Another of Dean Singleton’s editors has hit the dust. Here’s what Santa Cruz Sentinel editor Tom Honig — who stepped down after more than 35 years — had to say about the matter. For the record, the reporting staff of the San Francisco Bay Guardian couldn’t agree more:
“If I had two wishes, this is what they’d be: that people would stop complaining about hard-working, honest mainstream journalists long enough to appreciate the work they do — and second, that the people could be paid what they’re worth.”
At least an occasional love note from readers would be nice when another day at the office has crept into the wee hours yet again. All newspaper execs — including those at the helm of Singleton’s MediaNews — should be forced to cover a beat or balance several stories at once for at least three months out of each year.
Perhaps then all of the bloodletting would slow. They certainly shouldn’t be paid hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in compensation if the only idea they have for saving the news is to kill the very people who gather it. How unoriginal for an industry that should always be one step ahead.