January 8, 2016
Wait, what?
Apparently the fraidy local tabloid, which has resolutely refused to report or opine on the Boston Globe’s current home delivery meltdown, has plenty of time to cover the meanderings of sexist laddie site Barstool Sports.
Barstool Sports sells majority stake to NY group
Barstool Sports founder and CEO David Portnoy announced today that he has sold a majority stake in his company to New York’s The Chemin Group.
Portnoy, announced he was selling a 51 percent stake in his company in an “emergency press conference” video filmed in Times Square.
The deal is valued at somewhere between $10 million and $15 million.
But still nothing from the Herald on the Biggest. Snafu. Ever at its crosstown rival?
That’s messed up, yo.
P.S. The hardlyreading staff hardly has to say it, but no Globe today, either. We’re now 4-for-12 in the Great Boston Meltdown.
2 Comments | 
Uncategorized | Tagged: Barstool Sports, Biggest.Snafu.Ever, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Dvid Portnoy, fraidy local tabloid, hardlyreading staff, home delivery meltdown, sexist laddie site, The Chemin Group | 
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Posted by Campaign Outsider
January 7, 2016
The hardreading staff has been thoroughly flummoxed by the Boston Herald’s recent abdication of its sacred duty to pummel crosstown rival Boston Globe on any and all occasions.
And what an occasion the stately local broadsheet has presented in its current inability to deliver its print edition to vast swaths of home subscribers.
An inability, by the way, the lately local broadsheet is now kind of hiding.
Start with this now-routine note on the Globe’s homepage.
Click on the ConsumerUpdate link inside the box and you get the Member Center Login. Click on the Note to subscribers above the box and you get this:
Click on that ConsumerUpdate link and you finally get to the tough luck towns du jour.
Today’s unlucky number of “delivery delay” zip codes: 100.
The whole runaround is just lame.
But the fraidy local tabloid is even lamer, because it continues to ignore the Globe delivery meltdown. Not to mention ignoring Boston GlobeSox owner John Henry’s hot little tweet yesterday about a piece by the Unsinkable Emily Rooney at WGBH News (note the Update at bottom).
Don’t think we’ve heard the end of this one yet. But don’t bother checking the Herald about it.
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: "delivery delays", Boston Globe, Boston GlobeSox, Boston Herald, fraidy local tabloid, home delivery meltdown, John Henry, lately local broadsheet, stately local broadsheet, Unsinkable Emily Rooney, WGBH News | Permalink
Posted by Campaign Outsider
January 5, 2016
As one of the Boston Herald’s 17 home subscribers, the hardreading staff has been waiting patiently for the feisty local tabloid to crow about its successful delivery of the paper while the Boston Globe’s home delivery has gone Chernobyl.
But . . . nothing.
And today . . . still nothing.
Your fraidy local tabloid’s Tuesday Business section.
As WGBH’s Unsinkable Emily Rooney (and our former partner in airtime) has written, “The Boston Herald has disgracefully reneged it’s [sic] journalistic duty to report this story for one simple reason, The Globe butters the Herald’s bread by being its printer.”
Then again, as Globe reporter Maria Cramer said on WBUR’s Radio Boston yesterday, the Herald has never been shy before about smacking the Globe around.
So why now?
Hey, Herald house harridan Howie Carr(toon): Wanna weigh in on this?
As opposed to your latest mailed-in column?
Or maybe you’re fraidy, too.
P.S. Oh, yeah – the Globe failed to deliver today’s paper to the hardlyreading staff (we’re now 4-for-9 in the Big Meltdown). And the “delivery delay” list is currently at 113. Burt here’s the funny thing: Globe CEO went on WGBH’s Greater Boston last night and said the really serious delivery problems are in Newton and Pembroke. Except . . . Pembroke isn’t even on the list today. Geez – these people can screw up a screw up.
4 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: Boston Globe, Boston Herald, feisty local tabloid, fraidy local tabloid, Greater Boston, home delivery meltdown, Howie Carr, Howie Carr(toon), Maria Cramer, Mike Sheehan, Newton, Pembroke, Radio Boston, Unsinkable Emily Rooney, WBUR, WGBH | Permalink
Posted by Campaign Outsider
January 4, 2016
The hardlyreading staff held hostage: Day 8.
Random notes from around the Globe:
• Today’s edition of the Boston Globe plunks its delivery woes right on Page One.
Crosstown, the Boston Herald has yet to mention the meltdown. We don’t care who prints the fraidy local tabloid – that’s just journalistic malpractice.
