I've heard it one too many times now. A snarky remark about Rob Arkley closing the Eureka Reporter 'this close' to the holidays. "What a guy!"
Yeah, what a guy.
Those making the remarks think nothing about how much money he poured into the thing in the first place - I've heard figures bandied about - 5 million a year, 10 million a year, I don't know how much, but it is alot - nothing about all the jobs he created there, however long it lasted.
That paper was a gift to the community - and an extremely costly one.
But like the Journal, if the public appreciates it and wants it to continue, the public has to support it - they have to subscribe, they have to buy ads, they have to contribute to its success.
If people don’t do that, the Journal, and many other local papers, like the Eureka Reporter, could also disappear.
Arkley provided the opportunity - a beautiful newsroom, its own press, a dedicated staff, the opportunity, complete with state of the art infrastructure, was an incredible gift, and one that the Journal, the Eye, the Independent and the Press never had.
From that solid base, all things should have been possible.
And what did he get? Snarky remarks and all out vile attacks.
Lesson learned. People don’t appreciate that which is freely given.
We've all lost. Some very fine up and coming reporters are out of work. The equipment sits idle. The community loses revenue, as well as an alternate source of news, one that ever so slightly edged into an unfilled niche.
But a little thanks and appreciation, a little sympathy and compassion are in order.
The snarky remarks about the E-R were a result of Arkley's remarks about wanting to put the Times Standard out of business. He made it very personal. It was a very unfortunate comment. The community never forgave him.
ReplyDeleteMaybe. I don't buy that, though. because every paper that's ever started in this county has had dreams of getting big enough to do that - just this one actually had the financial ability to compete.
ReplyDeleteSomeone said it very well on the Journal blog - the headlines should have read “Colorado corporate media giant steamrolls local newspaper: lawsuit quashes opposing opinion, Humboldt goes the way of the nation.”
Arkley's mistake was in giving too much, I think - it made people demand more. And respect less.
Not a very nice commentary on our community.
Talk to Glenn Simmons, Rose, and you'll find out that the E.R. needed to go under. I couldn't publish there once the Zionist editorial policy took control and dropped me as well as Abdul Aziz, who unlike my columns was about as ecumenical as you can get and promoting peace, peace, peace, all the time. Too much religious bigotry at the helm at the E.R. did it in in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI am close with a former ER employee who left quite a while ago. The management structure on the newsroom side was bearable when Glenn Franco-Simmons was there. His departure marked a point of no return in the downward spiral.
ReplyDelete"But a little thanks and appreciation, a little sympathy and compassion are in order."
ReplyDeleteRob, thanks for trying to ram your political and religious beliefs down our throats for so many years. thanks for littering my lawn on a daily basis. thanks for
ok, heres a non-sacrastic comment: thanks for the paper to start many a fire in the old woodstove....
Ex,no thanks for your failed attempts are cramming your stupidity in our faces, At least Arkley is interesting.
ReplyDeleteSpot on 7:48, Greg is such a jerk.
ReplyDeleteYeah Rob... thanks for imposing a big ass burden on the Zoo and causing the rest of us to foot the bill for maintenance and staffing. And thanks for that great boardwalk rotting and rusting away that will need thousands in annual maintenance too.
ReplyDelete