Thursday, September 25, 2008

Rosenberg's wake in NY Times

THE NEW York Times picked up the beat today on the Plain Dealer's rendition of its longtime classical musical critic Donald Rosenberg.  In a lengthy report on Rosenberg's demotion that exceeded the paper's own spare announcement by a kilometer or two, the Times filled in much of the score while at the same time failing to get some clarifying words from Susan Goldberg, the paper's editor.  She was quoted as saying that she couldn't  discuss the issue because it was an "internal personnel matter." Oh? 

At this point, I should tell you that I was a colleague and friend of Don at the Beacon Journal, where he was an astute, sensitive and dedicated workaholic.  That friendship continues to this day. Make of it what you will. 

Having said that, I still must wonder about Goldberg's decision that was bound to raise suspicions that the mighty PD serves masters outside the newsroom, a matter that should alarm most caring journalists in a day when the newspaper business is in tattered retreat both in circulation and credibility.   We can hope that his dark event will not be picked up around the country as another Cleveland joke.    

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Here is my latest round-up of reports and comment on the Rosenberg/Cleveland matter, Abe:

http://viewfromhere.typepad.com/the_view_from_here/2008/09/others-weigh-in-on-don-rosenberg-and-cleveland.html

Don is, of course, exactly as you describe him.

It is at this point, alas, a spectacular case of Cleveland self-embarrassment. And I say that as a great fan of Cleveland and as someone whose other half is a zillionth-generation Ohioan, a CIM and Case Western Reserve graduate -- and the late Cleveland Mayor Ralph J. Perk's cousin!