Reporter Ed Lewis, CV ordered to pay $3.5m in libel case

Ouch! The case arose from stories about PIttston businessman Thomas Joseph allegedly linking him to mob activity. James Conmy and the Lynetts individually were let off the hook. The Voice has a staff report as of Friday evening, while the TL is reduced to using wire copy. More to follow.

DA wants to limit media access to Hugo, other high-profile prisoners

James Conmy of the CV reports the DA thinks news interviews constitutes "special treatment." In support of is cause, he cited some hayseed counties that don't allow media interviews with prisoners period.

Donnie Collins chats live with Times-Tribune readers

The chat happened on Monday; Penn State football was the topic of discussion.

Another turn of the screw story in the TL's fight over Hazleton civil-service exams

Memo to Mark Guydish: Please keep jargon like “petition for allowance of appeal” out of the paper. Thanks.

TL complains that Sherwood ad portrays Casey Jones one-liner as the newspaper's one-liner

A couple Casey Jones shots at Don Sherwood (“A better man would have stepped down" and "Sherwood owns what he did and there’s no getting rid of it") turned up in a Chris Carney, and now the TL wants Carney to stop. The story is most notable for this awkward quote from Poynter's Al Tompkins: "It would be fairer game if they said it was a columnist and not an editorial.”

TL reporter wins award for community activism

Mark Jones, the TL's newsroom "community advocate," won the PNA's community advocacy award after two years of trying. His TL job was created "to counterbalance the paper’s emphasis on court, crime and government news, which is often negative," according to the TL's story. What a strange newspaper.

CJR rips Scranton paper for story on Jews

We're sorry to be a month late with this, but CJR online took apart the Times-Tribune for its hatchet job on the Hasidic Jews who may or may not move to Scranton. Writes Gal Beckerman: "There is a lot wrong with these articles, but a hatred of Jews, though it peeks through at times, is only part of a bigger issue. What is defective about these pieces is their lack of curiosity, the absence of any attempt to push the boundaries of previous knowledge, to get their readers to understand something deeper about their potential new neighbors. Instead the Times-Tribune reflects a laziness of spirit."

Eric Mayes, Daily Item of Sunbury win award for Iraq work

The Daily Item of Sunbury was lauded by the erstwhile Inland Press Association for the work of reporter Eric Mayes, who spent time in Iraq with Pennsylvania National Guard units. Kudos.

Read the Iraq stories

S. John Wilkin makes Wonkette

Kudos to S. John Wilkin of the TL. His shot of Sherwood and Bush at Manning's in Clarks Summit went out on the wire and was perfect snark material for Wonkette.

Local J-teacher wins national award

The "award," which is really just a publicity gimmick for USA TODAY, goes to Les Nicholas, a Wyoming Valley West teacher who says this about having the principal approve stories before publication: "We’re glad to let them see it.... We don’t want to put something (factually) wrong in the paper." Journalism educaton at its best!

Matt Kemeny goes live with Times-Tribune readers

Is this The Times-Tribune of Scranton or the Washington Post? Live chats with reporters? Podcasts? "Blogs?" It started Monday with readers chatting with police reporter Matt Kemeny. Other reporters will be online next week.

Warm fuzzies handed out at reader advisory board meeting in Wilkes-Barre

It's a new day in Wilkes-Barre, starting with winning pull quotes like this one: "But there will be more than symbolism achieved here. Tangible results will be achieved if we listen and then respond to our readers’ concerns," Richard Connor writes. The Walzer Era is truly dead.

Rich Mates, five others join Scranton Times 25-year club

Kudos to Mates (not pictured) as well as David Haas, Michael DiGregorio, Nancy Curley, Janet Slavinski and Sandy Sheehan.

The TL's Connor: Accentuate the positive

"I still see the need for this newspaper to remember our obligation to reflect the good we see here," TL editor Richard Connor writes in his Sunday column. He also gives a shout-out to the TLers who stuck around after the strike.

Speaking of reflecting the good we see here, who else misses SAYSO? Thank Google cache for this trip down memory lane:

Plenty of anti-Kerry and anti-Israel rants in October 2004, along with a not-for-publication note at the top from the managing editor

Lazy Mexicans, lazy Pittston schoolteachers, and a special message for the creep who stole the Halloween decoration from the house on Govier Street in the Parsons section

A 67-paragraph love letter to the Sunday Scranton Times?

One would think that the 'news' behind the existence of the Sunday paper would be up there with man bites dog. But Chris Birk is drafted into advertorial duty and produces a lengthy puff piece about the visionary Lynetts, the hardworking staff and the newsy Sunday Times itself - it even had stories about the pope dying and the space shuttle blowing up!

Is the TL giving up its smashmouth ways?

An editorial in the paper extolling the virtues of bowling scores and community calendars includes this line: "Sometimes career-driven journalists in pursuit of prizes and “scoops” tend to forget just how important. So it’s your job to occasionally remind them … remind us."

Is Rich Connor telling Iseman, Janoski and the other hard-hitters that times are a-changin? Discuss.

TL, Scranton Times make Wonkette

How often does the Times Leader make Wonkette? The Scranton paper? Never. But the site took note of the Sherwood case. Read on.

CV outs another possible TL investor

James Conmy's story also reveals (possibly for the first time) the fact that Cecelia Haggerty had a big fundraiser for Bob Casey at her Dunmore home last year, and many Lynett/Haggertys donated there. Money given to politicians would NEVER influence news coverage, the Lynetts assure Conmy. Right.

Chris Kelly again makes fun of those who doubt the Scranton Times

It's a laff riot.

Journalism day at LCCC

Dave Weiss of the TL, Matt Engel of the CV and 50 Froggy 101 DJs recently spoke to high-schoolers at LCCC. Party on.

Sports writer John 'Zeke' Zimich enters local hall of fame

Zimich covered sports for the old W-B Record as well as the TL and CV. He's also done a lot of broadcast work. The item is at the bottom of the story.

TL's Connor: KR sucked, we're making lots of money

The most interesting bit in Richard Connor's Sunday column: The newspaper is no longer using the old KR call center in South Carolina and has reopened a local customer service department.