Okay - I've posted stuff about the ND and I don't want to gum up the board with any more threads. So I'll just use this one. If you're not interested please skip over it.
As I've said many times, the News Dispatch is one of those hometown institutions that's been part of my life since I was a kid in Edgewood in the 50's. And to be fair they do get it right a lot of times. But in the last couple of years - apparently due to budget/staff cuts - the paper's really gone downhill. That's just sad - but it also pisses me off that someone in power is letting this happen.
I'll not be posting Deb Sederberg gaffes. She's obviously a tolerated lost cause.
So - today's rant. Is a 10-year-old running the online edition? How many times to we see pictures like this? Does whoever's doing that NOT know that you can't just take a thumbnail file, stretch it ten times its original size, and have it not look like crap? They do this constantly. From today's story about the park idiocy. First the thumbnail - and then a screenshot of how it came out.
Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment
Again, it is incomprehensible that someone is looking at this and approving it.
End rant.
Full Version: My News Dispatch rant thread
ya get what you pay for?
QUOTE(ChickenCityRoller @ Apr 27 2010, 08:28 AM) 
ya get what you pay for?
Any product the News Dispatch puts out reflects on its quality. This is SUCH an easy fix - a near-no brainer.
Today they posted Sundays police reports on the obituaries web page.
I remember that they once had an article with an erroneous phone number to report gas station price gouging, it was was a sex line...
I remember that they once had an article with an erroneous phone number to report gas station price gouging, it was was a sex line...
QUOTE(taxthedeer @ Apr 27 2010, 07:31 PM)
Today they posted Sundays police reports on the obituaries web page.
I remember that they once had an article with an erroneous phone number to report gas station price gouging, it was was a sex line...
Do you still have the number?
QUOTE(Tim @ Apr 27 2010, 07:33 PM)
Do you still have the number?
It wasn't too much longer after that the N-D ran a story about a crime that happened in South Bend and asked for the public's help by calling South Bend CrimeStoppers toll free 1-800-288-STOP. As it turned out that's a sex line too. The local number in South Bend CrimeStoppers is 288-STOP, the toll free number for South Bend CrimeStoppers 1-800-342-STOP
QUOTE(taxthedeer @ Apr 27 2010, 07:55 PM)
It wasn't too much longer after that the N-D ran a story about a crime that happened in South Bend and asked for the public's help by calling South Bend CrimeStoppers toll free 1-800-288-STOP. As it turned out that's a sex line too. The local number in South Bend CrimeStoppers is 288-STOP, the toll free number for South Bend CrimeStoppers 1-800-342-STOP
Got it.
QUOTE(Tim @ Apr 27 2010, 10:13 PM)
Got it.
Should have read:
Betty Mae Parker, Age 78 passed away at St. Anthony Medical Center....
Ended up reading:
Betty Mae Parker, Age 78 was arrested at St. Anthony Medical Center...
Another one, during a recent political campaign the N-D ran a profile of one of the candidates that coincidently shared the same name of a murder victim from several years prior. Naturally, the N-D pulls up and prints the file photo of the murder victim instead of the candidates photo...
Sounds like just another example of corporate America cutting staff and pushing so hard that mistakes are made. "Do more with less and don't let quality suffer".
An obituary for a 37 year old man reads that he was born in '72 and joined the Army National Guard in '87. He must have been a drummer boy. 
QUOTE(taxthedeer @ May 2 2010, 09:21 AM)
An obituary for a 37 year old man reads that he was born in '72 and joined the Army National Guard in '87. He must have been a drummer boy.
To be fair, we don't write the obituaries, the deceased person's family does. It's something I would have caught while editing, but...
QUOTE(NDReporter @ May 2 2010, 12:21 PM)
To be fair, we don't write the obituaries, the deceased person's family does. It's something I would have caught while editing, but...
Does the ND publish some things that other people write without checking at all, or did the person responsible for checking this particular notice in the paper just slip up? Not flaming here, just curious.
