Thursday 12/15/22
I'm just going to let this email chain run backwards and have it speak for itself.
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On 12/15/2022 1:32 PM Colin wrote:
The time-stamps suggest it was highly unlikely.
What is happening a lot now is things are being turned down--when anyone even replies--the very minute they're opened. The actual same minute. That's not quite what happened here, but it was pretty close.
These places are folding. This newspaper went to an online-model five-days-a-week in 2018, with only two weekly print editions (Thursday and Sunday).
The Washington Post lost half a million subscribers this year.
This is why. They answer to things that have nothing to do with the work. What they will do, I suspect, at this venue, is tell someone who knows nothing about Clemente or baseball history to write the piece. They will look him up and it will be the first they've heard about him. They'll write a bad, formulaic piece that anyone could write.
They don't see the connection between how the business is failing and the practices of the business.
They don't employ people because of their ability. It's their connections. So what is happening is those people are being replaced--usurped--by "regular" people in the public sphere, who other people are more likely to trust than media outlets, because there's little reason to trust any of them.
They can't see it. Bookforum closed. Different kind of place, same idea. No one wants or needs to read the lodge notes of what was essentially a private club for Brooklyn writers and their ilk.
None of these people, it feels like, can see what is happening. I can't conceive of anything much more plain.
On 12/15/2022 1:22 PM (friend of Colin) wrote:
Moronic thought process on their part. Also, agree that there's little chance he read that piece.
On Thursday, December 15, 2022 at 01:17:55 PM EST, COLIN FLEMING wrote:
---------- Original Message ----------
From: COLIN FLEMING
To:
Cc:
Date: 12/15/2022 1:16 PM
Subject: Re: Roberto Clemente New Year's Eve piece
You don't even know where I'm from. But beyond that, it's a better piece than any you might run. I don't even think you read it.
I would keep my focus on the actual quality of the work, if I were you, rather than defaulting to the same old, same old, just because. For that is the reason audience numbers are dwindling.
You don't have anyone who is going to write a piece nearly that good. You don't have anyone who knows more about the subject.
And obviously it's local to Pittsburgh.
Best of the season to you, and best wishes for next year.
Yours, Colin On 12/12/2022 3:09 PM David Mills wrote: Dear Mr. Fleming, Thank you for offering an article on Roberto Clemente. We will be publishing an article or articles on him by local writers. It's a hometown story for us. Best, David Mills On Mon, Dec 12, 2022 at 12:54 PM Jeff Gerritt wrote: Mr. Fleming, Thank you for this. I'm forwarding it to our op-ed editor, David Mills. Best, Jeff Gerritt
