There's no crying in journalism

Guest Post by Jean Bolduc

As of this writing, I have yet to receive my actual letter of termination from the Herald-Sun (how appropriate - not by email or fax, it will come through the slogging U.S. mail). I do trust in the conveyance of my editor, Neil Offen, that it is on the way and that its contents are as he represented them to me - that my services are no longer required.

All the blah, blah, blah about the Herald-Sun's Editor (Bob Ashley) and his shifting explanations about my exit are available on my ever-so-controversial blog. Please do stay tuned to see what the soap opera will deliver next, but I wanted to use this space just to say thanks.

For the last six years I have enjoyed an enlightening ongoing chat with the readers in this community, one which I hope will now simply shift (typing joke) into a new venue. I have shared my experiences and insights on everything from schools to suicide, from politics to puppies. I have worked this writing muscle of mine every week for about 300 weeks. I am profoundly grateful to The Chapel Hill Herald for its role as my personal trainer. I especially appreciate the good faith and humor of Catherine Wright while she was editor there and I was covering Carrboro and writing my column as well. She is a terrific editor, a total professional and a good friend.

I deeply appreciate the emails of condolence, support and outrage recently and over the years. I also want to express my own heartfelt gratitude for those who have disagreed with me and taken the time to thoughtfully say so.

We don't pay enough attention to the profound value of respectful dissent and responsible discussion of public policy disagreement. It is indeed most alarming to me that the Herald-Sun cannot manage to tolerate my independently fussing at them. The newspaper business is no place for the thin-skinned.

And so, onto the blogging scene and new horizons. Looking forward to the Feb. 12th conference at the J-school. May the force be with you.

Jean is a freelance writer in Chapel Hill, NC, the owner of Pen & Inc communications and occasional commentator on WCHL 1360 am radio. She can be found online at jeanbolduc.blogspot.com .

Issues: 

Comments

As an employee of the City of Durham, I will shed no tears for the layoffs at the Herald. I have always been mystified by their self-hatred for the Bull City.

Maybe Johnny Edwards had his thumbs put back in place. After all they were sticking up alot.

Jean,

There is the Dependent, a weekly left wing flyer.

Best,

Just for the record. It's the Independent Weekly, a locally-owned 72 to 144 page tabloid-format newspaper and successful, growing business with roughly 30 employees throughout the Triangle. Winner this year of four first place awards (for profiles, investigative reporting, design and criticism) from the NC Press Association, the paper is run by veteran news people who generally think of themselves as good Americans.

kmr

Kirk,

Here is an inside tip---John Edwards had plastic surgery at UNC last week.

Why???

Jean--even Jimmy Dugan cried a little! Sorry about your job.

Jack--care to site your source on the John Edwards rumor?

melanie

i'll bet edwards had that thing on his lip taken off, right?

My sources are confidential but I can tell you he had major face reconstruction to look more presidential.

Hillary/Edwards 2008

God save us!

So, I'm a troll for reporting the facts.

Go figure!

Jack, On another thread you are saying that you won't sink to Ethan's level, but here you are gossiping and being petty. God needs to save you from yourself rather than from the Dems.

Please don't feed the troll, folks. Thanks!

 

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