Another Side of The Other Side

Every now and then we amaze ourselves.

Or perhaps scare ourselves is a better way of saying it.

A post two days ago, on Wednesday June 24th, contained this passage:

The Local Ostrich of Record

As news junkies and intellectual elites know, the New York Times has for many a year been referred to as ‘the newspaper of record,’ whatever the hell that means. 

We believe we have a number of devoted souls who simply can’t get by without their daily dose of the “Gray Lady,” withered as she’s become.  Not that the rest of us aren’t showing our age.

In a local sense, we believe a declining yet still notable number of willfully uninformed consider the Ostrich to be ‘the newspaper of record’ hereabouts.  Surely the editors do as well; how could they come to work each day if they didn’t?  (PS: when can we expect the next change ‘at the top?’)

Those last parenthetical words were a jesting ‘throwaway line’ in our general scheme of things.
So color us shocked, shocked, we say, when we came across this item in today’s edition of The Ostrich:

Swinconeck named Times Record managing editor

Starts duties Monday
The Times Record
JOHN SWINCONECK BRUNSWICK

Fifteen years ago, John Swinconeck got his start in the newspaper business as a freelance writer — for The Times Record

Starting Monday, June 29, he will lead the newspaper as managing editor, having spent a little more than the past year serving as a reporter for The Times Record.

“I’m excited for John to take on this role, as his passion for the business and the Mid-coast region has impressed me during the last year,” said outgoing Managing Editor Rob Montana. “The quality of his reporting is excellent, surpassed only by his commitment to community journalism and telling the stories of the people here.

Wow; it wasn’t too long ago we visited The Ostrich offices off Industry Road to meet and welcome Rob Montana, who moved here from upper New York state with his family to take the lead editorial position.  Now he’s being replaced, and with no mention of what lies ahead for him.  Time will tell if this is a blessing for him, before the publication goes under completely.

We hope John finds things to his liking and does some good for what’s left of a ‘once proud’ newspaper.  He joins a long line of top editors there, each of whom hasn’t lasted very long.

Names that immediately come to mind are these:

Rob Montana (most recent)
Gina Hamilton (maybe not top job, but she thought she was)
Bob Mentzinger
Jim McCarthy
Rob Long

and who knows who else.  As we recall, the last two flip-flopped between ‘top-dog’ status.

All this turmoil makes us paranoid about what may lie in store for the top spot here at Other Side.  We’ve had the position for a coon’s age in journalistic time, but we haven’t noticed anyone lurking outside our door waiting to take over.  Our life-long working relationship with the publisher has been largely cordial, but that can be a curse as well as a blessing.

So make sure you watch the headlines.  In today’s news climate, heads can roll without warning.

Yeah..that’s in bad taste, but let’s face it; it’s true.

Sadly.

 

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