Freep out to lunch?

**daddeeo** · January-13-11, 03:09 PM

I was shocked when I had to go to page 15 to read about President Obama's
speech last night in Tucson.
Instead of being a front page story, it is buried to make way for new Michigan coach Brady Hoke. Hey I like football but I'm not for doing the hokey pokey on page one for a guy that hasn't won a game for them yet.
Besides, what the President had to say is a hell of a lot more important than anything Brady Hoke will say or have to say while coaching Michigan.
The Free Press hit a new low today. They're priorities are all screwed up.

**belleislerunner** · January-13-11, 03:20 PM

Really? Still haven't gotten enough of the shooting? I can understand if this was Sunday or Monday - but the shooting happened 5 days ago. Thousands of miles away. Have a little perspective. Even I'm getting sick of hearing about it.

**Planner3357** · January-13-11, 03:31 PM

I'm sick of hearing about 6 people who died. Yes it's horrible, but if six people got shot in a drive-by in Detroit, you wouldn't hear about it except locally....enough is enough...the president's loving the fact his approval rating went up at the cost of some American lives...

**old guy** · January-13-11, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by Planner3357

I'm sick of hearing about 6 people who died. Yes it's horrible, but if six people got shot in a drive-by in Detroit, you wouldn't hear about it except locally....enough is enough...the president's loving the fact his approval rating went up at the cost of some American lives...

I agree with the first part of your statement..... But the part about Obama seems a little harsh. You really believe that?

**Planner3357** · January-13-11, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by old guy

I agree with the first part of your statement..... But the part about Obama seems a little harsh. You really believe that?

I know it's harsh...but look, I don't trust the guy...I think he'll take anything he can get any way he can get it. Don't worry, his approval will fall again when everyone has forgotten about this..just like how everyone turned on Bush.
Everyone thinks he had such a nice speech...I don't think it was very genuine and seemed forced at times...he's not a very good actor...I will give him credit that he's a good orator, though.

Buy American · January-13-11, 03:54 PM

Too much hoopin', hollerin', and clappin' at the memorial service last night. This was a somber event and Obama took advantage of a terrible situation to bring his rating up a few notches. He got quite a bit of glory at the expense of the dead and injured as far as I'm concerned.

**old guy** · January-13-11, 03:56 PM

I actually turned it off before Obama took the stage. I thought it was supposed to be a memorial type service. Everybody kept cheering and applauding when someone took the stage or made a statement. Seemed kind of weird to me. Maybe I just didn't understand what was going on.

**Planner3357** · January-13-11, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by Buy American

Too much hoopin', hollerin', and clappin' at the memorial service last night. This was a somber event and Obama took advantage of a terrible situation to bring his rating up a few notches. He got quite a bit of glory at the expense of the dead and injured as far as I'm concerned.

Amen, if I hadn't had know it was a memorial service, I would of thought it was someone's campaign speech from the sound of the crowd.

**BrushStart** · January-13-11, 04:01 PM

Who reads the Free anymore for national or international news? There are so many better sources. I'm a fan of the NYT despite their political slant. All of Freep's stories are borrowed from the Associated Press anyways so it's not like you're getting something uniquely written in Detroit. The scope of investigative journalism at Freep and DetNews is totally limited to local stories. Anything beyond that, you're getting fed generic information that's available all over the web. Fact is, I prefer it that way. Let local papers focus on local coverage. I'm usually far more interested in what's happening in Detroit than I am in some politcal BS happening abroad.

**Novine** · January-13-11, 04:59 PM

"Amen, if I hadn't had know it was a memorial service, I would of thought it was someone's campaign speech from the sound of the crowd."

God forbid we recognize any of the people who saved lives that day or honor the memories of the people who passed by acknowledging the accomplishments in their lives. Nope, better to hold to some bizarre view of memorial services that they are only supposed to be somber and quiet.

**ja!mz** · January-13-11, 05:02 PM

I agree, the freep/news is the last place to get info on world/national events. Everyone is obssesed with college football here, look around you... if as much effort was put into fixing the areas problems as there was in college football issues we would be in better shape. I like the NYT as well even though the letters fall off the page to the left. As far as local news/info this site should be your first source.....

lincoln8740 · January-13-11, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by Novine

Nope, better to hold to some bizarre view of memorial services that they are only supposed to be somber and quiet.

