Monday, September 22, 2003

posted 9/22/2003 09:13:00 AM by Daniel   0 comments

Sacramento Bee shoots its leg off

----- Original Message -----
From: Daniel Wiener
To: ombud@sacbee.com
Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2003 7:32 PM
Subject: Daniel Weintraub's blog

Dear Mr. Marcano,

I was shocked to read that the Sacramento Bee is now trying to reign in Daniel Weintraub's superb blog. Don't you people have the slightest clue?

Daniel Weintraub has become THE news guru for the current recall election because of his fast, insightful, leading-edge reports and analysis. EVERYONE who cares about the recall now stops at least once and often several times a day at his blog. He is constantly quoted in other stories throughout the Internet.

And because of Daniel Weintraub, the Sacramento Bee has seen its reputation and influence skyrocket. No other paper can compete in recall election coverage, including the Los Angeles Times.

At least that was the situation up until today. Now the Sacramento Bee has gone and shot its entire leg off with this idiotic decision. Mr. Weintraub's reports are likely to slow down, and all his readers will have to be concerned that he is either self-censoring his comments or (more likely) being censored by timid, politically-correct editors.

I sincerely hope that Mr. Weintraub finds himself another job and a newspaper that properly respects him. Then the Sacramento Bee will learn the hard way that it needed him much more than he needed it.

Sincerely yours,
Daniel Wiener