Froggy 101/98 KRZ payola investigation spreads

The New York AG was already investigating the two Entercom-owned stations in NEPA. Now the feds are getting involved too.

TL sues Hanover schools over secret settlement

The parents of a special-ed student got $69,000, and the TL wants to know the inside details. "It seems outrageous to us that the district would make a secret payout and expect that it would go unchallenged,” Iseman tells Kris Wernowsky. You tell 'em.

Frank Andrews Shimkus: His master's degree is from an unaccredited school

There's no personal animus with this guy. Really. But the greasy way he lied about his name, worked as news director while talking about running and continues to consult while running rubbed us the wrong way.

So we checked around.

And it turns out that Frank's masters degree is from Antiedam Bible College/Biblical Seminary and Graduate School in Hagerstown, Maryland. The school, which has a .org Web address, is not accredited by any agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Repeat: The master's degree Frank Andrews Shimkus has on his resume -- and teaches at the University of Scranton with -- is from a school so low you can't get a federal student loan to go there.

Antiedam notes on its Web site, www.antietambiblecollege.org, that it is accredited by the "Transworld Accrediting Commission," which has a Web site of www.traccom.org and sounds official enough. Problem is, Transworld is not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, an oversight organization that operates with the blessing of the federal education department. Transworld might as well be five guys at Gonda's in Wilkes-Barre.

Now, this is not the same as a diploma mill. But the school is unwilling or unable to meet the minimum standards set by nationally known and accepted accrediting agencies. And Frank Andrews is bragging about having a master's degree from the joint. Just the guy I'd want leading my news operation.

Search the Council for Higher Education Accreditation database:
http://www.chea.org/search/search.asp

Search the U.S. Department of Education database:
http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.asp

See where AndrewsShimkus says he has the degree:
http://local.wnep.com/10years/v2/bios/andrews.html

TL to Pulitzer committee: Drop dead!

The TL was shocked -- shocked! -- to read that the Pulitzer bigshots in New York City bemoan the lack of vigorous investigative journalism at small to midsize dailies. Because, darn it, the TL is just the best little newspaper in the world and no one could possibly question their journalistic vigor. Sherwood, blah blah, Sunshine Act, blah blah. Smaller papers than yours have won the Pulitzer Prize. If the TL has not, why not?

The TL's Rory Sweeney: A bad man

So says the granddaughter of the angry grandma in the classic Larksville Basketball Hoop Spat. Her grandma is just THE BEST, and would never hurt anyone, and rules are rules, and she is the best grandma EVER, and Rory Sweeney contributes to "media-fueled fanaticism." P.S.: When I read the line calling Sayso "a forum where people could voice their heart-felt thoughts and concerns," I thought it was another letter from Iseman's mom.

Dean Singleton close to buying Calif. KR orphans

The downside for the TL: McClatchy's willingness to sell KR orphans in small groups means that the Lynetts of Scranton have a better shot on their presumptive TL-only bid. Polish up those resumes, fellas!

WTF: Times Leader still hiring?!

Isn't there some truth-in-advertising law that requires the TL to tell prospective hires that their newspaper is on the chopping block? "The positions offer candidates the opportunity to strut their creative stuff at a highly competitive, award-winning paper." Yeah, a paper that could very well be out of business by July. I wonder if they'll tell interviewees about the nice Lynetts up the road.

Scranton Times also looking for assistant metro editor

They always seem to be advertising for an assistant metro editor. Must be a fun newsroom.

Changes on the Scranton Times business staff

The Scranton Times is looking for a business reporter on journalismjobs.com. "Juggle breaking news and enterprise" and so on and so forth. Did someone leave? Or is a position being added?

Also, the ad specifies that the applicant must be a graduate of an "accredited journalism school." So St. Cloud University is OK but Harvard isn't? It's not like a Harvard grad is going to ever set foot in the Times-Tribune newsroom. It just seemed odd.

Read the Walzer lawsuit in full

It is amazing reading. A must-see for anyone interested in northeastern Pennsylvania journalism.

Holy shit! Walzer sues TL, claims religious/gender discrimination

This is good stuff, people. Former Times Leader editor Allison Walzer sued the newspaper and KR Friday in federal court, claiming she got the boot because she's a Jewish woman (from Scarsdale, no less) and not a back-slapping Irish Catholic guy like publisher Pat McHugh.

Where do you start with this?

