Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Globe again disdains coverage of alleged McDonald County sex crimes

In the last post, I commended the Joplin Globe's decision not to play the break in the JonBenet Ramsey story on page one of its print edition. When a tabloid story comes from another state, it does not belong on page one of a regional newspaper.
But what should happen when a tabloid-type story hits in your own backyard?
That is what is happening in McDonald County where four members of an alleged religious cult are facing multiple sex charges, involving ritual child molestation. The story is there and it is a major one for this area.
Not only is it happening in McDonald County, but the members of the Grand Valley Independent Baptist Church were at one time Newton County residents. The story has the interest of local readers, but for some reason, the Globe has allowed the print story to remain the capable hands of John Ford of the Neosho Daily News.
Is this a case of poor news judgment, lack of manpower, or has the Globe written off McDonald County as a coverage area?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good questions!

My guess is they'll discover it "one of these days."

Anonymous said...

The Globe doesn't have the manpower to cover Joplin. My guess is they've written it off.

Anonymous said...

The Globe gave up on McDonald County near the beginning of 2006, conceding penetration of the area to the Neosho daily and the various Stephens weeklies. The Globe couldn't sell any advertising of worth in the area, so CNHI bigwigs ordered the paper to tuck tail and run. Follow the (lack of) money, and you'll watch in amazement as the CNHI bloodsuckers amputate any turnip they can't squeeze, a la BusinessWatch, nee RBR.

Anonymous said...

The surrender also coincided with Hacker quiting.