QUOTE(southyards @ May 2 2010, 01:43 PM)
Does the ND publish some things that other people write without checking at all, or did the person responsible for checking this particular notice in the paper just slip up? Not flaming here, just curious.
I'm not in charge, so I'm sticking my neck out, but here's the thing -- when you get anything in large volume, such as obits or candidate questionnaires or legal notices, you do what you can to make sure they're correctly formatted and try to pick out obvious errors. But there are only 40 hours in a week, and you have other work to do. If you can't rely on the sources who should be able to provide accurate information, how is it the newspaper's responsibility to do it for them? I'm certainly no Superman.
QUOTE(NDReporter @ May 2 2010, 02:47 PM)
I'm not in charge, so I'm sticking my neck out, but here's the thing -- when you get anything in large volume, such as obits or candidate questionnaires or legal notices, you do what you can to make sure they're correctly formatted and try to pick out obvious errors. But there are only 40 hours in a week, and you have other work to do. If you can't rely on the sources who should be able to provide accurate information, how is it the newspaper's responsibility to do it for them? I'm certainly no Superman.
I can tell from your posts you're one of the people trying hard to make the ND a better paper - so I ask with with due respect. What about the picture posting? Is there not one person at the ND capable of doing that?
QUOTE(Tim @ May 2 2010, 07:51 PM)
I can tell from your posts you're one of the people trying hard to make the ND a better paper - so I ask with with due respect. What about the picture posting? Is there not one person at the ND capable of doing that?
I don't know. If you know how, you should tell me!
QUOTE(NDReporter @ May 2 2010, 08:20 PM)
I don't know. If you know how, you should tell me!
I don't work at a newspaper. But I do know that you cannot stretch a thumbnail to ten times its original size and have it not look like crap. Why post pics at all if they can't get it right?
QUOTE(Tim @ May 2 2010, 09:08 PM)
I don't work at a newspaper. But I do know that you cannot stretch a thumbnail to ten times its original size and have it not look like crap. Why post pics at all if they can't get it right?
I can't help you, there. Sorry.
QUOTE(NDReporter @ May 2 2010, 10:04 PM)
I can't help you, there. Sorry.
Judging by the way the ND presents itself in its online edition, I'm pretty sure no one can.
I see News-Dispatch has changed their website look.
QUOTE(TSNSPYDER @ May 31 2010, 06:58 PM)
I see News-Dispatch has changed their website look.
It's been that way for a while. The site works great - and most of the time they do get a lot of stuff right. Just stay away from the Deb Sederberg buffoonery and it's not too bad lately.
Yesterday's stroms grabbed all four headlines in the online edition today.
QUOTE(taxthedeer @ Jun 19 2010, 06:40 PM)
Yesterday's stroms grabbed all four headlines in the online edition today.
Yeah, I saw that. I thought those musta been some MAJOR storms. LOL
Actually, they were and there are still many people who don't have power yet today---from FRIDAY!!! NIPSCO isn't even taking calls right now.
QUOTE
http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2010/0...b9449916423.txt
NIPSCO: All power back on by Tuesday
By Kimberly King
Staff Writer
Published: Monday, June 21, 2010 4:13 AM CDT
Hundreds of La Porte County residents will remain in the dark until Tuesday following powerful storms that hit the Midwest on Friday evening, according to an official with the Northern Indiana Public Service Company.
“There’s a number of customers still without power,” said Nick Meyer, NIPSCO communication manager. “Obviously we recognize it’s frustrating. Even some of our employees are without power [at their homes].”
NIPSCO and Indiana Michigan Power Co. reported power outages affecting a total of about 100,000 Indiana electricity customers on Saturday. Throughout NIPSCO’s entire service area, 14,500 customers remained without electricity as of Sunday afternoon. In the county, 1,659 La Porte residents were without service. There were 3,228 customers in Michigan City still in the dark.
The numerous outages occurred around 5 p.m. Friday by trees that fell on power lines and high winds that snapped electrical poles.
“Crews have been out non-stop since Friday when the storms hit,” Meyer said.
