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6A Daily News – Friday, January 24, 2014 Opinion Clarifying the comics changes DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes letters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submitted will be considered for publication. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong community newspaper is essential to a strong community, creating citizens who are better informed and more involved. The Daily News will be the indispensible guide to life and living in Tehama County. We will be the premier provider of local news, information and advertising through our daily newspaper, online edition and other print and Internet vehicles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its communities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the residents and businesses of Tehama County. How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 I wrote about the changes to the comics page of the Daily News a few weeks ago, before the change was made, but there persist many misconceptions about why and how the changes were made. This business long ago cured me of the delusion that everyone will read every word I write, so I'm taking another stab at explaining the changes without being too repetitive. Here's a list of common misconceptions about the changes to the comics. 1) The changes were made by the editor, simply because he wanted to make them. In fact, the changes were made by the editors at several Northern California newspapers belonging to MediaNews Group. We all voted for the comics we wanted to keep and the top vote-getters appear on the page each day. The reason? It cost a lot of money for each newspaper to purchase individual comics and produce a unique page each day, even though much of our content was similar. As a group, we were able to negotiate better prices and the page is produced in a single location each day for all newspapers to use. 2) If enough of us complain, the Daily News will go back to the previous comics lineup. In fact, this transition took nearly a year of planning, negotiating and debate. We always welcome feedback, but it's unlikely any number of complaints will change the fact that cost reduction is a hard reality if your local newspaper is to survive. 3) The Daily News is just trying to make more profit. On the news side we're not supposed to concern ourselves with whether or not the newspaper is turning a profit. For the most part we do a good job of that, reporting the news regardless of how it might affect our bottom line. But it's hard to ignore a 65 percent reduction in staffing over the last five years, so when it comes to saving money on feature content, such as comics, we're happy to give a little if it means keeping a journalist on the street. 4) Everybody hates the new comics. In fact, you might be surprised by how many positive responses I've received about the new comics. The continental divide appears to be around late 50s, with younger readers really digging the newer artists and edgier humor. More senior readers prefer the tamer comics they are used to, those that represent the values they hold. I understand this, it's a dynamic that comes up almost daily in the newsroom. It's part of the dance we perform as we try to tai- much like an acquainlor content to attrtact tance who regularly tells younger readers without me he only subscribes to offending mature readthe paper for the obituarers. ies. Strange that any When it came to a time something in the major reset of the paper changes, that comics, we shot long to thing suddenly becomes put off the next reset. the sole reason some 5) My grandchildren readers subscribe. haven't seen Peanuts. We spend the majoriThis is a complaint I ty of our time and much hear from readers when of our budget gathering I justify dropping a strip and reporting local news because the artist has Chip and events because been dead for many years and every strip is a Thompson that's what we can do better than anyone else. rerun. As a guy who por- 545 Diamond We believe that's why most of you turn to the trayed Charlie Brown Ave. Daily News. in a community theater Anyone who production of Snoopy in Charles Schulz's adopted believes syndicated content such hometown of Santa Rosa — he as comics is enough to maintain showed up one night and I have a the circulation required to pay photo of him with the cast — I the bills is welcome to give it a understand the influence Peanuts shot. In the meantime, those who has had on many generations. At the same time, I have to venture onto the Internet can wonder where television would be find all of the old comics and if the networks had continued to more free each day at or rebroadcast episodes of the Ed news.yahoo.com/comics Sullivan Show 40 years after Sulli- gocomics.com. van's death? Schulz hasn't been Chip Thompson can be gone quite that long, but you get reached at 527-2151, Ext. 112 the point. by email at 6) I only take the Daily News or editor@redbluffdailynews.com. because of the old comics. Follow him on Twitter If this is you, I'm sorry. This is likely an exaggeration, @editorchip. Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 150 Amber Grove Drive, Ste. 154, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Jim Nielsen, 2635 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico, CA 95928, (530) 879-7424, senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; Email: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Doug LaMalfa 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-2253076. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Commentary Putting things in perspective For the die hard 49ers fans, the outcome of last Sunday's game against the Seahawks was hard to swallow. Although the Niners dominated the first half, the lead changed several times in the second half and we could see that the game would be coming down to the wire. Last year the Niners lost the Super Bowl in the last minutes because they could not score within yards of the goal. This year they could have scored in the waning moments only to have a Seahawk's defensive back intercept from the outstretched hands of our receiver Crabtree, who had the "best hands on the team" according to Coach Harbaugh. However, on a more personal level, I was able to put the game in perspective by recalling my visit, the day before the game, with a longtime friend rapidly failing in a local care facility. At first I did not recognize him. I had to check the name on the door to make certain I had the right room. He was curled in the fetal position, and non-responsive. Usually, after visiting an infirm friend, I would walk into the sunshine and feel a rush of euphoria in that I am still alive and well. This time all I could do was utter a curse, realizing that this was not the way either of us could have imagined the end of our friendship. *** With all the negative press regarding the advent of Obamacare, this paragraph from a TIME article titled 'Bitter pill" illustrates the complexities of insured health care. "There is no way anyone can figure out what they are buying without someone who has been trained sitting with them." The author of the article, Steven Brill, admits, "With interviews across the country with people who have signed up for Obamacare, I found no one who fully understood the benefits, the costs or, most important, the limits of what they were buying unless they were helped by agents or 'navigators'…enrollment assistants trained and certified by officials operating the exchanges." Moral to the story: Look and listen before you leap. There must be competent agents available even in our little town. *** Whereas new Pope Francis is getting rave reviews from believers and even non-believers, a recent pronouncement from Rome did not come from him but from a "top Catholic tsk. This is not the posture of a woman in the Church Angelologist" who, after an extensive White House that I envisioned and would champion. investigation, announced, *** "Angels exist, but do not have Last week's quiz asked wings and are more like readers to define the words shards of light," and contin"rod" and "staff" in the ues "these heavenly beings Lord's Prayer. A. Eaton was are now back in vogue thanks first in reporting that a "rod" to new age religions," or so is much like a club for protecsays Father Renzo Lavatori tion, and a "staff" is much — apparently this is his real like a crutch for support. He name…I did not make it up also rattled off the names of — during a conference on the Confederate states: Virangels. He further reports that Robert ginia, North and South Car"you do not see angels so olina, Georgia, Alabama, much as feel their presence. Mississippi, Tennessee, FloriThey are a bit like sunlight da, Arkansas, Texas and that refracts on you through a Louisiana. crystal vase." He concludes This week's quiz: What that angels are more needed than ever because "increasing secularization U.S, cities lay claim to the first computer, first and materialism in society have left an open skyscraper, first parking meter and first departdoor for the devil." Who would have thought ment store? *** that your new I Phone is a tool of the devil. As rancor in the House and Senate has He concludes with this startling conjecture: "Pope Francis talks more about the devil than caused some of us to lean toward the liberal perabout angels and I think rightly so. But it's still suasion, we must pause to consider the Tuesday early, he will get around to angels too." This columnist's pronouncement that "Liberals do not cherish the values of traditional families Lavatori bears watching. with a father and a mother, self-reliant people *** I must confess that I did not celebrate Martin earning and keeping the fruits of their labor, and Luther King Jr. Day in the prescribed manner. I a government limited to protecting constitutiondid not study his writings nor pray for him at a al rights." It kind of takes one's breath away to see how Baptist Church. I don't consider myself a bigot or racist, but it's just that I don't give him much far we have fallen from grace. *** thought on the other 364 days of the year… so A man trained his dog to fetch his newspawhy should I now? He undoubtedly did much to enhance the quality of life amongst Afro Amer- per. Realizing this pet potential, he outfitted icans. With that in mind, perhaps he is deserv- the pooch with a canvas knapsack, stuffed it with a $5 bill and a list, and sent him on his ing of a day of his own. way to the grocery store. Two hours later, he *** An article by David Von Drehle asks the went looking for him and found him in an question "Who can stop Hillary?" He refers of alley flirting with a female dog. "I did not course to Bill Clinton's wife, who is walking, expect this conduct from you Fido!" And Fido talking and acting like a duck running for the replied, "Well, I didn't have any money office of President of the U.S. Whereas I have before." been touting the benefits of a woman President Robert Minch is a lifelong resident of Red for several weeks now, I note the following paragraph in said article: "Clinton's public Bluff, former columnist for the Corning Daily record and interviews with current and former Observer and Meat Industry magazine and administration officials, reveals (Hillary) as a author of the "The Knocking Pen." He can be robust proponent of military intervention." Tsk, reached at rminchandmurray@hotmail.com. Minch I Say