Category Archives: Joel’s J School

Sins of Mr. Warm

By Joel Thurtell [donation] I want to apologize to readers for dowsing them with the backwoods locutions and curious grammaticisms of my recent guest writer, Luke Warm. I had no idea Mr. Warm would wax on in such extraordinarily inappropriate … Continue reading

Posted in Joel's J School, People, Places | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Huntin fer Osamy

By Luke Warm Guest Writer [donation] Hey! Did I say Obama, nutcase? Negatory, good buddy. I did not. I done writ OSAMY. As in Al Qaidee. I’m not no John McCain, see, tryin to get our next Chief Executative assasserated … Continue reading

Posted in Joel's J School, People, Places | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Paperless Free Press?

By Joel Thurtell [donation] Did you know that the Detroit Free Press is now a news ORGANIZATION? It’s not a newsPAPER any more. Surprise! That object you’re reading with your morning coffee has gained three syllables. What’s going on? A … Continue reading

Posted in future of newspapers, Joel's J School | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Free Press: Hang ’em high!

By Joel Thurtell [donation} In one short story on page A17 in the July 15, 2008 issue of The New York Times, an out-of-state paper, managed to capture the essence of a Detroit judge’s ruling Monday, July 14, in the … Continue reading

Posted in Joel's J School, Kwamegate | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Free Press censors

By Joel Thurtell [donation] The big question in this whole Detroit Kwamegate scandal — the best entertainment we’ve had in decades — is this: How did Detroit Free Press sleuths Jim Schaefer and Mike Elrick get their hands on the … Continue reading

Posted in Joel's J School, Kwamegate, Unions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Detroit newspapers: Layoffs possible

By Joel Thurtell [donation] Operative word: “Layoffs.” Detroit Media Partnership has offered its latest buyout to members of eight unions representing workers at the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News, according to a letter to employees from Kristi Bowden, vice … Continue reading

Posted in future of newspapers, Joel's J School, Unions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sugar-coating the buyout

By Joel Thurtell It’s hard for newspapers to cover their own industry. It’s even harder for them to report news about their own newspaper. Maybe that’s an excuse the Detroit Free Press could trundle out for running today’s (July 7, … Continue reading

Posted in future of newspapers, Joel's J School, Unions | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Right after all

By Joel Thurtell   News in late June that the Detroit Free Press will print its last editions of the Community Free Press on Aug. 1 stunned the reporters, editors, photographers and myriad freelancers who’ve diligently worked to make those … Continue reading

Posted in future of newspapers, Joel's J School, Unions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fourth of July revery

By Joel Thurtell What if we lived in a country where companies could ban employees from voting? How democratic would that be? Well, it hasn’t happened. But it could. And there is an industry where political activity already is looked … Continue reading

Posted in Joel's J School | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cart before the nag: Kwame’s innocent until…

By Joel Thurtell Reading the Detroit Free Press, you’d think Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was already behind bars, convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice in the text message scandal. Maybe that’s where the paper’s staffers would like him to … Continue reading

Posted in Joel's J School, Kwamegate | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment