No Credit Where Credit’s Due from Boston Herald

April 1, 2016

From time to time the hardreading staff issues credit reports on the stories the Boston dailies appropriate from one another. For example, yesterday we noted that Boston Globe reporter Joshua Miller’s Political Happy Hour gave a credit and a link to Herald columnist Joe Battenfeld’s scoop on the latest dustup between Suffolk University trustees and President Margaret McKenna.

We’re dismayed to report, however, that the frosty local tabloid declined to return the favor today in Donna Goodison’s piece about the redevelopment of the Seaport District’s Pier 4.

Pier 4’s peerless design

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Tishman Speyer released new renderings for its Pier 4 project in the Seaport District that will include a nine-story, 100-unit luxury condo building and 13-story office building, both with ground-floor retail and restaurant space.

The New York company plans to demolish the former Anthony’s Pier 4 restaurant next week to make room for a one-acre park and half-acre public plaza as part of its development on the South Boston waterfront.

 

That piece comes in the wake of Tim Logan’s far superior one that appeared in Wednesday’s Globe.

 

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No mention of the Globe’s piece in today’s stingy local tabloid, though.

C’mon, Heraldniks: Be a mensch, eh?

P.S. Boston Magazine’s Kyle Scott Clauss also picked up on the story today, but – to his credit – he did give credit to the Globe.


Herald Has Latest ‘Suffolk U’ to School’s President

March 31, 2016

As the hardreading staff has duly noted, Boston Herald communist Joe Battenfeld has been on Suffolk University’s slow-motion defenestration of President Margaret McKenna like Brown on Williamson.

Exhibit Umpteen: Battenfeld’s piece today on the newest salvo in the McKenna rumpus.

New Suffolk offensive

In a new escalation of the nasty war over control of Suffolk University, the school’s trustees are launching an independent probe into allegations of misspending by Screen Shot 2016-03-31 at 3.24.43 PMPresident Margaret McKenna after she balked at cooperating with an internal investigation, sources told the Herald.

The trustees’ decision to investigate came after another attorney engaged by the board concluded the school had to “thoroughly investigate” charges of fiscal impropriety against McKenna brought by public relations maven George Regan after she terminated his longtime contract with Suffolk.

 

Yeah – those lessons in Regan-omics will get you every time. Turns out in this case, McKenna is collateral damage in the PR poobah’s gold rush.

[Board of Trustees Chair Andrew] Meyer told trustees last week that the school’s executive committee sought an outside opinion from a New York attorney, Monica Barrett, on how to respond to Regan’s charges and his demand for compensation for being fired.

Barrett’s advice to conduct a serious investigation prompted trustees to approach McKenna, sources said, but she didn’t immediately give them access to her expense records. But sources close to McKenna strongly deny she’s refusing to cooperate.

 

Crosstown, the Boston Globe had nothing on the story in today’s print edition, but reporter Joshua Miller picked up on it in his Political Happy Hour blog post this afternoon:

UNENDING SUFFOLK U BOARD DRAMA, by Joe Battenfeld on page 3 of today’s Boston Herald: “In a new escalation of the nasty war over control of Suffolk University, the school’s trustees are launching an independent probe into allegations of misspending by President Margaret McKenna after she balked at cooperating with an internal investigation, sources told the Herald. …” http://bit.ly/21UJqyL

 

Hey – a credit and a link?

They must be pretty happy at the firsty local tabloid, eh?


Boston Globe Extends Editorial Bake Sale to Arts

December 14, 2015

As the hardreading staff has recently noted, the Boston Globe has lately been auctioning off various sections of the paper to the highest marketing bidder.

Call the roll of recent acquisitions:

First the $tately local broadsheet mortgaged past of its Business section to Rockland Trust.

Then Suffolk University turned the Globe’s Capital Section into a satellite campus – especially Joshua Miller’s Political Happy Hour.

Representative sample from yesterday’s Business section:

 

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Beyond that, Steward Health Care System is co-paying for James Pindell’s Ground Game coverage of the presidential primaries.

Now comes the Boston Globe Arts Auction.  First there was this tease on Page One of yesterday’s Arts section.

 

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Then there was this two-page spread by Mark Feeney about the upcoming Star Wars release.

 

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Note the Showcase MX4D ad at upper left. Sure looks like paidvertorial, doesn’t it?

Then note this ad one page later.

 

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Do we see a pattern emerging here?

Better question: Is there any Boston Globe editorial content that’s not for sale?

Just wondering.


Boston Globe Lends Capital to Suffolk University

December 4, 2015

It wasn’t that long ago that the Boston Herald served as a sort of satellite campus for Suffolk University, teaming up on everything from polling to webcasts to editorial content.

But now Day Hop U has transferred out of the flunky local tabloid and enrolled in the Boston Globe’s Capital section.

Page One of today’s $tately local broadsheet (see bottom).

 

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And Page One of the Capital section (see top and bottom).

 

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Inside, readers get a fuller picture of the Globe/Suffolk collaboration, especially the Suffolk Solutions – what to call it? – marketing initiative that also include Globe reporter Joshua Miller’s Political Happy Hour (which now features a Suffolk University logo). The ad on page 3:

 

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For the body copy-impaired:

 

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If you go to the Suffolk Solutions site embedded in BostonGlobe.com, you find this “Sponsored” home page:

 

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And here’s the video, which features Rachel Cobb, associate professor and chair of Suffolk University’s Department of Government, who’s also featured in the print ad.

 

 

Don’t be surprised if Dr. Cobb also finds her way into some of the Globe’s editorial coverage of local politics.

The Suffolk alliance is the second of these sponsorships the Globe has recently unveiled (the hardreading staff noted this one with Rockland Trust in the Business section last month).

But – wait – there’s yet a third, comfortably nestled in the Globe’s front-page News in brief column:

 

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Yes, apparently the $tately local broadsheet has also auctioned off James Pindell’s Ground Game vertical covering the presidential primaries. The highest bidder? Steward Health Care System.

 

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We look forward to further leasing out of the Boston Globe’s editorial content. Your suggestions go here . . .


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.