Boston Herald News-Stalking Stephanos

September 13, 2015

Man, the flirty local tabloid has some crush on Maria, eh?

As the hardreading staff noted, the Boston Herald gave anchor Maria Stephanos’ departure from Fox 25 full-page play in Friday’s edition, versus a paltry Names item in the Boston Globe.

Yesterday it was two pages, with former Fox 25er Doug (VB) Goudie doing the mooning.

[A]s I watched Maria Stephanos’ farewell last night on Fox 25, I couldn’t help but feel that as she was leaving that building, “different” was leaving the Boston TV news market, at least for now.Screen Shot 2015-09-13 at 1.00.20 PM

After all, Maria epitomized everything that Fox was — loud, smart, sassy, engaging … not afraid to mix it up, not afraid to laugh at herself and not afraid to give a hug. Or a “VB!!!!!” in that high pitch only Maria can hit when she is outraged!

Combine Maria’s exit with that of Fox 25 investigative reporter Mike Beaudet, and “different” is now taking a dirt nap.

 

Today we’re back to one page.

(WARNING: As with a solar eclipse, we advise you not to look directly at the photo of Stephanos and Howie Carr.)

 

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Meanwhile, crosstown at the Globe, the only mention of Stephanos’ exit or the local TV news scene beyond the aforementioned Names item is this mention in Joshua Miller’s Political Happy Hour on Friday.

STEPHANOS LEAVING FOX 25, via Jessica Heslam on BostonHerald.com: “FOX 25 anchor Maria Stephanos — a fan favorite who has been at the Boston TV station for nearly two decades — is leaving the station to ‘pursue new professional endeavors,’ the station just announced. Her last day is tomorrow. ‘I have decided it’s time for me to embark on a new adventure,’ Stephanos said in a statement announcing her surprise departure. …” http://bit.ly/1ODowij

 

How sad is that – the Globe once again a lively index to the Herald, instead of the other way around.

Ouch.

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Herald Beats Globe on Maria Stephanos Story

September 11, 2015

Chalk one up for the feisty local tabloid.

When Fox 25 anchor Maria Stephanos announced yesterday she was leaving the station after almost 20 years, she kept the details pretty skimpy (via TVSpy).

“I have decided it’s time for me to embark on a new adventure,” said Stephanos. “I will miss working with this extraordinary team, but I know FOX25 is in good hands and will continue to grow. I am beyond blessed, to deliver the news in the place where I grew up. New England viewers are savvy and smart and I love them for that. Thank you for making me part of your family.”

 

And today’s Boston Globe Names column kept it that way.

 

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Crosstown at the Boston Herald, though, Jessica Heslam had a lot more to offer.

Fox’s Steph­anos stuns with exit

Screen Shot 2015-09-11 at 12.29.54 PM

Boston’s TV news scene was blindsided by the shocking 
announcement that Fox 25 
powerhouse anchor Maria Steph­anos is leaving after nearly two decades — just 11 months after the station’s new owner came to town.

Stephanos was tight-lipped on her stunning exit from Fox 25 yesterday but her husband, Dale Stephanos, alluded to bad blood between his popular anchor wife and station owner Cox Media Group when he wrote on his Facebook page:

“It’s so rare to find people with real integrity these days. Harder still to find people like that in the media. I’m so proud and happy for my wife today. This took a lot of guts.”

 

Drove her out graf:

The new owners want shorter stories and more of them. They also want to boost the number of stories in communities with the highest number of meters that track TV ratings, sources said.

 

Okay. Now it’s making some sense. Although we’re sure there’s more to come. Check both dailies for details.

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Actually, Someone WILL Partner with Boston Herald

July 25, 2015

Yesterday the hardreading staff noted the failure of the Boston Herald to cover – or even acknowledge – the (Not So) Great Boston 2024 Debate sponsored by FOX 25 and the Boston Globe.

Coincidentally, we had also received this note from a splendid reader:

Just a thought: Fox25 used to partner often for debates with the Herald. Not last night. The Herald used to partner with Suffolk to run [David] Paleologos polling. That’s gone.

Why won’t anyone partner with the Herald anymore? Afraid of catching something?

 

Well, another splendid reader subsequently sent this:

I’d just like to offer a tiny factual correction to your “splendid reader’s” premise that no one partners with the scrappy tabloid anymore for fear of [Herald] cooties. Or maybe Andy Card is a thrill seeker who likes to stare the danger of catching acute Heraldylococcus in the face:

http://franklinpierce.edu/about/news/Herald-Pierce-Innovative-Partnership.htm

 

Not to get technical about it, eh?

On a sad side note, this went out on the Twitters yesterday afternoon.

 

Screen Shot 2015-07-25 at 2.03.33 PM

 

No reporters affected, but bad news regardless.

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Hissy Local Tabloid Ignores Boston Olympics Debate

July 24, 2015

Last night’s less-than-Olympian debate on Boston 2024 gets lots of coverage in today’s news media.

Co-sponsor Boston Globe, of course, has it top of Page One.

 

Screen Shot 2015-07-24 at 11.56.30 AM

 

The other cosponsor, FOX 25, showcases viewer reactions on its website. (Video of debate here.)

Other local news outlets also provided debate coverage.

 

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But not the Boston Herald. The hissy local tabloid had only some limp piece about area mayors feeling left out of the process.