1. Walzer made $234,622 in 2003! Two hundred and thirty-four thousand fucking dollars! That buys 25 obit clerks!

2. Walzer more than once played "the Jew card" and got raises and/or stock out of the newspaper.

3. Walzer got fired for making Clark Van Orden take photos of her kids. Clark is her best friend, you see, and agreed to do it for free. Right.

The Citizens' Voice and Scranton Times got caught flat-footed (Good Friday) and missed the story.

TL reporters Weiss, Morgan-Besecker stay off the stand

Federal judge James Munley ruled that Dave Weiss and Terrie Morgan-Besecker don't have to testify in a federal lawsuit brought by a former Luzerne County prison employee who was fired after the popped off to the newspaper about shoddy security at the prison.

The county tried to force the reporters to testify, but Judge Munley ruled that the shield law protects reporters from having to talk about their discussions.

What happened to the TL's Kurt Knapek?

The Times Leader is looking for a new sports editor. All kinds of vacancies in northeastern Pennsylvania for the unsuspecting. What happened to Knapek?

Also: CV looking for entry-level enterprise reporter

Sounds better than working in Tunkahnnock.

You, too, could be the new Voice Tunkhannock bureau reporter

Leave it to the Voice to create a new bureau reporting job not in the growing faraway Poconos, not in the close-by growing Back Mountain or Mountain Top, but... Tunkahnnock. What's next? A Shickshinny bureau? Seriously, the new reporter is to work out of the newsroom of the T-S-owned weekly in Tunkhannock. How will that work? Will the daily bureau reporter (who answers to Larry Holeva in the CV newsroom) cherry-pick the good stories the weekly is working on before the weekly can publish? How do the people at the Tunkhannock paper feel about this?

E&P: TL really loves the Hazleton publisher DUI story

That seems to be the message from Joe Strupp, who leads his Editor & Publisher story with this:

"This week's lesson in newspaper reporting seems to be if your publisher is arrested on drunk driving charges, you should report it. Why? If not, your competitor might do it for you, and more than once.

That seems to be the case in Luzerne County, Pa., where the Times Leader of Wilkes-Barre has made a minor mission of pointing out such an omission by the Standard-Speaker of Hazleton, based a few miles south."

Worthwhile reading.

WNEP aired fake video news release as real news

This really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, given the low standards of northeastern Pennsylvania journalism. But WNEP was cited by a national group studying use of unlabeled video news releases as an offender. If you want to see one, watch the local TV noon news today. Or any other day.

Lawyers: Scranton Times leaker cost our clients a fair shake

State cop James J. Kolojejchick leaked grand jury information to the Scranton Times-Tribune, he acknowledges, but his former bosses (Kolojejchick was fired last year for the leak) say the leak doesn't hurt the state's case against two former Lackawanna County Prison officials. On Thursday, Kolojejchick took the fifth rather than testify about his firing, his contacts with the newspaper or most anything else.

Here is a good rundown of the other litigation concerning the Times-Tribune and the prison:
http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=16444758&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=415898&rfi=8

Breaking news: How to bury a publisher's DUI

TL editor Matt Golas piles on in his morning note, going after the Hazleton paper for burying the story of their publisher's DUI arrest. "Breaking news: How to bury a publisher's DUI" is just the headline. Then it gets mean. It's too bad all the area papers don't have a daily editor's note; it would make things a lot more interesting.

Iseman: TL staffers are planning new careers

Who keeps muttering "peachjerky?" Read the column for full details.

TL: We run DUIs, we're good, the rest of youse are bad

Kris Wernowsky name-checks a record number of local media luminaries in his follow-up ripping the Hazleton Standard Speaker and their evil "media partners" for sitting on the Walser DUI: CV AME Claire Schechter, Times-Tribune editor Larry Beaupre, Times-Tribune deputy editor Christopher J. Kelly, former Times-Tribune ME Bob Burke, TL editor Matt Golas and TL publisher Pat McHugh, as well as the many wealthy Walsers in Hazleton and Hazleton editor Carl Christopher.

Pete Banko, back in the Times-Shamrock fold

Sure, it actually happened at the end of November. But Pete Banko, an editor at the Scranton Times-Tribune who left in 2004 to run the Altoona Mirror is back. He's editing the Times-Shamrock owned Pottsville Republican & Herald. Banko was in Altoona about 18 months. Click above to read the Pottsville paper's glowing report titled "new era begins at paper."

