— No paper likes to generate its own news, but CL did that this morning when longtime editor-in-chief Ken Edelstein was fired. Edelstein was the editor for 10 years. At his Cityscape blog, Steve Fennessy says Edelstein was let go after he protested additional cuts to “an already decimated editorial staff.” The loss of Edelstein is certainly a blow to Atlanta journalism, while CL owner Ben Eason struggles to bring his publishing empire out of bankruptcy. Former CL senior editor John Sugg also weighs in to Fennessy on what this says about the paper’s management and its future.
— There was also a major blow at the Weather Channel from their new bosses at NBC — as the struggling network was promoting its “Green Week,” the corporate beancounters fired the entire environmental unit at the Weather Channel. As pitiful a state as print journalism is in, television news is hurting as well. At Live Apartment Fire, Doug laments the death of whimsy, the kind of reports that Leroy Powell used to do so well. Stories that had no real news peg, but simply invite viewers see the world from a different perspective. And even when there is the occasional stab at it, such as WAGA’s piece on city dwellers who raise chickens in their backyard, it’s so “serious” that it’s no longer interesting.
— Speaking of inner-city chickens, the fine ladies at Peccane Log note that they used to see chicken bones up and down DeKalb Ave. as they walked their dog. Now, the bones have disappeared and all they see are discarded lottery slips. It appears that people have traded eating chicken wings for a wing-and-a-prayer lottery ticket. Another sign of the times?
— There are too many harsher reminders. At Politits, DCup writes very openly and movingly about walking the financial razor’s edge. Last week, her family filed for bankruptcy protection, and one of her initial emotions was a feeling of shame. That’s OK; the ones you have to worry about are the ones who feel no remorse. Let’s hope “the one” can turn around the economy once he takes office and stop the bleeding.
— And what of the legacy of the fellow in office right now? In his “My Morning Wooten,” DriftGrift gives wider context to a couple of more absurd claims proffered by the AJC’s resident conservative columnist. And says he can’t wait until Wooten attempts to define W’s legacy in positive terms. Perhaps it’s telling that Wooten hasn’t made a stab at that yet.
— Let’s not forget that we have a Senate run-off coming down to the wire. The Big Sax Machine had some heavy-hitters come into the state over the weekend and Andre at Georgia Politics Unfiltered has some of their fear quotes for our enjoyment. Doesn’t anyone discuss their own vision of the future these days? Or is it that they don’t have a vision, thus the fear tactics?
— And, finally, Dave at Rather Than Working gears up for the media’s obsession with all things Obama once he takes office. Like where Obama’s kids are going to school. But he leaves unanswered one burning question: which President served hot dogs to British royalty who visited the White House? Does anyone know?