Sort of like the Herald.

Coincidentally, we just received this from a splendid reader:

Just a thought: Fox25 used to partner often for debates with the Herald. Not last night. The Herald used to partner with Suffolk to run [David] Paleologos polling. That’s gone.

Why won’t anyone partner with the Herald anymore? Afraid of catching something?

 

Good question.

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Charlie Baker: Sweetheart of the Herald’s Rodeo

September 24, 2014

This is mother’s milk to the feisty local tabloid.

‘Sweetheart’? C’mon, Charlie

Gaffe could haunt Baker

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Charlie Baker just can’t get it right when it comes to women.

The GOP gubernatorial candidate is desperately seeking female votes, but his latest gaffe — calling FOX 25 political ace Sharman Sacchetti a “sweetheart” — is sure to land him in the doghouse with some women voters.

 

Woof woof.

The Jessica Heslam piece in today’s Boston Herald, not surprisingly, contains the obligatory apology from Baker, whose campaign seems to be choreographed by Joe Cocker.

“I apologize to Sharman, as she is an accomplished professional and someone who I have come to both respect and consider a friend,” Baker said in a statement.

 

There are also the usual statements from the usual suspects in the umbrage-industrial complex.

Just for the record, here’s the incriminating video (see 1:03).

 

 

Crosstown at the Boston Globe, not a peep.

 

Screen Shot 2014-09-24 at 12.29.04 PM

 

C’mon, cupcakes – get on the stick, eh?

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Arresting Developments in Aaron Hernandez Case

June 25, 2013

Today’s Boston Herald features this report about faulty reporting in the ongoing murder investigation involving New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez:

Ronald C. Meyer DriveAaron Hernandez attorney slams media on false arrest claim

The lawyer for Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez blasted the media last night for “relentless” reporting of a false rumor of an arrest warrant issued against the 23-year-old, when only search warrants were filed with the courts.

Several outlets did report continually last week an arrest warrant had been issued. The Herald was not one of them.

 

Plug “Aaron Hernandez arrest warrant” into the Googletron, and you get this:

 

Picture 4

 

Note the “CBS Local” included in the search results. Here’s a recap from the Huffington Post:

Conflicting reports surfaced on Friday morning over whether a warrant had been issued for the arrest of New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez in connection with the shooting death of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd.

Citing an unnamed source, WBZ News Radio in Boston first reported early Friday morning that a warrant had been issued and that the NFL star would be charged with obstruction of justice. Hours later, the Boston Globe would report, citing its own law enforcement source, that no arrest warrant had yet been issued in the case.

Picture 6

 

And another local player:

Also citing an unnamed source, Bob Ward of FOX 25 had reported earlier on Friday that a warrant has been issued for Hernandez’s arrest. Ward also reported that Hernandez faces an obstruction of justice charge.

 

Neither today’s Herald piece nor a similar one in the Globe name any names in the false arrest claims. That’s why we’re here.

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Herald Held Hostage by Reality, Day One

February 26, 2013

Stop the presses! The Schadenfreude Gazette has actually stipulated to the facts about the imminent sale of crosstown rival Boston Globe.

From today’s edition of the feisty local tabloid:

85th Annual Academy Awards Oscars, Vanity Fair Party, Los AngeleRupert Murdoch has ‘no interest’ in the Boston Globe

Media titan quashes talk of bid

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch won’t be bidding on the Boston Globe, according to … Rupert Murdoch.

“Emphatically, no,” Murdoch said when buttonholed on the red carpet at the Academy Awards on Sunday night, according to a tweet by Variety’s deputy editor Cynthia Littleton.

Littleton tweeted Sunday night: “Rupert Murdoch not interested in Boston Globe. Flat out denial on red carpet. ‘Emphatically, no’ he assured #oscars.”

 

Of course, the only “talk of bid” that needed to be quashed appeared in – wait for it – the Herald, which resolutely ignored the reality that federal cross-ownership rules prohibit Murdoch from owning a television station (Fox 25) and a newspaper (the Globe) in the same market (Boston).

But  why get technical about it.

After all, it’s the Herald.

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Dime Dropping in the Athol Statehouse Race

September 17, 2012

A Sunday Boston Herald editorial highlighted certain shenanigans in the state rep race between Athol Board of Selectman chair Susannah Lee (R-Huh?) and incumbent Denise Andrews (D-Dime Dropper).

Politics hits a new low

Politics in one small corner of this state has apparently gone right over the cliff with the Democratic incumbent calling in the cops to report — falsely as it turned out — a cocaine buy by her Republican challenger.

No, folks, you can’t make this stuff up.

The local Fox channel broke the story this week that police in Athol were sent on what amounted to a two-week-long wild goose chase after a report was filed against Susannah Lee, chair of the Athol Board of Selectmen and a GOP candidate for state rep in a newly constructed district out there. A caller alleged Lee had purchased cocaine from a dealer, that the dealer had called the police (because, of course, that always happens), and that Athol police had showed up at Lee’s house and “took the cocaine from her possession,” according to the complaint filed with the police.

Apparently, none of it is true – at least according to the Fox 25 report (which makes Denise Andrews a total Athol).

But none of it is also in the Boston Globe.

Herald, 1. Globe, 0.

 

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