Hazleton Standard Speaker publisher arrested: No story in CV, Hazleton SS

Only the Times Leader finds newsworthy the arrest of P. Nicholas Walser (or Paul "Nick" Walser, if you like), the publisher of the Hazleton Standard Speaker. The SS is a truly awful newspaper, a bottom feeder in a bottom-feeding market, so no surprise that they didn't write about their own publisher. However, the Citizens' Voice, burnishing their reputation for pulling punches, also sat on the story. Bob Burke would be proud.

Be sure to read the TL's story, which features Kris Wernowsky grilling Hazleton editor Carl Christopher about whether the SS would write a story. You can almost hear Christopher crapping his pants at the other end of the phone. Kudos to the TL and Wernowsky all around.

And be sure to read the tale of Mr. Walser driving his Yukon on all flat tires through the Heights Elementary School grounds in Walser's affidavit:

http://www.timesleader.com/multimedia/timesleader/KRT_packages/archive/walser.pdf

All the latest in NEPA radio news

From the CV's radio reporter. Isn't it great to live someplace where there's a radio reporter? Mary Ondrako buried the lead, though. Lackawanna County Commissioner Robert Cordaro picked up $940,000 when he sold his radio station (1550 on the AM dial) to some Jesus freaks in Buffalo. Not bad for a station that no one has listened to since the Carter administration.

Hazleton Standard-Speaker publisher arrested for DUI

Hazleton Standard Speaker Paul Walser was found in his parked monster SUV -- with four flat tires (WTF?) -- in the Heights in the wee hours of Thursday. Bob Hughes of the Wilkes-Barre PD gets a little snotty with reporter Kris Wernowsky in the process, asking him "Is this a big news story or is it news because this guy is the publisher of a newspaper?"

The Standard Speaker has the distinction of having the worst newspaper Web site in northeastern Pennsylvania, which is quite a feat after you see the terrible Best Buy off-the-shelf sites of the TL, CV and Scranton Times-Tribune.

Does anyone out there have a picture of Walser? If so, e-mail it to nepamedia@gmail.com.

Frank Andrews Shimkus is a greaseball whose journalism privileges should be revoked.

I don't pick up Happenings "magazine" too often, so imagine my surprise when I learned the March issue had Frank Andrews' smiling mug on the cover. I shouldn't have been surprised, because it's not much of a stretch for a guy who lied about his name, publicly toyed with running for office while working as the news director of Scranton's CBS affiliate, was still on the station's Web site after announcing his plan to run, and is now a paid consultant for the station while running for office.

You see, you have to pay to get on the front page. Happenings isn't a magazine, it's a glossy shopper. Nothing against the Abington housewives who sell the ads, but It's bad for journalism. People confuse its bought-and-paid-for "stories" with what actual newspaper and magazine writers work hard for produce. And it's insiduous because unless you read the find print you won't learn this:

"Q: Can my event be featured on the cover?
"A: Several factors impact choosing a cover for Happenings but any event selected must have a paid full page advertisement inside that issue."

Now, the odd thing is, Andrews' picture is in connection with a story about the Red Cross and how great it is and how much Frank Andrews loves it. And we're left with these questions:

1. How much did the Red Cross -- which is always hitting people up for money in the wake of 9/11, the tsunami, and Katrina, pay for the spread in Happenings?

2. Why did the Red Cross pick Andrews to be depicted on the cover when the story really isn't at all about Andrews?

3. Did the Red Cross know Andrews was running for office? If not, did Andrews think running for office was a possibility when he agreed to the shoot?

4. What does Andrews -- a career newsman -- think of the propriety of appearing on the cover of a pay-to-play publication?

5. How would Andrews explain all this to his journalism students at the University of Scranton?

Given the close ties between WYOU, Andrews, Times-Tribune editor Larry Beaupre and the Red Cross, it's unlikely all this will receive a full airing. But Frank Andrews is a greaseball whose journalism privileges should be revoked.


Read about how to buy your own story in Happenings:
http://www.happeningsmagazinepa.com/faq.html

Scranton Times van crashes

It happened in rural Lackawanna County. No one was hurt.

Scranton Times wins Keystone press "awards"

Kudos to Butch Comegys, Michael Mullen, Jessica Matthews, Chris Kelly, Jeff Sonderman and Chad Jennings. Again, no mention as to the judging of the awards or the thickness of the field of competition.

See the inside of TL editor Matt Golas' recutm

Wow. Pictures and everything.

