Murdoch not selling Ottaway (and the Pocono Record) after all

Everyone worried about Times-Shamrock buying the Pocono Record can relax. Rupert is keeping the Record and the other Ottaway papers after all.

Arsonist tries to torch new WNEP bureau

Someone tried to burn down the building housing WNEP's new Pocono bureau. Read the Pocono Record story for all the details and a picture of WNEP workers staring at a piece of lumber.

Former NYT editor Raines reads the Pocono Record the most!

Buried in a blog report of a New York "media summit" was this nugget: Former New York Times Editor Howell Raines reads most regularly not The Times or The Wall Street Journal but... The Pocono Record. Interesting.

Pocono Record source: The Lynetts are frontrunners to buy the paper from Rupert

Our Pocono Record correspondent reports: "After a long time trying to sell the Ottaway Newspapers as a group, Murdoch's people have given up because none of the potential chain buyers wanted all of the papers. So now Murdoch is selling them off one by one. Groups of investors, local and on Wall Street are being put together bids for each paper. That means that the Lynetts have a very good chance at the Pocono Record. Although the Record will be expensive, the Lynetts are in a position to save bundles as owners of the Record. They can combined their accounting and payroll at Scranton. They can sell a powerful combo into the fast growing and prosperous Monroe County. They can print the paper in Scranton and truck it to Stroudsburg saving millions, and the list goes on. This means they will be a position to bid higher than any other group for the Record. For months word was that Lee and Gannett we on the short list, but now each Ottaway paper will be sold one by one to the high bidders. Ofcourse the chains will still be in the running for individual buys. The Lynetts have express great interest, and they held a large meeting this summer with Monroe biggies to scout the territory. The Lynetts don't like to pay top dollar usually, but the Record is such a good prize for them that betting is they would pay up for the paper whose market value is some $33 million. None of this bodes particularly well for upper management in Stroudsburg."

Your Pocono Record update

A correspondent reports:

"Pocono's Record's Prize-winning Editorial page editor Paula Heeschen, has been transferred back to reporter. Management says its temporary to train reporter Dave Pierce to do the job when Heeschen's on vacation. Heeschen, a veteran of more than 20 years, is outspoken in her views about the wholesale dumbing down of the paper under Executive editor Bill Watson and conservative publisher Jim Maxwell. perhaps. Her
editorials are generally liberal, so there is staff concern that Watson is easing her out, or down. Editorial staff has been slashed under Maxwell, both copy desk and reporter slots gone and additional assignment piled on editors. Part of circulation the function has been farmed out to a firm in Manila, Philippines. The paper is now owned by ultra conservative Australian Rupert Murdoch, who has vowed
to sell it soon."

Pocono Record = " Innovative, high-performance media group"

So says an ad on journalismjobs.com, which seeks an "Internet-oriented journalist." E-mail Tom DeSchriver at tdeschriver@poconorecord.com for details.

Pocono Record makes the NYT

We're late getting to this, but the Pocono Record featured prominently in Thursday's New York Times coverage of the shooting of two city cops. The NYT used a photo (left) by Pocono Record photographer David Kidwell, and editor Susan Koomar was quoted.

Pocono Record: There's a difference between print and the Web

The Stroudsburg newspaper's editorial page is in the wake of the news today, taking a look at the golf course/stripper case.

AP won't move Pocono Record video of golf course strippers

"I didn't see it as offering a lot toward the story other than blurry images of a girl in a bikini and a guy sitting in a chair with golfers playing through," an AP editor told The Morning Call of Allentown. Romenesko has picked up the story.

Pocono Record breaks story of strippers at golf course -- with video!

Well! The Pocono Record writes about strippers at a golf outing in Stroudsburg and includes a video... of the strippers. Well played, Pocono Record. Well played.

UPDATE: Jim Romenesko's Obscurestore has picked up the story.

New editor at the Pocono Record

Jesus, what a terrible story. "A thorough review of 100 high-caliber applications from all corners of the United States?" "A great leap forward in the Record's effort to become a 24/7 multimedia local news organization?" This shit reads like the Onion. Does this mean they're not calling Iseman back for a second interview?