Oregon Media Insiders

At one point, when WW was a new concept and the staffers were energetic youngsters, they actually produced an exciting, if rarely factual, rag. Even if they stretched reality to fit their youthful agenda, the WW was fairly stimulating infotainment.

But, like all ideologically-motivated screeds, WW management and staff grew old and weary. If they couldn't get the facts in a phone call or two, they began to simply make it up. This happens with age. One gets an inflated opinion of one's abilities and one gets lazy. When this attitude first begins to creep into a newsroom, no one pays much attention. Afterall, sales are holding strong and the Letters to the Editor seem to show support.

But, as Kingsley Amis said, "Laziness has become the chief characteristic of journalism, displacing incompetence."

This famous quote was uttered long ago, well before WW fell under the spell of sloth. However, it remains appropo to this day and explains a lot about why the newspaper business is in the doldrums.

"Luck is always the last refuge of laziness and incompetence."
James Cash Penney