CV hiring for a night news editor

"The ideal candidate must be a strong leader, writer, evaluator of talent, excellent line editor and a collaborator. The news editor must be able to work with reporters and other copy editors to make stories sing and headlines pop."

And want to move to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Breaking: Iseman's mom wants the TL to be saved

Fucking priceless. The managing editor gets his MOM to write a letter to the editor praising the Times Leader. It's even better than the Pittsburgh paper controlled by the wingnuts! Must be read to be believed.

Biggest. Advertorial. Ever. By Chris Kelly of the Scranton Times-Tribune

Seriously. What is the point of a story that starts with "From the beginning of journalism, newspapers have served as extensions of the communities they call home" and ends with “Closer integration is inevitable. We are closer now than we were 10 years ago, and 10 years from now we will be even closer.”

Is it to convey news to the reader? Or is it to suck off your bosses who recently promoted you? Only Chris Kelly of the Scranton Times-Tribune knows for sure. Meanwhile, it makes for good reading if you are into advertorials for the publisher.

CV wins some more "awards"

They come from the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, the Associated Press Managing Editors, and the Society for Business Writers and Editors. Who knows who judged these awards or the strength of the competition. Kudos to Michael Hockenbury, Nichole Dobo, Adam Belz, Chris Lynett, Kristen Mullen, Dave Scherbenco, Warren Ruda and Mark Moran.

A history of NEPA TV, by Rich Mates

The former Scranton Times-Tribune reporter writes about the twists and turns of local media ownership for the annual update/progress/outlook/whatever section that appeared Sunday. The more recent moves, which gives northeastern Pennsylvania four news stations but only two newsgather operations, is especially interesting.

Shamrock stations only commercial stations cited in FCC story

Of all the commercial radio stations in northeastern Pennsylvania, Dave Falchek of the Scranton Times decided to write about the ones owned by his bosses, the Lynett family. Stay classy.

Janoski: TL sale could cause antitrust concerns

The story was partially borrowed from the wires and hard to follow, but it has something to do with ad rates.

The TL's Matt Golas is getting reamed

Literally. Read his Monday morning note from the newsroom for details on his colonoscopy.

Casey Jones makes an April fool joke on the CV: Laff riot

The joke may be on Casey in a few more weeks.

The CV's Nichole Dobo gets a shout-out in The New York Times

Kind of. The Times erroneously credited the Times Leader for a fact in its big Monday story about the KR sale when, in fact, the story came from Nichole Dobo's story in the Citizens' Voice. The error was corrected in Wednesday's New York Times.

The TL's Alan K. Stout enjoyed the 80s

"And my first girlfriend, when we first met in the summer of ’85, was a pure little Madonna girl, which was a lot of fun." Translation: AKS got a lot of tail.

The TL's Guydish writes again about the newsroom

One week, it's Dave Iseman, Mark Jones and a metaphor contest. The next, it's Kris Wernowsky, the downtown call center, and Guydish's love of Legos. The column (which does not render right, KR has already let its Web staff go) conjures the thought of Guydish sitting on his living-room floor late at night, clad only in a Speedo, building a Lego downtown Wilkes-Barre.

Scranton message board beating up on Frank Andrews Shimkus

The posters at Dohertydeceit.com are not fond of Frank Andrews Shimkus, the WYOU broadcaster who lied about his name for years. "Everyone does it." Right.

Wilkes-Barre Online: CV bad, TL good, WBRE Web site bad

Wilkes-Barre's blogger-in-chief checks in with his two cents on the potential demise of the Times Leader. It would be a bad thing, he says.

Union bids for all 12 KR orphans; no Gannett bid

This from Wednesday's Los Angeles Times. The TL and other area papers were strangely silent, but there was nothing in the LAT story about Wilkes-Barre. Visit bugmenot.com to get a usename and password for the LAT Web site.

Scranton Times sues for info in case of man run over by driver

This is kind of old news, but here is Times-Tribune Assistant Managing Editor John Murphy's letter to the Olyphant police, as well as legal papers susbequently filed by the Times-Tribune.

TL's Golas: More openness needed in newspaper bidding process

Sounds like Golas would rather be bought by The Newspaper Guild than Dean Singleton. Good choice.

