The Opinion Blog

W. Horace Carter, 1921-2009

Friday's editorial mourns the passing of one of this area's most courageous journalists.

"There is no media so insignificant that it cannot cast a big shadow when it is right. And we were right."

- W. Horace Carter, publisher of the Tabor City (N.C.) Tribune

Palin vs the media?

Does the national media really hate Sarah Palin? Or is their relationship a little more complicated?

Life for dc after Opinion Blog, newspapers

Friends: I may be retiring from The Sun News at the end of this week, but that doesn't mean my journalistic work life is over. I'll probably be doing something of an ink-stained-wretch nature (even if the "ink" is pixels) -- but I don't yet know what that will be or when I'll be doing it. I have found it impossible both to wind up my job at the newspaper, and as proprietor of Opinion Blog, and to plan for the future. My poor brain just won't allow it.

THE FUTURE OF OPINION BLOG: A report

Friends: Today begins my last week as The Sun News editorial page editor -- and as the proprietor of Opinion Blog. Beginning next week, the reporter whom management has designated to write editorials in my stead, Robert Morris, will also begin writing Opinion Blog.

Robert is well suited to this week, as he's keenly interested in the world, writes well and has a sharp wit. And because he's young enough to be my son, he will bring a more youthful perspective to the work -- which I am sure some of you will find refreshing.

I've enjoyed running the blog the past two years and will miss regular interaction with blog participants. I wish you all the best.

dc

Octomom milks 'earnings' from publicity cash cow

Ripped from the wires ... Mitch Albom exposes the evils of economic development via multiple births:

By Mitch Albom

It's not this Octomom that scares me. It's the next one.

And if you don't think there'll be a new lineup of women having ridiculous numbers of babies in hopes of snagging money, a house and -- most of all -- national attention, then you haven't been watching.

You'll miss newspapers more than you think

Ripped from the wires ... Kathleen Parker envisions the post-newspapers world and finds it scary:

 By KATHLEEN PARKER
 
BOSTON -- The biggest challenge facing America's struggling newspaper industry may not be the high cost of newsprint or lost ad revenues, but ignorance stoked by drive-by punditry.

Yes, Dittoheads, you heard it right.

'Personal reflections from a weary writer'

From the morning e-mail ... A long time observer of the S.C. political scene laments the downward spiral of formerly good newspapers:

By Bob McAlister

This is personal, as in "It is 4:30 on Wednesday morning and I haven't been able to sleep because it is worrying me so" personal. Got to get it off my chest. Two things happened yesterday that I can't shake.

Editorial/Opinion Blog post goes national

In case you missed it ... CNN.com's Political Ticker picked up Friday's "Errant McCain tweet" post:

CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - McCain’s tweet not sitting well with one newspaper « - Blogs ..

 

dc

Challenge Rush but don't belittle him

Ripped from the wires ... 'Strange bedfellow' Susan Estrich, a former Democratic political operative, rises to the defense of Rush Limbaugh:

By SUSAN ESTRICH

He talks for hours every day. He gets paid to talk. Just talk. Doing it well is no small thing; witness the number of people who have tried to be him, or be the NOT-him, and failed.

Newspapers' decline catches up with dc

Friends: I just wanted to alert you that last week's discussion on the condition of newspapers has hit home in a more personal way than I imagined. My job is one of 20 that The Sun News leadership eliminated this week, in a desperate attempt to feed the McClatchy Company's cost-control needs. I'll continue working -- and presiding over Opinion Blog -- through May 2, after which I will retire.