11 January 2009

Reason # 6493 Newspapers are going out of business

Subtitle "if it bleeds, it leads"

From today's "East Valley Tribune" (AKA EV Tabloid)
Liliane George, who has owned the Hangar Cafe at the Chandler Municipal Airport for more than a decade, has seen several of her regular customers - friends - take flight and never return.

The main thrust of the story talks about the normal everyday activities at a local cafe. Could be a cafe on Main street of Anytown USA. This one just happens to be on an airport and feature a landscape of airplanes taking off and landing.

But the first five paragraphs talk about DEATH. People the owner has served many times before and may have had their last meals served here. It practically screams COME EAT BREAKFAST WITH PEOPLE WHO MIGHT DIE TODAY.

Of course the headline is far from the truth. Many eat there every day. A few, low single digits may die in a year. Compare that to any particular Denny's or Waffle House. Many eat there every day. A few die between visits there as well and probably in higher numbers than at the Hangar Cafe.

Good Job there Ari... Drip a little blood on it. That'll get it to the front page. Nice.

(The East Valley Tribune used to be a very good newspaper. However some six months ago they switched to a "tabloid" format, and ceased home delivery in most areas as of January 5th. Now it's a 4 day a week rag smaller on par with The Penny Saver. The mighty have fallen.)

P.S. To put a gunnie spin on the story, the door has no anti-gun signs. So no restrictions on CCW. (That's a hint to the bad guys. Thinking about knocking off the joint? Remember this is Arizona. Roughly one in ten in this state are legally armed. More carry without the state stamp of approval. How good are you at math? Wanna calculate the odds? Let me help you "NOT GOOD!"

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