Steve writes:

Did we overplay Knievel, not just today but since his death? (As one editor remarked this morning, it would have been an easier call had Gore jumped the Snake River Canyon in a rocket sled.)

A mild-mannered question here. Does anyone besides me think that Gore might not have had the guts to ride a jet-powered bike over the Snake River Canyon?

I don't think it was guts, but a lack of reasoning on Evels' part...he never made it across the gorge!

Let's put it this way - - assuming that there is a functioning human civilization 200 years from now, who will recognize the name "Evel Knievel" other than his family and obscure trivia hounds? And how many science books and history books will discuss the global warming crisis of the 21st Century? How many of those books will discuss how Al Gore's involvement changed the entire world's political awareness of this looming crisis? (Which was the reason that Gore was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in the first place.)
Or to put it another way - - does Evel Knievel's passing risk a mass extinction of 1/3 of the earth's species - - and possibly the end of the human race?
The fact that you have to ask this question at all is another sad sign of the decline of American media.

The Evel Knievel action figure and motorcycle toy from my youth trumps the Al Gore bobblehead doll (the only one that never bobbles) any day of the week.

So I've been asking questions this morning but not weighing in myself.

I was OK putting Gore inside the A section. This was, after all, the formal ceremony. The bigger news was the announcement that he had won the award, which we played on Page 1.

I understand how some people feel we are still underplaying global warming. But I think a review of this year's papers would show it was the second-most frequent subject of our national/international report after Iraq.

(Now, I have to admit that I'm not quite fully on board the global warming bandwagon. I accept that it is happening and is having an adverse impact on climate and populations. But there are also cyclic changes that occur in the gloabal climate and I'm not sure the semi-hysteric political debate acknowledges the complexity of the science.)

Meanwhile, I have to say that, personally, I wasn't much of an Evel Knievel fan. It was another case of making a hero out of a guy who had, to be fair now that he's dead, certain character and behaviorial issues.

In a better news week, I doubt that, Evel would have had such a splash on our regional cover. In general, I prefer strong local news in that position.

steve

Steve, did you ever play with the Knievel toy? That thing alone should prompt you to place him on the front page in full glory.

glob,

You're on to something. This may be a generational issue for many.

By the time Evel showed up in Idaho for his jump, I was a five-year veteran reporter at The Register-Guard in Eugene, OR.

In fact, if I recall the timing, I was asssistant city editor at the time of the jump. My best friend in the newsroom was sent to Idaho to cover the event.

So I was probably a bit old for Evel action figures.

For those who were a bit younger, perhaps, Knievel was a more contemporary hero.

For me and my generation, I think the closest we came to daredevil heroes were the first two sets of astronauts. But we were pretty much done with the moon shots by the time Evel was biggest and us astronaut wannabes were already moving on.

steve

Several posters here have questioned the way newspapers do their placement of the news, from frontpage placements to inside pages, and why are global warming issues sometimes placed inside, rather than on the front page. It's a good issue to address, not so much for Mr X who is a just a reporter and not in charge or placement of his stories, but for posters here to discuss as T and J have done already at length.

In this regard, an editor of regional newspaper in the Northwest recently asked on his blog this question about Al Gore and Evil Knievel: "I took a call this morning from a loyal reader quite upset that we put Al Gore's Nobel prize ceremony inside the A section while giving Evel Knievel's funeral big display on the frontpage cover.
She challenged our sense of priorities and pleaded that we do more with global warming. Did we overplay Knievel, not just today but since his death? (As one editor remarked this morning, it would have been an easier call had Gore jumped the Snake River Canyon in a rocket sled.). What do readers think? Please comment."

A reader promptly wrote to the editor: "Let's put it this way - - assuming that there is a functioning human civilization 200 years from now, who will recognize the name "Evel Knievel" other than his family and obscure trivia hounds? And how many science books and history books will discuss the global warming crisis of the 21st Century? How many of those books will discuss how Al Gore's involvement changed the entire world's political awareness of this looming crisis? (Which was the reason that Gore was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in the first place.)....Or to put it another way - - does Evel Knievel's passing risk a mass extinction of 1/3 of the earth's species - - and possibly the end of the human race?
The fact that you have to ask this question at all is another sad sign of the decline of American media."

Then the editor weighed in with his reply: "I was OK with putting Gore inside the A section and Knievel on the cover. This was, the Nobel thing, after all, the formal ceremony. The bigger news was the announcement that he had won the award earlier in the year, which we placed on Page 1. I understand how some people feel we are still underplaying global warming.....(Now, I have to admit that I'm not quite fully on board the global warming bandwagon. I accept that it is happening and is having an adverse impact on climate and populations. But there are also cyclic changes that occur in the global climate and I'm not sure the semi-hysteric political debate acknowledges the complexity of the science.)..."

ANSWER TO STEVE: yes, global warming is real. wake up, sir.