• Are we the only ones who think the new Globe ePaper is a classic case of schlimmbesserung? You know, to make worse by trying to improve?
• Kevin Cullen’s front-page piece today is a hoot. Favorite part:
Whatever they pay the delivery people, it’s not enough, and it’s more than a little depressing to think this debacle has been brought about by a desire to pay them even less.
Interesting Twitter exchange yesterday in the wake of Cullen’s piece going online. First:
Then:
Huh.
• Rapid strides! Today’s “delivery delay” list is down to 112 zip codes (from 117 yesterday).
• Free the Zippy the Pinhead One!
More, most likely, to come.
1 Comment | Uncategorized | Tagged: Boston Globe, Boston Herald, David Bernstein, fraidy local tabloid, home delivery meltdown, Kevin Cullen, schlimmbesserung, Zippy the Pinhead | Permalink
Posted by Campaign Outsider
January 2, 2016
Well the hardlyreading staff failed to receive its Boston Globe today, same as the last two days, but at least the lately local broadsheet included our zip code in its daily “delivery delay” list.
That’s 111 zip codes if you’re keeping score at home. (We miscounted earlier on Twitter.)
Globe chief executive Mike Sheehan has claimed that “[b]y Wednesday, 95 percent of home-delivery subscribers received their papers,” but given the Twitstorm that’s raged all week, that seems highly unlikely.
Two additions from our splendid readers:
• David Shea on why the Herald has been AWOL on this story:
• And Sharon Machlis added this bit of background:
(Link here.)
Fun fact to know and tell: Click on any link for the aptly named ACI Last Mile Network, which is the Globe’s new improved delivery partner, and you get this:
Huh.
One last note: This note from the Boston Globe Team.
Dear Subscriber,
We know that you have reached out to us this week to discuss your service interruption, and we apologize to those who did not get through. We are working around the clock to resolve our Customer Service and operational issues and get your paper to your door on time.
In the meantime, your home delivery account will be credited for this entire week. This will happen automatically; you do not need to take any action.
Once again, we apologize. For the most up-to-date information on delivery in your area and any new service announcements, please go to our dedicated delivery change page: BostonGlobe.com/ConsumerUpdate.
Thank you,
The Boston Globe Team
This one’s headed for a Harvard Business School case study, no?
1 Comment | Uncategorized | Tagged: ACI Last Mile Network, Adam Gaffin, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Dave Shea, home delivery meltdown, lately local broadsheet, Mike Sheehan, Orange County Register, Sharon Machlis, Twitstorm, Universal Hub | Permalink
Posted by Campaign Outsider
January 1, 2016
Well the hardlyreading staff once again got no Boston Globe delivered to our unhappy home today. Here’s the latest lame excuse posted on the hately local broadsheet’s website:
Once again the paper lists 90 locales where there are “delivery delays” – that means “no paper” in Globespeak. Except it should be 91, since once again Brookline is left out (in more ways than one).
To make matters even worse, we got this email a couple of hours ago:
Seriously?
Two questions:
- Why has the Boston Herald still not covered this story? (And, yes, we did get our copy of the fraidy local tabloid today.)
- The Globe is offering “full refunds to those subscribers who do not receive newspapers.” But what about Globe advertisers? Are they getting refunds too?
Seems only fair, eh?
4 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: Boston Globe, Boston Herald, fraidy local tabloid, Globespeak, hardlyreading staff, hately local broadsheet, home delivery meltdown | Permalink
Posted by Campaign Outsider
December 31, 2015
The hardreading has often labeled our Boston Herald home subscription the Biggest. Waste. Ever. And, for the most part, it has been, thanks to its spasmodic delivery.
But this week, the Boston Globe has given the finicky local tabloid a run for its wasted money.
From the Globe’s website:
“Disruption,” of course, is a euphemism for going Chernobyl for the past four days. Here’s a list of the 90 towns currently experiencing “delivery delays.” (It should be 91, as the hardlyreading staff didn’t get its copy of the Globe today. We did, however, get the other three we subscribe to.)
The oddest thing, though, is how few news outlets are covering the absolute meltdown of the Globe’s home delivery. The redoubtable Dan Kennedy had this piece yesterday at WGBH News, and WBZ’s Jon Keller has been on the story like Brown on Williamson. (Full disclosure: Keller interviewed us for his piece, which obviously gave us a kenahora, since we had gotten the Globe all week up until today.)
Most amazing of all, though: Nothing in the Boston Herald. Nothing.
Man, have they lost their fastball.