Morning Call visits Wilkes-Barre, writes best story so far on newspaper battle

Joe McDermott of The Morning Call of Allentown writes the story that should have appeared in the TL, the CV or the T-T a week ago. He visits the Anthricite Newsstand and talks with owner Ann Marie Bossard, she of the rhinestone eyeglass frames. He also compares the two papers, and his verdict seems to be: TL is serious, CV is all about boobies. Visit bugmenot.com if you need a Morning Call username.

CV, TL make The New York Times

It's only as a quirky footnote, but the Wilkes-Barre newspaper situation is mentioned in The New York Times' story today about the pending sale of the KR orphan 12. Oddly, New York Times reporter Katharine Q. Seelye cites a story about the sale in Sunday's Times Leader. Problem is, the story about the sale that was published Sunday was a Nichole Dobo joint published in the Citizens' Voice. Calling the public editor!

TL publisher Pat McHugh's house is for sale

Just around the corner from Walzer's old house in Shavertown. A cool $699k! Someone has to check out the open house and take pictures.

Also, if there are any doubters, enter the address in the TL property assessment database for confirmation:
http://wbtimesleader.com/cgi-bin/authenticate.cgi

Frank Andrews is disappeared from WYOU-TV

It was greasy for WYOU to a) have Frank Andrews working as news director while publicly speculating about running for state office b) to have Frank Andews on the payroll while he's running and c) have his mug featured prominently on the WYOU Web site. It's not known if he's still on the WYOU payroll, but his mug and bio have been taken off the station's Web site.

CV: The W-B newspaper war could soon end

The story, from Nichole Dobo, is about a week late, and doesn't tell the reader anything he doesn't already know. But still worht reading if you're following the TL sale closely.

Lynett hater from Bradford County: Don'y sell TL!

Lisa R. Howeler of Athens writes a letter to the editor in Sunday's TL, calling Times-Shamrock newspaper a lapdog. She neglects to mention that she is a reporter for the Evening Times in nearby Sayre, Pa., in Bradford County, which competes with the Lynett-owned Towanda newspaper.

Guydish: Giant metaphor contest taking place in TL newsroom

A snippet from Guydish's take on life in the TL newsroom:

So last week, Managing Editor Dave Iseman, a combination class clown and school principal in the newsroom, darted around like a live bat with broken sonar, spewing lame similes and metaphors like a cranky diesel motor smoking on a dysfunctional truck.

“Mark sat silently, like a … Mark usually does!” Iseman smirked, providing an example so bad that no simile could accurately convey its failure. Why did he drill our ears with such rusty bits of speech?

“I’m hoping if I keep going around talking like this, more people will try to enter the contest,” Iseman claimed, the way a proud toddler might claim responsibility for a burp or a wet diaper.

Chris Kelly goes after Jim Tolan in the Scranton Times

Kelly pretty much calls Tolan, a former county prison guard in Scranton, a liar. Tolan pleaded guilty Thursday to beating inmates but told reporter Dave Singleton outside the courtroom that he didn't do it. Kelly's newspaper has staked its reputation on a crusade against "corruption" at the prison by pushing for grand jury investigations that have pretty much blown up in the faces of prosecutors, as well as of the newspaper, which is losing a libel suit as a result.

Unofficials Keystone sweepstakes score: TL 20, Scranton Times 15, CV 10

That's applying this sweepstakes formula:

first place = 3 points
second place = 2 points
honorable mention = 1 point

The TL also won with the most awards by volume (TL 8, T-T 7, CV 5). Of course, bear in mind:
1. The competition is the Erie Times-News and the Reading Eagle.
2. Pennsylvania newspapers are split into eight divisions to make sure every paper wins something and has something to brag about to the readers in Noxen.
3. The competition is judged by Boy Scouts in Youngstown, Ohio.
4. None of the three papers contended for the real sweepstakes awards, won by the York papers (in the TL/T-T division) and the Lancaster New Era (in the CV division).

Follow this link to see the small-daily division awards the CV picked up:
http://www.pa-newspaper.org/core/contentmanager/uploads/PDFs/Contests/2006_Keystone_winners-DivIII.pdf

TL mean to Kingston PD, chief complains

In a letter published in the Citizens' Voice, Kingston Police Chief Keith Keiper whines about how the Times Leader has been mean to him in its open-records battle with the department. Kingston police are just the best and the town is just the safest and so on and so forth.

