The Desert Sun promotes its own.....
Desert Observer's pageWho's the most important guy (man or woman) in the valley? How do you make such a judgement call? And, who makes that determination?
The Desert Sun and its website offer one way to make the "most important person" assessment. It's the number of column inches they devote to an individual and/or the number of articles written about that person. Using the newspaper as the basis for determining our valley's current "most important person", that call would have to go to newly promoted Executive Editor Rick Green. Last Friday's "Changing of the Guard" stories together with the half-page devoted to his views and personal background on the Opinion pages of today's Sunday newspaper, is more than I recall ever having seen for any local politician, philanthropist, or other community leader. In the eyes of the newspaper, it would appear Mr. Green outranks our Mayors, council members, state legislators and even the congressional representative. The hopes of those folks for similar coverage would only come true if they were to purchase it from the advertising department.
The newspaper's attention to the views of the new big cheese in charge would not be unusual if they were introducing a new face on the block. Green, however, has been on the scene since 2004 in the number two slot as managing editor. His promotion may allow him to implement a few new ideas, but to expect a major change of course is as unrealistic as to expect a Leopard to change its spots. His reputation as a very nice guy is certainly a plus, but I don't expect to see meaningful change just around the corner. The newspaper has no ombudsman and he and his staff remain the final arbiter of their activities.
As for last Friday's changing of the guard stories, they pretty much said what we needed to know about the new Executive Editor's background. Today's replay of that information, coupled with his 1,087 word opinion piece, comes off as a bit ego-driven. The weekly opinion pieces from the Executive Editor are probably a nice idea, but hopefully, future ones will be more about the community and less about the guy in charge.
Bond Shands
Palm Springs
July 13, 2008
Comments