An absolutely excellent piece

The Media Maven's piece on late Times Standard editor Rich Somerville is on of the best reads in a long time.
The end of Somervillization as we know it
Among other things she quotes a Journal interview with Somerville: “We want to give people something to talk about — you know, this is reading the news as a social glue.... People want to look smart and be able to talk about things. And so, then, making them smarter is another thing. Tell ’em something that’s really gonna help them make money, help them have a better marriage, help their kids get into the right school, help them figure out what they want to do on the weekend... Show them that the paper’s looking out for their interest — that’s the typical watchdog function of the newspaper. You know, keep an eye on the government, keep an eye on what’s going on in your community. And the other one, the fourth one, is just as important but it’s more nebulous, I think, in that the paper provides something surprising, or fun, or somehow taps into emotions, either joy or sadness. You know, too often newspapers ... they squeeze the fun out.” Really, check it out. And a Toast to Marcy Burstiner.
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