In a post 9/11 world

On or about 3pm yesterday, I alerted our news gather division to the Marketing nature of these "attacks." My information was met with surprise and intrigue, but I was later told "they have to confirm it before they call anything."

While I understand that there needs to be journalistic integrity and some such, there was a time our company, our people would have taken the chance. We would have jumped on the information gathered by a few of the employees at boston.com, funnelled through me, and passed to the news team. It saddens me that we've gone from one extreme to another.

And then it makes me angry. We could have gone balls out, said "Here, look, while we can't confirm it, all information leads to this." In this instance it WOULD have been responsible because it would have taken a serious edge off of the panic sweeping our fine metropolis. We could have been the ones to 1) take the lead, 2) relax the city, and 3) prove I'm awesome. We want to legitimize boston.com? THEN USE THE INTERNET FOR THE POWERS OF GOOD.

While I don't know enough about the new editor of Boston.com, I get the feeling he comes from a very conservative journalism background. While she and I would often butt heads, our former editor, Teresa, would have jumped on what I sent across. Hell, I may have even pulled a "Boston.com employee Adam Salsman contributed to this article" credit at the bottom of a story. Which, hey would have been awesome, but not the point.

Mr. Paul Rice has a quote from the mayor here which just seems to illustrate the disconnect government and and reality. I do think Turner could have alerted authorities when they put things in place to say "hey, look these are here," because, as WE ALL KNOW, we live "in a post 9/11 world."

I also feel mean for saying this, but a bit of shame on the bomb squad for less investigation. If they'd sent photos out to their labs and some of the press, this whole mess would have been done by noon, AT THE LATEST.

Also, fuck you Boston.

Listening to the radio this morning, people are screaming for blood. They want Turner's blood. Hundreds of gallons of it. They want their license pulled. Why? Because a marketing stunt which has been in place for 2 - 3 weeks SUDDENLY freaked someone out? I just have no words.

Finally, I'm going to spam y'all with Globe links:
Today's lead accompaniement: Marketing gambit exposes a wide generational gap
I think it was Tara who said to me "Does fox not have a single intern working for them?" Despite the fact that I'm not an intern, I still alerted people to the news and I was met with indifference.

Today's lead: Froth, fear, and fury
I don't know what annoys me more: the fact that the people who were probably paid 10 bucks an hour to place these are going to take some serious shit or the fact that the Globe is putting quotes around the word mooninites, as though it were some word that has just been made up. That's their name; you needn't quote it. Thank god the Globe is young and hip with their sidekick.

Is anyone else excited as to how the Weekly Dig will handle this whole thing in their media farm next week?

Post-Train Ride: I got a peek at the Metro front page on the walk from the Crossing and I have just one thing to say:
It wasn't meant to be funny, technically, it was meant to advertise (The head is "Not so funny"). Some people understood, and others thought it was a bomb. Then again, I suppose I never really expect anything from the Boston Metro who's motto should be "Where Journalism dropouts go."

Someone set up us the bomb, indeed.

Update: I meant to include this earlier up, but ONE person at the Globe got it and got it right. That would be Josh Glenn posting in the Brainiac blog yesterday. He wrote the piece at about 3:30, but i have a feeling, due to politics, it didn't get POSTED much before 4:30. Check it out. He Gets it.
Attack of the Mooninites