Due to the heavy number of outages, about 150 contractors working for facilities from neighboring states have been working with NIPSCO to restore service.
Meyer estimated that by Monday morning, the number of customers without power would drop to 4,000.
“The remaining 4,000 will go down to 500 [by the end of Monday] and be completed Tuesday,” Meyer said. “That’s our estimate at this point given the severity of it out there right now.”
On Saturday, the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District canceled passenger train service between South Bend and Michigan City because the storms damaged power lines providing electricity to the line. Train service between Michigan City and Chicago was not affected.
Indiana State Police Senior Trooper Trent Keifer said 62-year-old Wai Lung Tam died Friday night after a tree fell on him at Salamonie Reservoir south of Huntington. His California hometown was not immediately known.
Meyer noted that the storms, which brought fierce winds, lightning and rain, didn’t just wreak havoc in Indiana but the entire Midwest.
Sheriff’s officials say a driver was killed near Dexter, Mich., about 40 miles west of Detroit, when winds toppled a tree onto a vehicle.
In Chicago, powerful winds and heavy rains broke windows in the 110-story Willis Tower. Witnesses say the debris looked like icicles falling from the skyscraper, formerly known as Sears Tower.
Utility officials say power was out for about 215,000 Chicago-area customers and 150,000 in Michigan following the storms.
Storms left about 19,000 in the dark in Wisconsin.
— The Associated Press contributed to this report
NIPSCO: All power back on by Tuesday
By Kimberly King
Staff Writer
Published: Monday, June 21, 2010 4:13 AM CDT
Hundreds of La Porte County residents will remain in the dark until Tuesday following powerful storms that hit the Midwest on Friday evening, according to an official with the Northern Indiana Public Service Company.
“There’s a number of customers still without power,” said Nick Meyer, NIPSCO communication manager. “Obviously we recognize it’s frustrating. Even some of our employees are without power [at their homes].”
NIPSCO and Indiana Michigan Power Co. reported power outages affecting a total of about 100,000 Indiana electricity customers on Saturday. Throughout NIPSCO’s entire service area, 14,500 customers remained without electricity as of Sunday afternoon. In the county, 1,659 La Porte residents were without service. There were 3,228 customers in Michigan City still in the dark.
The numerous outages occurred around 5 p.m. Friday by trees that fell on power lines and high winds that snapped electrical poles.
“Crews have been out non-stop since Friday when the storms hit,” Meyer said.
Due to the heavy number of outages, about 150 contractors working for facilities from neighboring states have been working with NIPSCO to restore service.
Meyer estimated that by Monday morning, the number of customers without power would drop to 4,000.
“The remaining 4,000 will go down to 500 [by the end of Monday] and be completed Tuesday,” Meyer said. “That’s our estimate at this point given the severity of it out there right now.”
On Saturday, the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District canceled passenger train service between South Bend and Michigan City because the storms damaged power lines providing electricity to the line. Train service between Michigan City and Chicago was not affected.
Indiana State Police Senior Trooper Trent Keifer said 62-year-old Wai Lung Tam died Friday night after a tree fell on him at Salamonie Reservoir south of Huntington. His California hometown was not immediately known.
Meyer noted that the storms, which brought fierce winds, lightning and rain, didn’t just wreak havoc in Indiana but the entire Midwest.
Sheriff’s officials say a driver was killed near Dexter, Mich., about 40 miles west of Detroit, when winds toppled a tree onto a vehicle.
In Chicago, powerful winds and heavy rains broke windows in the 110-story Willis Tower. Witnesses say the debris looked like icicles falling from the skyscraper, formerly known as Sears Tower.
Utility officials say power was out for about 215,000 Chicago-area customers and 150,000 in Michigan following the storms.
Storms left about 19,000 in the dark in Wisconsin.
— The Associated Press contributed to this report
Yep - major. My parents have lived in their house in Edgewood for over 50 years and have NEVER had the power go out for more than a couple of hours. They've lost lots of food from fridge and freezer.
Times seems to have stood still last Thursday according to the online edition.