TL wins big at Keystone press awards

"Wins big" if you count four first-place awards as winning big. Don Carey, Aimee Dilger, Dave Janoski, Casey Jones (?), Terrie Morgan-Besecker, Kevin Amerman, Kris Wernowsky, Jennifer Learn-Andes and former reporter Brett Marcy all contributed to the winning submissions, as did Chris Ritchie, who came out of retirement to pen an op-ed piece about regionalization. Of course, the awards are judged by high schook journalists in West Virginia or something, so they don't mean much. But it's good bragging fodder.

Matt Golas had to take a shot at the CV and Scranton Times for not matching the award-winning Sherwood coverage. "We were the only ones to cover it initially.” Cough.

Union not getting a fair shake in McClatchy deal, spokesman says

That's according to a wire story that Renita Fennick added some material to.

Tolan, a target of Scranton Times prison investigation, pleads guilty

The Times story does allude, to author Dave Singleton's credit, to the idea that the whole investigation was a bust because so little has resulted. However, unmentioned is the de rigeur boilerplate paragraph giving the Times credit for leading the investigation of prison corruption. Somewhere, Jennifer Henn is laughing.

Newspaper guild: TL would not have to go union if we buy it

Well, that's a relief. The comment comes in a larger story about how the Guild wants to buy all the 12 remaining KR papers, not just some of them. However, the Guild says, if forced it will settle for just some of the papers. Good reporting from business editor Ron Bartizek.

TL online poll: watch the NEPA crazies froth at the mouth

The TL message forum is a great place to visit if you want to see the worst Wilkes-Barre has to offer. There are dozens of comments on whether the TL should be sold. They come from people with usernames like -- I shit you not -- Shit4Brains. It's like Sayso all over again.

Scranton Times hiring a reporter to replace Chris Kelly

Gotta love those cliche-ridden newspaper want ads. "We are looking for a journalist with relentless curiosity, intelligence and ambition... an aggressive, motivated reporter who understands the value of community news as well as the impact of hard-edged enterprise – and can juggle both." Click above to read the whole ad on journalismjobs.com.

Judy Connelly's ad for a sports copy editor is comparatively brief, three lines long. Bervity is a virtue, you know. Here is the ad for the Scranton Times sports copy editor: http://journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=614672

Golas: Thanks for the prayers, keep 'em coming

Apparently divine intervention is the only thing standing between the Times Leader and oblivion (or Gannett, whichever is worse), if you believe this newsroom note from Matt Golas. Again, what does Walzer think of all the talk about novena talk? Is the TL becoming more, uh, spiritual with a strident Catholic at the helm rather than an indifferent Jew? Discuss.

Old lady in Plains to Scranton Times: Drop dead!

We've got Evelyn from Plains on the line. She lives and dies by the TL. Especially Casey Jones. Loves that Casey Jones. Get used to Mike McGlynn, honey.

Indifference in W-B to potential demise of the Times Leader

Rory Sweeney turns in an average effort, calling a few politicians to see what they think of the possible impending closing of the paper. In short, they can't fucking wait. All but the most progressive politicians will be pissing on the TL's grave.

Iseman on the TL's battle with Kingston police

Winning more friends by pouring gasoline on the fire -- but never getting it up and going to court. That's the TL way.

Casey Jones: Tony Ridder, buy me a new chair before you go!

It's not that it is a terrible column from a columnist who was mocked in the national media last week. It's not that the editors have already quit and an apostrophe was misused ("old time's sake"). It is that Casey can't even RENDER CORRECTLY THE NAME OF THE COMPANY THAT OWNS HIS NEWSPAPER. There is no hyphen in Knight Ridder. Any Times Leader employee who writes "Knight-Ridder" should have his Wilkes-Barre privileges revoked.

Will the Times Leader be turned into a bar?

Looking at how the city of Raleigh, N.C., turned the old Raleigh Times building into a bar and neighboring coffee shop, we could easily see the same thing happening at 15 N. Main St. Check out the interesting story from the News & Observer about what happened down in North Carolina.

Chris Kelly is new assistant metro editor at Scranton Times

Chris Kelly is the newspaper's columnist -- the designated in-print defender of the newspaper and its policies -- who recently won an APME award. If you are a fan of RSS, then you know that once a week the Scranton Times Web site fills the feed with 200+ Kelly columns, labeling them all as unread, which is a pain in the ass. Click above to read Chris Kelly's award list.

