RMN shortcomings
The inconsistent delivery was the tip of the iceberg. It occurred to me in the dead of the night what it is that’s been bothering me and why I don’t miss taking the News. Not to insult another newspaper, but the News, has evolved slowly from an objective, informative gem of around 90 pages into the Colorado Daily, at roughly the same length but for a hundred bucks a year for the same number of Woodstock columnists. Who reads them? When I do it’s because I’m asked. The result is akin to a scene from the Exorcist I can’t get out out of my head. Gone are the news holes, replaced with groovy personal reflection. Reporters chase down sixties issues. How much racism-sexism-anti-war-nitrogen-in-the-water-and-the-evil-right can one take before the numbing. If I wanted all that, I’d play the same old Bob Dylan “tunes” every morning, but I’m 40 years over “Evabody muss git stoned.” There are a few good writers who don’t make me ill, April Washington plays it straight. I’m always drawn to Jean Torkelson’s work. Kevin Vaughan could be good, but he’s writing an esoteric history not a daily newspaper. His considerable talents would be better applied following up the disaster House Bill 1355 is creating for Colorado employers and employees, the people who supposedly read this newspaper. I wonder who dropped that ball? And if I want to read about global warming, I can find that on Al Gore.com, or Al Gore TV or Al Gore Satellite Radio or I can be reminded by looking at his face on the Al Gore silver dollar. This practice of so-and-so wouldn’t return calls, or was unavailable by press time reflects distrust of reporters who never follow up the story when the source is indeed available, maybe even fuming at the reporter’s desk.
This letter has not been edited.