Wednesday, February 04, 2009

"That Genre"

Newsweek has a long story about how The Funny Paper once again got totally scooped by Willamette Week and Nigel Jaquiss.

The story covers the details of the SAMBLA scandal, but the real point of the story was to explore why it is that The Funny Paper can't seem to bring itself to pursue big stories about leading figures in the Oregon power structure.

A bit too cozy, the article basically says. The funniest part of the story was a quote from Sandra Rowe. She was getting pretty defensive about getting scooped time and again by a little weekly alternative rag. She said:

"Nigel has built quite a reputation with sex scandal stories, and deservedly so. He is dogged and very good at that genre."

That genre? Oh yeah, that's all Nigel does - true crime sex scandal novellas. Excuse me, Publisher Rowe - THAT GENRE is called REPORTING!

And yes, Sandra Rowe, Nigel does do it better than anyone at your newspaper.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ol' Sandy Rowe's time running the Style section at the paper back East sure hasn't served the Oregonian very well.

commoncents said...

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Anonymous said...

Sandy Baby, yo time is almost up. The decline began with your hiring.
Bye Bye!

Anonymous said...

Her trite, immature comment is indicative of the Oregonian's management. How embarrassing. Good to know about 500,000 more people will read her comment and know it reeks of sour grapes.

Victoria Taft, 11am - 3pm KPAM 860 said...

That's why I called it the Zero. Gadzooks! "That genre?" I didn't get that far down in the story. But, you know, Rob, maybe there's a logical explanation. Maybe she just meant they don't look into sex scandals having to do with Republicans or conservatives.
That must be it. We KNOW that isn't their 'genre.'

MAX Redline said...

I found it curious that the photo shows SAMBLA supporters, yet is labeled as "protesters".

Dang, I'm having a "Brokeback Mountain" moment! My verification word is "spers"....

Anonymous said...

I got a kick out of Willamette Week columnist Byron Beck outing a Oregonian reporter in a 1/25/09 column:

"On Dec. 22, my partner, Juan, and I had dinner with then Mayor-elect Sam Adams and his boyfriend, Oregonian reporter Peter Zuckerman, at Sam’s North Portland home. That night, over chicken soup, I asked Sam what was the one thing he was really good at. Stretched out on his couch, the incoming mayor said: 'I get things done.'

Now, more than ever, the mayor needs to live up to those words."