Reader sent this over the weekend, suggesting that a sale at the fairgrounds was more like a bait-and-switch.
I went to this sale on fri when it opened at noon , and found that we had to pay 6 dollars a person to get in. Then once inside the vendors do [...]
It’s just after 6 a.m.
In less than an hour, the story of a Native American police officer suing the Rapid City police dept. will go online.
An hour after that, I’m sure Rapid Reply editors will consider shutting down comments on the story. It will likely get ugly.
Why?
The 20-year veteran on [...]
We led A1 on Tuesday with a state story on the swine flu outbreak. There was no outbreak reported in South Dakota … the story just reported that a couple of specimens wound up testing negative for the virus.
The next day, another state story on swine flu came across the [...]
I remember looking up at the TV while working in the newsroom on election night last November and wondering: How in the world can I be watching Keith Olbermann and MSNBC and actually believe I am getting fair and unbiased reporting?
I wasn’t. MSNBC has opted to wear its liberal media [...]
It’s not a typo. We now have Top 11 lists. This was e-mailed to me this morning, which includes the Yankton Human Services Center on a list of Most Endangered Historic Places. Not sure what’s more interesting: that a South Dakota building made the list or that there is [...]
There are many people who love to suggest uses for their newspapers after reading them.
- Recycling
- Lining bird cage
- Lining dresser drawers
- Wrapping breakables during a move
- Packing materials for boxes
- Wrapping paper
- Fire starter
But I have to admit, I have found a [...]
This e-mail came in this morning from someone who would like us to do a story about animal cruelty with circuses, specifically in advance of the Shrine Circus. The links he provides are to YouTube videos, presumably of circus animals being mistreated. I chose not to view them because I [...]
Received a voice mail message from someone who was upset with our story following up on the Art Alley stabbing this week, in which one of the alleged assailants died.
The caller was concerned that we wrote a “bleeding heart” story because we made Joshua Red Cloud out to be some [...]
Sometimes, you can’t make out what someone is trying to say. This was in my email this morning from someone called ‘igm’:
All I what to do was look at my Horoscope not add my date of birth and all that junk in your office you use the fast way to [...]
These were two of the 7-8 photos we received this morning from a reader who had access to the Art Alley rooftops while police were investigating the scene where a stabbing took place Monday.
[...]The RCJ newsroom celebrated its successes in the South Dakota Newspaper Association and the Dakotas Associated Press contests during an afternoon luncheon last Thursday.
A few of the highlights:
- Reporter Kayla Gahagan named Young Journalist of the Year.
- The Journal winning the Sweepstakes Award for the second straight year in [...]
Congratulations to Mark Mahoney of the Glens Falls (NY) Post-Star, who won the Pulitzer Prize this afternoon for editorial writing.
There were plenty of other winners, but when you work at a 30,000-circ. daily like the Rapid City Journal, you’re happy for an editorial writer at a paper the size of [...]
Even on your off-day, a news story can break.
So I was in Deadwood Friday when the largest ‘bad beat’ jackpot in the history of the Hills was hit at the Gold Dust casino. For those new to poker, a ‘bad beat’ is the term used when you [...]
Received this e-mail this morning, with a letter to the editor attached. It is difficult (sometimes depressing) to edit Rapid Replies, seeing the hatred and racism which anonymity breeds. There are many topics which seem to quickly veer into discussions of racism, and so yes, we are quick to kill [...]
Just when you thought the Internet was endless …
Online editor Todd Williams pointed out this week that our Web site couldn’t handle the entire list of earmarks (attachments, appropriations, pork, project funding … whatever you wish to call that type of Congressional spending) which US Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin has [...]
ALUMNI on 04/14/2009 11:53:58 said: “I didn’t know SDSM&T had girl students…..I thought they only had guys?” Guess you don’t get to many of the women’s basketball games, eh?
whatever on 04/13/2009 08:47:51 said: Don’t try to make God as small as your mind.”
to pookie on 04/13/2009 08:44:16 [...]
Let me stray a bit here from newsprint to pitching mounds.
Mark ‘The Bird’ Fidrych died Monday. I remember when I was a teenager, my dad taking me to a Detroit Tigers game and we both watched Fidrych during his amazing debut season in which he won Rookie of the Year [...]
Whew … that’s over.
After four months of meetings, and hours and hours of redesigning our existing styles, fonts, templates, libraries (thanks mainly to copy editor Savannah Cummings) … the web reduction went off with nary a hitch.
We took a couple complaint calls and e-mails, but very, very few (can count [...]
This e-mail came in from a reader this morning who was concerned about our story choice for the cover of Sunday’s print edition. We do try to achieve a good balance of stories each day when we are putting together A1, but I think this reader may have been suggesting [...]
The Journal will be reducing the width of the print edition beginning this Monday, April 13. The paper will be the same depth, but will be a little over an inch narrower.
The decision to reduce the web width is a cost-savings measure; the company will save thousands and thousands of [...]
This nice note comes from our customer service department regarding one of our mail subscribers.
Mr. Perkins got his letter on the increased rates and didn’t have any complaints but was ready to mail in the extra money today. After talking with him I found out that he’s not from SD [...]
This anonymous e-mail came in to one of our reporters this week, following up on our stories on Rapid City Regional Hospital — one of which included the salaries of some of the top executives at the non-profit.
From a journalistic standpoint, I’m curious as to what purpose was served in [...]
There was quite a discussion in our newsroom when Rapid Reply was launched, as many journalists believe that anonymous comments have no business being attached to our news stories. The feeling of some staff here, many journalists elsewhere, and some of our online readers was that if you were going [...]
And you thought your drivers license photo was bad.
You have got to take a look at this site. Tampa Bay posts mugshots of those arrested by local law enforcement on an amazing interactive crime Web site, complete with pop-up details, arrest reports, and associated crime news [...]
This morning, I received an e-mail calling for an investigation of a local eatery.
I stopped in Rapid City on a business trip. An associate of mine and I went to eat at the local steakhouse. The staff seemed friendly at first, until a heavy set waitress stared at me for [...]
And just as I speak of lists today, bam, another arrives in my inbox today. Seems that Spearfish is the place to be this year, at least for the Vokac family, who have published a book and want to get the word out. They looked us up to let us [...]
Somewhere around the turn of the millenium, when AFI began coming out with their greatest films of all time list, America began falling in love (again) with lists. And public relations firms, marketing groups, and others looking for free publicity for their cause will come up with a list for [...]
Another year of great amateur photography was on exhibit at the Dahl Friday night. The Dahl Mountain Arts Festival hosted [...]
RE Rocky on 04/05/2009 10:45:04 said: “Maybe you should come out of your cave, “uncivilized” wow, what an intelligent comment!” An unfair attack on Rocky, because Rapid City caves are not yet equipped with Internet access.
Really on 04/05/2009 02:20:35 said: “Come on South Dakota… grow a pair.” That’s a crop [...]
I received a letter from a reader on Friday who was disappointed with the photograph which ran on our Local front in February, 2008 … 14 months ago.
I checked the postage mark, and no, the USPS was not to blame.
Apparently during blizzards, folks have a [...]
In the mail today was a short unsigned letter — so you know it’s likely not to be high praise — from a reader who clipped out the cutline to a photo which we published on A1 during the Monday blizzard (I know, which Monday?, I need to be more [...]
Are you tired of the snow yet?
As I look out my window at snow falling … again … you can appreciate if our reporting staff is thinking the same thing:
Are we tired of the snow stories yet?
Beyond just covering the snow and the snowfall amounts, accidents, closures, etc… we look [...]
Received an e-mail from the Daily Kos — don’t ask me, I don’t know — in which a poll was conducted in March which asked a few questions about our South Dakota lawmakers in advance of the 2010 Election (it’s never too soon, right?).
The poll (600 were called) showed that [...]
If you’re looking for a little smile this Thursday morning, let Stephen Colbert brighten your day with this:
The Colbert Report Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Better Know a Lobby - Newspaper Lobby comedycentral.com Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor NASA Name Contest [...]
