Complaints, comments about changes to Oregonian biz section

The Oregonian newspaper in Portland said Sunday that it had received about 750 reader comments and complaints about changes to its business section that were announced last month.

A short story in Sunday’s paper stated, “Most callers were older readers who for years depended on daily newspaper listings to track the ups and downs of their securities holdings. Many said they do not have a computer or Internet access and don’t want either.

“The bulk of those readers were frustrated and angry. Several suggested that I be fired. Others used strong adjectives to describe the new format: ‘ridiculous’ and ‘rotten,’ among them.

“One wry complaint left in voice mail Friday: ‘Your business section used to be more interesting than the obituary section. But now that you’ve made this change, the obituary section is more interesting than the business section.’

“Among the unhappy callers, many actually liked the section’s new format and content — except for the lack of individual national listings. Yet others said they were pleased to see the paper still runs complete stock listings on Saturdays and mutual funds on Sundays.”

Read more here.