I may have been too generous in noting the Trib’s courage for taking my criticism. I only found out about the Trib’s publishing my letter this morning when Charley Korsch called to tell me that Pasek Drug was continuing on.
I was waiting for the paper version of the Trib to show up today and it never did. By the time I called circulation they weren’t answering the phone. The evening version of my letter deleted any reference to Pasek Drug and that was good. What I noticed missing and now believe never made it into print was my hard comparison of the Trib and the Budgeteer and my observation that Forum Communications owns both. I suspect they cut it because they don’t like drawing attention to their investor’s monopoly ownership of both of Duluth’s biggest newspapers.
Here’s the beginning of the letter I submitted to them.
“So, the Duluth News Tribune thinks Falk’s Pharmacy can compete with Duluth’s fourth Walgreen’s Store. Golly, the Trib just ran a story about the closing of Pasek Drugs. If the Trib doesn’t bother reading the Trib why should Duluthians? Without the Associated Press the Trib would have less to report than Fargo Communication’s other Duluth acquisition the Budgeteer.”
They also softened the beginning of the third paragraph by adding the phrase: “better at.” I was more blunt: “If the Trib practiced journalism. . .”
No wonder editors irritated Twain so.
