Sophomoric hijinks at the News & Observer

The News & Observer's Bull City blog, covering Durham, appears to have been taken over by 8th-graders. One entry today made fun of firecracker-safety tips provided by the Durham Fire Department, and another consisted of an informal contest to write a caption for a photo of a man with his head under the tail of the city's large bronze Bull Durham statue.

I posted the following comments on the blog, and after the second item appeared, sent an email including both of the comments to Melanie Sill, the managing editor, and to Rob Waters, the Durham editor. I received two responses quickly: one from Ms. Sill, telling me that she couldn't reply without knowing who I am, and one from the author of the firecracker item, telling me to lighten up. Interestingly enough, he did that only in a direct email, and not as a comment on the blog.

Following is the email exchange with Ms. Sill:

June 25, 2007, 5:40 PM
TO: Melanie Sill
From: Bella Parola
Subject: Is anyone paying attention to the Bull's Eye blog?

This makes two incredibly juvenile posts on that blog today. Are there no adults paying attention?

RE: Firecrackers: The Silent Killer
Are there any adults paying attention to what you people do over there? The tone of this post is completely inappropriate and downright disrespectful for a newspaper that claims to be doing community service - this is not the Lampoon, nor Weekend Update, nor the Simpsons or whatever ridiculous prime-time cartoon that begat your character above. I think people who shoot off fireworks are idiots, but mass media that claim a public-service mission are beholden to at least try to take these kinds of messages seriously.

RE: Insert clever punchline here
How sophomoric and totally inappropriate for the News & Observer. This kind of photo is fine for internal newsroom yucks, but I don't think there is any reason to share it on the website in this fashion. Grow up.

From: Melanie Sill
Date: 2007/06/25 Mon PM 05:50:31 EDT
Subject: Re: Is anyone paying attention to the Bull's Eye blog?

If you'd care to identify yourself, I might be able to reply to this note.

June 25, 2007, 6:04 PM
TO: Melanie Sill
From: Bella Parola

As I have said before, I fail to see what difference that makes. You were able to reply, by using that handy feature on your email program, and I have received your reply - which indicates only that you choose not to address any issue unless it's presented by someone you can identify. I am not interested in providing comments or correspondence for attribution in the paper (or elsewhere) and so cannot understand why you insist on knowing who I am.

I have no connection to the News & Observer, or to any other media organization, but I do care about the news and about how it is presented. If you care more about identities than the quality of your product, that is not my problem.

From: Melanie Sill
Date: 2007/06/25 Mon PM 06:09:54 EDT

Basically, I think people who send anonymous email are somewhat cowardly, especially when they are criticizing others. I generally don¹t reply.

Date: 2007/06/25 Mon PM 06:23:18 EDT
To: Melanie Sill

You are welcome to that opinion.

I think people who ignore reasonable criticism based on an inapplicable journalistic standard are ivory-tower snobs.

What difference would it make if my actual legal name were Bella Parola or Jane Doe? You don't know me, and you are not being asked to verify that I am a credible source of information in a published news item. I alerted you to inappropriate material on your website, which requires you only to click on the link and see it for yourself, not to validate my credentials.

Obviously we are on opposing sides of this issue, and I will not bother you again.