they can no longer bring themselves to care about the quality of the work?