In the in-box this morning:
The front page of today’s newspaper was absolutely pathetic. I believe the most rabid fan is now satiated with his likeness. Give the rest of us a break!
Of course, I expect columns and photos, ad nauseum, after ‘his majesty’s’ appearance.
Mike
Guess Mike isn’t [...]
Tuesday was the filing deadline for Rapid City mayor, and it seems the popularity of the job has worn off.
Mayor Hanks will face only one challenger.
If you recall, the last mayoral election induced eight challengers for Mayor Shaw’s seat, an election that wound up in a runoff between Hanks and [...]
We’ve just had our blog software moved and updated, so all of a sudden, the interface is completely different, and I’m finding things in the admin corners of this blog that were hidden under the rug for months. Like these old rejected Rapid Replies:
Knock Knock on 12/08/2008 11:40:07 said:
“Who’s [...]
You know there comes a day when you have to have ‘the talk’ with your kids. Mine was this morning.
My 4-year-old daughter — who was just informed that there would be no preschool due to the snow — looks at me this morning and asks:
“Daddy, how come you have to [...]
Comic strip journalist Brenda Starr is facing one of the realties of the news business this year.
[...]This press release was sent out this week by a Maryland lawmaker, intent on helping save the newspaper industry.
U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), today introduced legislation that would allow newspapers to become non-profit organizations in an effort to help the faltering industry survive.
The Newspaper Revitalization Act would allow newspapers [...]
The discussion came up this morning surrounding this photo which appeared on our sports section this morning. At issue were the two calendars in the background. Standard issue workshop calendars, featuring scantily clad women … at least that’s what we were told. More on that in a [...]
News this week:
The Ann Arbor (Mich.) News, after 174 years, is folding in July and being replaced by “AnnArbor.com,” a new company that will publish a print newspaper twice a week and distribute a total market coverage (TMC) print product weekly, Publisher Laurel Champion told the newspaper’s staff Monday morning.
“While [...]
Our headline in today’s paper says: “Solutions sought to end racial attacks”
But should the drive-by BB gun shootings of Native American kids on North Street be considered a racial attack?
A hate crime?
The discussion came up in our editorial board meeting this morning. We don’t currently have information that suggests that [...]
Thanks to our friend Dan for sending this over. We’ll be watching this case closely, as it has the potential to affect all anonymous reader comments on our Web site.
Let me will point out that many sites allow readers to post automatically to their site (sometimes requiring light registration). [...]
Robles on 03/24/2009 09:45:07 said: “Someone’s fast with the censor button tonight. Did the senator get too you or what? You did delete three posts unfavorable to Adelstein, didn’t you? The thread went from 26 to 23.” Trust me, we don’t have the time to spend removing all the posts [...]
We often get story ideas via e-mail, many anonymously. Our story on RCRH cuts which ran last week was once of online’s most read of the week. It prompted this e-mail which I received this morning:
I think a story should be done on the hospital freezing pay raises, ppl, and [...]
Sorry I haven’t posted for a bit. Went to USD to speak with some of the journalism students and wound up being among the hundreds who couldn’t get back to the Hills thanks to I-90 being closed.
Or at least, I was supposed to be among the hundreds.
It looked like I [...]
News came in this week that one of our own was being honored by the state newspaper association this year. This is the e-mail sent to all Journal employees announcing the news:
Congratulations to Rapid City Journal reporter Kayla Gahagan, who has been named 2009 Outstanding Young Journalist in South Dakota [...]
I came across this Wall Street Journal interview with Jonathan Knee, who has covered the industry for over 15 years.
Knee brings up points that we’ve been making internally here for quite a while. Papers like the Rapid City Journal are profitable. They are still profitable. Last month, we were [...]
Editorials often contain strong opinions on timely local news of interest, and therefore can become a lightning rod for discussion within a community. But those who disagree with a newspaper’s editorial seldom resort to the sort of anger apparently exhibited in Mitchell with our friend Korrie Wenzel:
Surgeon threatens Mitchell editor
A [...]