Great job reporting on the parade, ND! Almost feels like I was right there!! 
Horses on house arrest? 
Somebody should send that one into The Tonight Show so Jay Leno can read it on Monday's "Headlines".
Somebody should send that one into The Tonight Show so Jay Leno can read it on Monday's "Headlines".
You know, I was going to change the name of this thread to News Dispatch Raves. It's now kind of obvious that the News Dispatch, due to staff/budget cuts, is running on fumes. As such it seems just too negative or unfairly vicious to keep ragging on a part of the city that I love. If the choice were this or no ND I think I'll take this. But this thing about the parade is just appalling. There's no question asked - nothing to set up what the "article" is even about. Was this in the print edition? When one reads the article about the drum corps show - which was well done - one wonders how crap like this even gets in the paper. But whatever. It is what it is. I'm not serving any positive purpose by bitching about something that can't be helped. So I think I'll look for the good stuff the ND does - and they still do good stuff - and illuminate that. It's like an old uncle who wets himself occasionally. Yeah - there's a mess to clean up - but it's better than trying to find a suit to bury him in.
So good luck, News Dispatch - I'll be looking for your good side.
So good luck, News Dispatch - I'll be looking for your good side.
Did anyone else notice there was no one riding on the News-Dispatch float in Saturday's parade? 
QUOTE(round mound of sound @ Jul 6 2010, 02:27 PM)
Did anyone else notice there was no one riding on the News-Dispatch float in Saturday's parade?
QUOTE(southsiderMMX @ Jul 6 2010, 04:29 PM)
wow. Well, low morale + very few emploees will get yu that. Too bad management sank that ship...
QUOTE(lighter @ Jul 6 2010, 04:37 PM)
wow. Well, low morale + very few emploees will get yu that. Too bad management sank that ship...
Wow - is that the real story? If not does anyone know the real story?
Calling ND Reporter!
QUOTE(Tim @ Jul 6 2010, 06:15 PM)
Wow - is that the real story? If not does anyone know the real story?
Calling ND Reporter!
None of us on the editorial side knew there was going to be a float. And I read in the parade entries that we were sponsoring the float for Moose 980 Boy Scout Troop 899. So...
I cannot make any further comment on what I thought about it
QUOTE(NDReporter @ Jul 6 2010, 10:25 PM)
None of us on the editorial side knew there was going to be a float. And I read in the parade entries that we were sponsoring the float for Moose 980 Boy Scout Troop 899. So...
I cannot make any further comment on what I thought about it
Thank you for your candor. It would be interesting to know how this got to the float-in-the-parade stage without anyone from the ND knowing about it!
QUOTE(southsiderMMX @ Jul 6 2010, 04:29 PM)
Exactly, I thought, woe, that is not a very good sign...I wondered did they jump ship, or did they just never load
Hey Tim, did you know WIMS 1420 streams live on the internet? You not only get a new media group to crack on, you get SouthSider a few times a week to crack on!
QUOTE(lovethiscity @ Jul 7 2010, 09:34 PM)
Hey Tim, did you know WIMS 1420 streams live on the internet? You not only get a new media group to crack on, you get SouthSider a few times a week to crack on!
Whoa! I gotta check that out - thanks!!!
I went to the Contact Us Tab on the N-D's homepage, clicked on the Newsroom link and got a story about the New Prairie Under 11 Little League team.
http://thenewsdispatch.com/our_newspaper/c...ct_us/newsroom/
http://thenewsdispatch.com/our_newspaper/c...ct_us/newsroom/
QUOTE(taxthedeer @ Aug 3 2010, 10:34 PM)
I went to the Contact Us Tab on the N-D's homepage, clicked on the Newsroom link and got a story about the New Prairie Under 11 Little League team.
http://thenewsdispatch.com/our_newspaper/c...ct_us/newsroom/
As funny as that is, I'll have them fix that. It's just that particular link. Our contact info is up there when you click on "Contact us."
