More on Cincy Enquirer biz desk

Last week, Talking Biz News posted an item about how the business reporters at the Cincinnati Enquirer were being asked to join the weekend cops/fair coverage rotation, which was upsetting some on the business desk.

The item elicited a number of responses in the comments section — more comments about any post in the past year.

The NewsAche blog, which chronicles the problems at the Enquirer, has an interesting take on the biz desk at the paper as well.

NewsAche wrote, “People see this situation as a bunch of business reporters whining about having to work weekends. That’s not the point. First, count bylines. Aside from Pat Crowley, Mark Curnutte and John Fay and a select few others, Enquirer business reporters write more stories than anyone in Metro or the rest of the paper. Sharon Coolidge, one of the best and hardest working reporters in Metro, has by my count 238 bylines since the start of 2006. Her husband, business reporter Alexander Coolidge, has 285 bylines. Jon Craig, the Enquirer’s statehouse reporter, has 151. (Correct me if I’m wrong.)

“Now the Enquirer wants to take Alex off his Business beat to have him chase ambulances on weekends. Will they allow his byline count to slip? The Enquirer will still expect that same level of productivity, with no excuses, and in fact management is continuing to press for ever greater productivity. Business reporters are already covering stories that should be covered by Metro and even Life. Business reporter Cliff Peale covered the symphony’s budget shortfall, for instance, and Coolidge has logged many hours covering Comair’s plane crash. And now business reporters have to cover car crashes, too.

“The other point is that the Enquirer continues to deemphasize business news. Not long ago management took away Business’s daily section front, and buried it inside the front section. That move alone led to one reporter quitting and taking a job with the Columbus Dispatch, and contributed to the eventual resignation of the business editor. Now, business reporters will spend less time on business news.”

Read more here. Can’t wait until a big scandal hits a Cincinnati company.