2 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: Biggest. Waste. Ever., Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Dan Kennedy, finicky local tabloid, home delivery, Jon Keller, like Brown on Williamson, WBZ, WGBH News | Permalink
Posted by Campaign Outsider
December 29, 2015
From our One Towne, Two Different Worlds desk
Presidential frontrunner Donald Trump (R-Donald Trump) gets the coveted Boston Herald Pooh-Pooh Platter (pat. pending) today, with the target being Bill Clinton.
Page One:
Inside spread (with bonanza of Inexplicable Little Green Numbers):
We’ll leave you to read the cartoon columnists for yourself (here and here). But we do want to point out this quote in the news report from Lori Davis, a member of the “Women for Trump” Coalition in New Hampshire.
“Hillary has some issues with how Mr. Trump views women. She claims Mr. Trump is sexist,” Davis said. “Meanwhile, her husband can’t seem to stay monogamous — not to mention even discreet. Perhaps she might want to rethink things before she starts tackling Mr. Trump. She should clean up her own house.”
That’ll be an interesting leitmotif to follow as the Big Dog hits the campaign trail.
Rounding out the frothy local tabloid’s Trumpa Stumpa coverage, columnist Kimberly Atkins proposes in her usual levelheaded way that maybe Bill could help Hill. There’s a special place reserved in heaven for anyone who can maintain a measured voice at the Herald, and Atkins seems a mortal lock for first-ballot entry.
Crosstown at the Boston Globe, the GOP’s Hair Apparent gets the usual treatment in a balanced trail report from Jim O’Sullivan (representative sample: “[Trump] assured New Hampshire residents that their first-in-the-nation primary would be secure if he were elected, even though the chief executive has no direct authority over party primary calendars.”). And columnist Joan Vennochi weighed in with some observations about Hillary’s Bill problem.
In other words, everyone ran true to form today on the local dailies front.
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Donald Trump, frothy local tabloid, GOP Hair Apparent, Joan Vennochi, Kimberly Atkins, Lori Davis, One Town Two Different Worlds, pooh-pooh platter, Trumpa Stumpa, Women for Trump | Permalink
Posted by Campaign Outsider
December 27, 2015
From our Day Late, Dollar Short desk
The fiscally local tabloid had this one all to its own self yesterday.
Is he nuts? graf:
Crosstown, the Boston Globe front-paged Matt Viser’s piece about the pollution of polls in the political process. And down in the Big Town, the New York Times examined whether Jeb Bush is funny. Here’s guessing WMUR and etc. think he’s hilarious.
Anyway, score one for the Herald.
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Chris Cassidy, fiscally local tabloid, Jeb Bush, Jeb Bush funny, Matt Viser, New Hampshire, New York Times, Right to Rise, WMUR | Permalink
Posted by Campaign Outsider
December 23, 2015
So by now everyone has seen Donald Trump’s potty-mouthed remarks yesterday about Hillary Clinton, yes?
Actually, no – if you’re a Boston Herald reader.
The dainty local tabloid featured kids glove treatment in Kimberly Atkins’ column today.
As [sic] a campaign rally Monday night in Grand Rapids, Mich., Trump derided Clinton for her 2008 presidential primary loss to President Obama.
“She was going to beat Obama,” Trump said to the crowd. “I don’t know who’d be worse. I don’t know. How does it get worse? She was favored to win and she got (expletive). She lost. She lost.”
The piece described the expletive as “a vulgar Yiddish word.”
Crosstown, the Boston Globe let it fly in its Associated Press pick-up.
WASHINGTON — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump labeled Democrat Hillary Clinton ‘‘disgusting’’ for using the restroom during a commercial break at the last Democratic debate and used crude language to describe her primary loss to Barack Obama in 2008.
‘‘She was favored to win and she got schlonged, she lost,’’ he said on Monday night, using a slang word for penis.
Meshugge, eh?
As a special bonus, both pieces included this from Clinton: “We shouldn’t let anybody bully his way into the presidency. Because that is not who we are as Americans.’’ (Clinton is channeling Barack Obama there, whose use of that trope was smartly chronicled by the ever readable Andrew Ferguson in the Weekly Standard last year.)
Maybe it’s not who we are as Americans, but it’s certainly who Donald Trump is as a candidate.
To stick with Yiddish, a shmuck.
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: Andrew Ferguson, Associated Press, Barack Obama, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, dainty local tabloid, Donald Trump, Kimberly Atkins, schlonged, Weekly Standard, who we are as Americans | Permalink
Posted by Campaign Outsider
It's Good to Live in a Two-Daily Town 