Kelly defends the newspaper against allegations that it tried to bury a Times Leader story about Times M.E. Bob Burke's DUI arrest (2000):
http://www.scrantontimestribune.com/stories/kelly/683.htm

Kelly defends the newspaper against allegations that it is in league with Bob Casey with the Better Together billboards:
http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=15070113&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=415898&rfi=8

Scranton Times doesn't do so hot at APME awards

The Scranton Times only got two APME awards compared to the Times Leader's five. The Citizens' Voice got zero. It's all bullshit anyway, but still telling. Fact: Erin Nissley, now of the Times, won THREE awards for her work at the KR-owned Centre Daily Times. Nichole Dobo, now of the CV, also won for CDT work, and Scranton Times photographer Jason Farmer won for work at the Pocono Record.

The Scranton Times awards were picked up by Chris Kelly for Iraq stuff and by Jim Haggerty and Stacy Brown for Everhart stuff.

Big Sunday TL takout on potential sale to the newspaper union

A very even-handed take from Renita Fennick, who has worked at both the TL and the CV. Well done. Recommended reading for anyone following the situation in Wilkes-Barre.

NEPA hits daily double on obscurestore.com

The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader and the Scranton Times-Tribune hit the NEPA media daily double on Friday when both papers had stories on Jim Romenesko's obscurestore.com odd news Web site. The Terrie Morgan-Besecker TL story about Steve Sembrat's brain tumor = desire to tie up underage girls and the Kris Fedysky Scranton Times story about a dog found faceless in a frying pan were the big winners.

CV: We're native, we're positive, we love you

The Citizens' Voice published a staff editorial Thursday taking a couple shots at the Times Leader and defended the Lynett family, its owner. A translation follows.

CV: "There are some who say you can only be a great local newspaper if you always look for the dark cloud around every silver lining."

TRANSLATION: We're a weak, soft newspaper.

CV: "Today, almost all of our employees and their families are lifelong local residents."

TRANSLATION: People not born in the Wy-Val are not to be trusted.

You get the idea.

Times Leader wins APME awards

Not that big a deal; those are the sort of competitions where awards are measured by the pound. But kudos nevertheless to Aimee Dilger, S. John Wilkin, Dave Janoski, and Jean LaCoe.

The message board is up and running

The NEPA media message board, which wasn't always working while this site was on 'soft launch' for the last couple months, is up and running. Click on the link on the right-hand side of the page (or the headline of this item). Though it is an anonymous message board, try to moderate your comments and avoid libel, slander, etc., etc., etc.

WNEP asks if Wilkes-Barre can support two papers

The answer, in short, is no. But there's a lot about Wilkes-Barre that doesn't make sense. Sorry this is a day late. If only the WNEP link had a clip of Golas and Iseman talking....

TL's Sembrat blames love for young girls on a brain tumor

Funny, he forgot to mention it to the judge. Terrie Morgan-Besecker's story about Sembrat's guilty plea is good stuff from beginning to end.

Allentown Morning Call: Sale changes face of PA newspapering

Good story about the Pennsylvania implications of the sale. It notes that the Lynetts are acquisition-minded.

Steve Sembrat, former TL reporter, cops a plea

Lost in the madness today was news that Steve Sembrat, the Times Leader sports reporter who wanted to tie up underage girls and pleasure himself, copped a plea to attempted IDSI down in Delaware County, outside Philly. That pre-sentence investigation ought to be a fun read. Sembrat will go down in history as the guy who, when arrested, called Iseman to confess.

Lynetts: We're interested in buying TL

Pat McHugh wouldn't talk to the CV's Tim Gulla, which makes sense since Larry Beaupre won't talk to the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader. In any case, Scott Lynett says his family is always interested in buying shit.

TL antitrust story: No problems for the Scranton Times

Dave Janoski notes that the Lynetts of Scranton Times fame are obvious potential buyers, and that they have a nice little empire already.

TL staff edit: It's the community's future on the line

More shots at the CV, more talk about how the TL is a paragon of virtue while everyone else is a pretender. Hey, editorial writers, even if you don't plan on working for the Lynetts, some of your employees do. You might keep that in mind.

Golas, Iseman, tee off on Scranton Times

I guess Matt Golas and Dave Iseman aren't planning on working in a Times-Shamrock regime. Lapdog? And then there's the line about tooth-spitting movie fights. "The fight is in our genes. Remember we were miners once, tough, religious, stoic folk." What? Stoic folk? In our genes? Who the fuck is writing this shit, Steve Corbett? It's a newspaper, not Cindarella Man.

