Here’s an amazing Record Searchlight story to start your week.
Scene: Record Searchlight, last Monday afternoon. A Record Searchlight customer chats with the receptionist while waiting for some papers.
Details, details:The conversation happened many hours after the majority of north state media (Q97 FM Country radio, KRCR TV, Food for Thought, Pink Hollyhock, etc.) had already reported President George Bush would visit the north state. At the time of this exchange, the Record Searchlight still hadn’t posted anything on redding.com about Bush’s visit.
By the way: I’m not blaming RS reporters. I’m recognizing that many people have stopped giving the RS news tips. The result? The paper gets scooped (again). The editor looks clueless.
Finally, the story. The names of the customer (who emailed this story) and the RS receptionist have been removed:
” . . . I was in the front receptionist’s area of the Searchlight awaiting some paperwork from a customer service rep in the back. Happily, I was able to burn some of the time chatting with (the receptionist) while she multi-tasked and busied herself with clerical work. She was pasting legal notices to invoices to mail out to concerned parties.
“Out of sight, I hear a muffled voice, not a lot unlike the teacher from Peanuts (“Wa waah wah wah-wah wah”).
Receptionist: “I don’t know. (Addresses the customer): “Have you heard anything about President Bush visiting the north state this week?”
Customer: “Yes, actually. I heard he’s coming Wednesday and might make a public appearance in Trinity County.”
Receptionist: (To someone out of view) “He’s coming Wednesday and might make a public appearance in Trinity County.”
Peanuts teacher: “Wah wah-wah-wah”
Receptionist: (To the customer) “Where’d you hear that?”
Customer: “Kelly Brewer’s blog.”
Receptionist: “Kelly Brewer’s blog, Silas.”
Silas: (silence)
