Subject: Re: Wrong Again
From: feldie@gmail.com
Date: March 17, 2009 10:01:53 AM PDT
To: dshelton@seattletimes.com
Cc: bcondotta@seattletimes.com, artthiel@seattlepi.com, dboardman@seattletimes.com, lespinoza@seattletimes.com, jvesely@seattletimes.com, jfisch@seattletimes.com, breader@seattletimes.com, jimmoore@seattlepi.com
That’s cool. I won’t be reading the Seattle Times Sports section again. As a reader, I don’t have to be told off and given lame excuses in a most unprofessional way by an insecure editor and journalist that can’t get his facts right.
Long live the eP-I!!!!
Scott
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Why would I send such an email? And why would I cc most of the known Seattle newspaper editors and sports columnist?
Well, anytime HallRo agrees with my actions, I know I’ve done good.
This email is an outcome of customer service gone wrong. So anyone who deals with clients and/or customers, please take note, this is a lesson on what not to do.
It started – believe it or not – the day before prior to the last P-I print edition. I read an article in the Seattle Times that once again appeared to contained incorrect info. Mistakes have been a consistent theme this year in Huskies basketball articles. I sent the following email to the journalist and cc’d sport@seattletimes.com pointing out the mistake:
Subject: Wrong Again
Date: March 16, 2009 10:06:26 AM PDT
Sorry to have to call you out . . . but there has been wrong info in articles about UW basketball consistently, especially over the past few weeks.
The Bulldogs are 23-12. It wouldn’t bother me if this was just a singular mistake. But the Times has been pretty consistent in reporting facts such as records, score, etc incorrectly. It is usually the P-I that reports accurate information, that informs me of the Times repeated mistakes.
Man, I am going to miss the P-I if this is the type of inaccurate reporting I can expect from the Times.
Scott
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I was responded to near immediately by the journalist. He was rude and defensive in his response, but as it turns out, he was not factually wrong. He had listed Mississippi State REGULAR Season record, and did not include the 4 additional wins collected during the SEC tournament.
No biggie. Poor writing that created confusion. I figured we could leave it at that.
But NO . . . the journalist had to email back with a parting shot:
“You may have a point but in the interest of space — I don’t have unlimited room — I figured most people could figure that out.”
I sent a final response figuring we were done:
Subject: Re: Wrong Again
Date: March 16, 2009 10:30:01 AM PDT
In the interest of space, I don’t think that last sentence was necessary.
I will be enjoying the articles by Percy Allen and Dan Raley in the future.
Good luck.
Scott
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The Fucker wrote me back with more excuses and explanation. A journalist this insecure is not worth reading, so I gave him the last word. I was finished with the exchange . . . . so I thought.
7 hours later Don Shelton – the Dick Shine Sports Editor for the Times – decides to join the exchange (This is an exact copy of his email. Please take note of the so called English used in his response and remember this is an editor):
From: dshelton@seattletimes.com
Subject: RE: Wrong Again
Date: March 16, 2009 6:07:55 PM PDT
Scott,
Not sure what you’re referring to, because our stories all said the
Bulldogs are 23-12. Condotta’s story mentioned that their record during
the regular season, so many be that confused you.
As far as the P-I goes, I’ll put our accuracy, reporting, editing and
just about anything else you want to compare anytime. By almost any
measure – national, regional awards won, number of mistake in their
section and of course the circulation of those two papers, 200,000 to
120,000.
Don
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I conceded. Dick Shine Don’s email was convincing, so I responded with email stating such, figuring that would put an end to this nonsense:
Subject: Re: Wrong Again
Date: March 16, 2009 6:23:28 PM PDT
Don’t worry. I’ll never report when I think a fact is wrong again.
The Times is fucking amazing. LONG LIVE THE TIMES!!!!!!!!!!
Scott
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Apparently Don was not satisfied with his victory and my concession:
From: dshelton@seattletimes.com
Subject: Re: Wrong Again
Date: March 16, 2009 6:25:56 PM PDT
Not sure what you’re talking about. We weren’t wrong in this case.
Not saying we’ve never made a mistake – no newspaper can say that – but
I think you have blinders on when it comes to the P-I.
Don
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At about the same time Dick Shine Don sent this email, about 200 P-I staffers had just submitted their final alcohol-soaked articles, columns, and stories for the last P-I print edition deadline and were heading to Buckley’s to soak their sorrows in beer and liquor. Since Don showed no respect for people in his own profession, I figured I could show the same lack of respect for staffers on the Times:
Subject: Re: Wrong Again
From: scott.feldman@gmail.com
Date: March 16, 2009 7:38:05 PM PDT
To: dshelton@seattletimes.com
Bcc: artthiel@seattlepi.com
Art Thiel v Steve Kelley and Jerry Brewer. Are you freaking kidding me.
Maybe Kelley and Brewer could carry Thiel’s jockstrap . . . if they both lifted at the same time together (Do we do it on three? . . . Or one, two, three, then do it?)
Scott
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Well Dick Shine Don – in his relentless way – decides to disregard common sense, compassion for his fellow newspaper people, and any sense of current event, let alone professionalism, and decides to respond that next morning:
From: dshelton@seattletimes.com
Subject: RE: [SPAM] Re: Wrong Again
Date: March 17, 2009 9:44:17 AM PDT
Hey, Scott.
I wouldn’t hire Art Thiel. Good guy but I think he has gotten soft. He
actually brags about not writing deadline columns any more and that’s
the justification he used for not writing the next day when Griffey
signed with the Mariners. As a sports editor, my columnists need to
write and react to the day’s news, not wait a day or two and write when
it’s convenient for them.
Don
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Well, I figured there was only one way to handle such a Jackass. Please read my email at the top of this article.
And I am proud to say I have not read the Seattle Times again – not in print nor in pixel.
