This is today's Arizona Republic; click on the image for a bigger view. The newspaper, one of Gannett's biggest, struggles this morning to come back with a fresh angle on a local story I believe it should have had last Friday. Indeed, USA Today beat the Republic to the story -- about Sandra Day O'Connor's ailing husband -- when it ran it on Page 1 yesterday. The mystery is how it happened.
Here's USA Today's lede: "Retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's husband, who suffers from Alzheimer's, has found a new romance, and his happiness is a relief to his wife, an Arizona TV report reveals.'' That report, the story says, appeared on KPNX-Channel 12 in Phoenix last Thursday. The station is owned by Gannett, so is a sister company of the Republic's. Oddly, it appears, the story -- a major talker -- aired in the Republic's own Phoenix backyard, but the paper didn't immediately pick it up.
The Republic's lede this morning seems weak: "A public family's private story is now the center of a discussion about Alzheimer's disease. Over the past week the world has begun to learn about the marriage of former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and her husband of 54 years. John O'Connor, 77, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's 17 years ago and now lives in a Phoenix nursing facility. "
The story remains a talker: It is USA Today's No. 3 most-read this morning. On the Republic's site, it's the No. 4 most-read.
Republic employees: Can anyone shed light on what happened here? Please E-mail Gannett Blog -- or leave a note in the comments section, below.
The Republic at a glance:
- Chairman and CEO, Phoenix Newspapers and Publisher: John Zidich
- Executive Vice President: John Zidich
- Editor and vice president/news: Ward Bushee
- Founded: 1890
- Joined Gannett: 2000
- Employees: 2,650
- Circulation: 435,527 morning; 555,252 Sunday
[Image: Newseum]
Just another example of how the Republic and KPNX hate each other. They fight over everything (especially the website). The Republic in particular is loathe to ever give any credit to Ch. 12 when it's due. Especially in this case, where the lowly TV station showed up the stuck-up self-righteous bunch down the street. That a story from KPNX got into USA TODAY and the Republic suckups got no corporate glow or glory from it... that must have set in motion a concerted effort to get something done on the story by themselves quickly (look at the byline: three Republic reporters replicating the work of one KPNX reporter?!?!?!?). Convergence is a TOTAL MYTH in Phoenix, 7 years later.
ReplyDeleteI'm bowled over. For years, I've read about all the synergies that supposedly existed between the station and the paper -- at least, according to Gannett.
ReplyDeleteCan anyone else share other details?