From known dumbbell Deb Sederberg's story on the DCI show -
"Joe Doyle, who is facing surgery in the near future, was at Ames Field to cheer everyone on."
Come on! Do we need to know Mr. Doyle is facing surgery?
Just... wow.
"Joe Doyle, who is facing surgery in the near future, was at Ames Field to cheer everyone on."
Come on! Do we need to know Mr. Doyle is facing surgery?
Just... wow.
Have they mothballed the website again? No new stories today, two on Monday, three on Sunday, and exactly one new sports story over the last five days. Heck there are only nine posted for this entire month.
QUOTE(southsiderMMX @ Apr 12 2011, 06:34 PM)
Have they mothballed the website again? No new stories today, two on Monday, three on Sunday, and exactly one new sports story over the last five days. Heck there are only nine posted for this entire month.
We switched all of our pagination to St. Joe, Michigan, and I think some internet and archive posting is being missed. I'll let them know.
On an unrelated, but slightly ranty, note, my last day at the News-Dispatch will be Friday. I am starting work with the Solid Waste District on Monday as an environmental educator -- just in time for Earth Day! So I'll have to find a way to change my username here...
QUOTE(NDReporter @ Apr 12 2011, 08:41 PM)
We switched all of our pagination to St. Joe, Michigan, and I think some internet and archive posting is being missed. I'll let them know.
On an unrelated, but slightly ranty, note, my last day at the News-Dispatch will be Friday. I am starting work with the Solid Waste District on Monday as an environmental educator -- just in time for Earth Day! So I'll have to find a way to change my username here...
WTF happened at the Dispatch - if you'd care to share....
QUOTE(NDReporter @ Apr 12 2011, 09:41 PM)
We switched all of our pagination to St. Joe, Michigan, and I think some internet and archive posting is being missed. I'll let them know.
On an unrelated, but slightly ranty, note, my last day at the News-Dispatch will be Friday. I am starting work with the Solid Waste District on Monday as an environmental educator -- just in time for Earth Day! So I'll have to find a way to change my username here...
Send your new name to me, and I will switch it for you.
Best of luck to you A. That place is going to miss you, but maybe you can fix the world this way!
Hey Alicia! I heard about you on the radio this morning. Congrats on the new position! I hope it works out well for you.
So......
Who is the other reporter leaving the N-D at the end of the month?
(inquiring minds want to know
)
So......
Who is the other reporter leaving the N-D at the end of the month?
(inquiring minds want to know
)
QUOTE(Ang @ Apr 14 2011, 10:55 AM)
Hey Alicia! I heard about you on the radio this morning. Congrats on the new position! I hope it works out well for you.
So......
Who is the other reporter leaving the N-D at the end of the month?
(inquiring minds want to know
)What was said? I heard there was some personal information released on the radio perhaps on Wednesday, and am curious about the source.
Just talked about the open position, how many people applied, blah blah blah, then said you got the job and worked as one of 3 reporters for the N-D and that another reporter was going to be leaving at the end of April, but they didn't say who. They didn't really say anything more than public/common knowledge.
QUOTE(Ang @ Apr 18 2011, 10:54 AM)
Just talked about the open position, how many people applied, blah blah blah, then said you got the job and worked as one of 3 reporters for the N-D and that another reporter was going to be leaving at the end of April, but they didn't say who. They didn't really say anything more than public/common knowledge.
Oh, ok. I heard there was a little more about the selection process, but since it was from their board meeting, I can't be too upset. Having a great time on my first day!!!!
Matt is also moving on. Today is his last day, and he'll be moving to Washington D.C. to work for an independent newsletter called "Inside EPA." Pretty good gig
QUOTE(southsiderMMX @ Apr 12 2011, 06:34 PM)
Have they mothballed the website again? No new stories today, two on Monday, three on Sunday, and exactly one new sports story over the last five days. Heck there are only nine posted for this entire month.
Look at the photo the N-D used for online obit for the 17 year old young man that died in a car wreck this week.
http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2013/1...9e333804768.txt
http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2013/1...9e333804768.txt
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