With regard Global Warming and Editor Steve.. be mindful he had the temerity to raise the question of "Waterboarding" as a torture again.. as if there were still anyone of reasonable education and world knowledge/insight that could doubt that... Alice may live just round the corner.. gus

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

GUS

Very hubristic of you. I have an exquisite education that includes Stanford/PSU/BYU/CMU etc...No degree(yet)...but...will get that as soon as the kids are off to college.

GUS... I have a high IQ and I think Waterboarding is NOT TORTURE

Dear GUS...you are a good man who helps the homeless 4 times a week. I applaud that, but your declaration...

**"as if there were still anyone of reasonable education and world knowledge/insight that could doubt that... Alice may live just round the corner.. gus"**

You live in the world of "feelings"

I hate George Bush...But I am a warrior...a "Viking" if you will. I understand the warrior mind(I think). I have been stabbed and fought many times. Fighting is stupid unless and until someone attacks you first. Then you introduce them to the John Foster Dulles theory (Massive Retaliation)

WATERBOARDING IS PSYCHOLOGICAL
IT HURTS THEIR PSYCHE...NOT THE BODY

See you for the Wednesday feeding here in about an hour. I love you GUS, but keep in mind, just because somebody disagrees with you, does not mean they are less educated or worldly. I would invite you to sit down and take an IQ test with me. You are a doctor with all the education in the world. I am a college drop out...who has read thousands of books(Speed reader)

David Elton
GOP
"Former BUSH supporter"
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Al Gore will continue to provide news stories.

Evel Knievel is on his way to the pearly gates and would only make news if he drives that golden chariot through the firey gates of Hell on his way.

I would like to see Evel's will. I always wanted a nice leather motorcycle suit albiet without the tares and scratches.

BTW Mr. Elton if your for waterboarding, how about a nice demonstration for us in front of the S-R?

David, i gently disagree with you.. how does CTR equate with Water Boarding.. and being "Christian"...

I guess it to be a form of crucifixion .... slow painful and demeaning...

In truth, from sources here in Spokane and Internationally.. it has been proven that Torture does not really extract any information not otherwise accessible ...

Mr McCain is the source I trust in this... Look at the Photo above.. look at the youtube videos of waterboarding and then we can talk more about whether it's torture or not...

Wonder if Representative McMorris-Rodgers thinks/feels its torture or not>>?? she won't answer my email. perhaps she will yours.. let me know what she says.. gus..

Oh and you answered my question.. And it was a question not a statement.. therefore not defaming or taking anyone to task...
I'm glad at least one person answered the question.. no word from Casey, or J Grey, or David b, or Dave Laird yet on this one?
You are a person who has a reasonable education, and some world insight.. and yes you are in favor of waterboarding.. (I feel you may be not standing in a large crowd on this one, rather perhaps all by your self).... An Army Of One?? :))

But there are also cyclic changes that occur in the gloabal climate and I'm not sure the semi-hysteric political debate acknowledges the complexity of the science

The problem is that most of the media cover this as a political debate.

The relevant scientists are fully aware of the complexity and they're on "the bandwagon," by and large.

Steve,
I know you are busy and don't have time to reply to my comment above or my email. That's okay. But just wanted to tell you that you have now become a topic of interest at the New York Times, among some blog readers there, and they will soon be contacting you, politely, I am sure, about the reality of global warming. Don't worry, everyone is nice on that blog, and they just want to learn you a few things. Then you decide, one way or another. But Evil Knievel beats Gore for coverage? You got your priorities wrong, Steve, or maybe you are just trying to please your readers. THAT i understand. I used to work as a newspaper editor too. Cheers, and Merry Christmas!

Danny,

Good heavens, son, I'm not sure you read what I wrote very carefully. I didn't say I don't believe in global warming. I did say the political debate has become hysteric which oversimplifies and overwhelms the science.

I don't think that is a particularly controversial, or for that matter, arguable view. I thought it was rather nuanced, especially for a newspaper editor.

As to our priorities...again, I'm not sure you understand precisely what happened here. Kind of hard to do from the other side of the world, or even from New York.

Evel Knievel was a local story on our local news front. He was a local celebrity of sorts. Personally, I would have been happy with a lesser story and photo, but it was in the local section and it's a rare day (does cold day in hell work in the context of the global warming debate?) when Al Gore will make the local news front.

There was no decision -- no priority calculation-- that global warming was a lesser story than Evel Knievel. They were not in competition for news space. It was a matter of balancing the interest in one story in one section with the interest in another story in a different section. I thought the contrast pointed out by one reader was interesting and worth discussing.

And you might recall, we played Gore Page 1 when he was named the prize winner.

Here's a suggestion: Go to newseum.com, check out the archived front pages from around the country and around the world for Tuesday and let me know what you find. How many newspapers in the top 150 played the Gore ceremony on Page 1?

I think you'll find it a fascinating exercise.

steve