OLD Media Moves

Goods news vs. bad news

April 29, 2007

Posted by Chris Roush

Earl Maucker, the editor of The Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, answered a reader’s questions in Sunday’s paper about whether it had placed stories about the Dow Jones Industrial Average reaching record highs in the same position in the paper this past week as did earlier this year when the market dropped.

The reader argued that the paper plays up bad news but downplays good news. Maucker disagreed.

Earl MauckerMaucker wrote, “News of the Dow setting records? Sure, we had it.

“Last Thursday we had a story headlined: ‘Dow pushes higher, posts first close above 12,800.’ And on Saturday we had a major story: ‘Dow closing in on 13,000 thanks to strong earnings.’ Both were on the front of our Business section.

“On Thursday this week, once the Dow passed the 13,000 threshold, it was front page news.

“Editors don’t always get it right, but generally we have a feel for what is important to the communities we serve.

Read more here.

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