TL's local story on McClatchy not wanting it

Ron Bartizek does a decent job, quoting two employees (including MTB) and mentioning that the Scranton Times is waiting in the wings. Still, not very hard-hitting. Didn't bother to question the publisher about anything -- including Pat McHugh's golden parachute. Now, THAT would be hard-hitting.

McClatchy: It's Wilkes-Barre that sucks, not the TL

That's what oft-quoted analyist Lauren Rich Fine says in an AP story that is pretty insightful.

That's all she wrote: McClatchy to buy KR, sell off dogs like the Times Leader

Goodbye Pat McHugh, hello Scott Lynett. I hope Iseman has some money saved up.

Iseman: My kid can wrestle and play chess

It's the feel-good column of the year.

Hard to predict the future if the TL is sold

That's the bottom line of this Times Leader story by Jerry Lynott that really doesn't say much of anything.

TL's Matt Golas: It's been tense here in the newsroom

Golas is polite when he calls the upcoming Profile section "unique." It's a unique pain in the ass, that's what it is.

Frank Andrews off the air at WYOU

Only in Scranton would a likely candidate for office be allowed to work as a TV news director and reporter for weeks -- weeks! -- before he's taken off the air. And, of course, he's mad that he was taken off the air. And he's on paid leave. Of course. The people who run WYOU should be ashamed of themselves.

TL's Matt Golas: Potential Knight Ridder sale creates uncertainty

Matt Golas takes a couple shots at the Lynetts up in Scranton. He better hope he's not asking the Lynetts for a job in a month. "While we don’t compete with The Times-Tribune on every story we cover, we do take them on in coverage of statewide issues such as politics, health care and government. Remember the Don Sherwood scandal? We covered it. They did not. Enough said?" Zing!

Froggy 101, 98.5 KRZ named in payola scandal

That's according to New York Attorney General Eliot Spritzer. Who knows if it's true, of if it sticks. Maybe Spritzer will start asking how Donna Talarico can write for the Weekender and Times Leader about Froggy 101 while working in the station's marketing department.

Judge cites grand jury leak to Scranton Times in decision

Lackawanna County Judge Vito Geroulo, in denying a Scranton Times request for information about a grand jury he is supervising, notes that leaks to the newspaper have jeopardized the prison corruption cases -- and gotten the newspaper in all kinds of hot water.

Scranton Times/WYOU/WBRE raise lots of cash for tsunami victims

$271,000, in fact. Larry Beaupre of the Times and WYOU's Frank Andrews are very happy.

The CV's Mike McGlynn attacks W-B City Hall for media policy

It's wordy and rambling and refers to the ancient Greeks, Gen. McArthur and the 1991 Joann Curley case. But it's interesting if you've been following the new Wilkes-Barre city policy that requires all questions to go through an '05 Wilkes grad.

Kudos (kind of) for Borys Krawczeniuk's Roderick Random

Nice work by Borys Krawczerniuk's Roderick Random in Saturday's Scranton Times-Tribune, acknowledging in a column about the Santorum-Casey senate race that the Lynett family, publishers of the Times-Tribune, have substantial business ties with Casey and have given Casey tens of thousands of dollars.

It's 'kind of' praise, however, because much of the reporting came from a Philadelphia Daily News story published Feb. 23. Not a lot of original work for a story taking place -- literally -- in front of the Times building. Here's the Daily News story:

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/13937706.htm

Click here to read the TL message boards

The boards are populated by people too dumb to dial the Sayso number. Read and shudder.

Madman arrested for making threats on TL message board

Ray Mazzarella ticked off someone, because his exhortations on the Times Leader's Web page forum (who knew there was such a thing?) to shoot government officials have landed him in hot water with the federal court in Scranton. The guy seems to have taught at King's a bit and is active in VA affairs. Anyone know anything else about him? nepamedia@gmail.com

Steve Corbett revisits South Wilkes-Barre

Did anyone else see this back in August 2005? Steve Corbett, former TL columnist, came back to Wilkes-Barre for a week and wrote about the changes since he was "disappeared" a few years back and headed west to the Santa Maria Times (where former TL publisher Mark Contreas runs the show). Click above for the full read.

Bill O'Reilly's WNEP background: EXPOSED

It's not James Frey, but The Smoking Gun dug up an old TV Times cover photo of O'Reilly, circa 1975 or so. Talk about low rent. Also an ambitious letter pining to get out of coal country.