What world do you live in? Better yet-- what memorial service have you been to that hasn't been somber and quiet?

**Det_ard** · January-13-11, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by lincoln8740

What world do you live in? Better yet-- what memorial service have you been to that hasn't been somber and quiet?

The Paul Wellstone Rally/Memorial?

**SaintMe** · January-13-11, 06:50 PM

I dunno, I think assassination attempts are kind of a big deal . . .

And of course it only took three posts for the thread focus to switch to political vitriol . . .

**Detroit500** · January-13-11, 06:52 PM

At least the News had a photo of it on the cover...

Then again the Freep has been out to lunch since Gannett purchased it in 2005.

lincoln8740 · January-13-11, 07:02 PM

Originally Posted by Det_ard

The Paul Wellstone Rally/Memorial?

Touche!!!!!!

citylover · January-13-11, 07:17 PM

is our societal failure regarding mental illness.There was an interesting op-ed in the wsj yesterday about this.Perhaps someone more net savvy than I can find and link it if interested.

The point being that this kind of tragedy happens every day because way back when we shit canned our mental health system and now there are many untreated psychotic people committing violence. We only know of the high profile incidents.

found it

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...=ITP_opinion_0

**MSUguy** · January-13-11, 07:17 PM

Originally Posted by lincoln8740

What world do you live in? Better yet-- what memorial service have you been to that hasn't been somber and quiet?

Ever been to a black funeral? Not all of them are, but my grandfather's funeral could've been described a celebration of life. That what I saw in Arizona and it was beautiful thing

**Gistok** · January-13-11, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by Novine

God forbid we recognize any of the people who saved lives that day or honor the memories of the people who passed by acknowledging the accomplishments in their lives. Nope, better to hold to some bizarre view of memorial services that they are only supposed to be somber and quiet.

Thanks for a voice of sanity Novine.... many of the same folks here would be bitching if he didn't show up for the funeral. They don't like him anyway.... so blah blah blah blah blah... always the same bitching....

I'm sure that the presidents presence was a sense of comfort for those who's lives have been shattered by this.

As for the rest of you... rather than bitching... you have a TV remote.... learn how to use it....

**fryar** · January-13-11, 07:27 PM

Not to get off-topic in this thread about the President's speech at the memorial/rally, but when it comes to the question of why the Freep would bury that deep within itself, I think Brushstart hit the nail on the head. Who buys the Freep to read about that? They're playing to their competitive advantage vis-a-vis the national newsmedia.

**Don K** · January-13-11, 11:30 PM

As a 30+-year resident of the Detroit area who moved here from the East Coast, I've always found the fixation of people [[especially people who've never been to Ann Arbor or East Lansing) here on college football to be truly bizarre. Maybe the football team makes enough profit [[despite the millions paid to the coach) to support other, less-popular, intercollegiate sports, but what in the world does that have to do with educating students? And what in the world makes Brady Hoke agreeing to receive said millions to come to Ann Arbor a front-page story compared to anything else going on in the Detroit area? Even if the competitive advantage of the Freep and News is in local news [[which I believe is true), isn't there anything going on with the new governor or new legislature or somewhere in Detroit that would outweigh a coach who hasn't coached a game for the Wolverines yet? Save the front-page coverage of sports news for an actual championship, please.

DetroitDad · January-14-11, 12:45 AM

National events could be made local by discussing how those events are affecting us locally. But together with a good national rag, I think there is potential there.

I used to buy it when it was $.50, but who actually carries a dollar in change with them anymore? The only time I buy a paper based on headlines [[impulse buy) is at the grocery store.

**ja!mz** · January-14-11, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Don K

As a 30+-year resident of the Detroit area who moved here from the East Coast, I've always found the fixation of people [[especially people who've never been to Ann Arbor or East Lansing) here on college football to be truly bizarre. Maybe the football team makes enough profit [[despite the millions paid to the coach) to support other, less-popular, intercollegiate sports, but what in the world does that have to do with educating students? And what in the world makes Brady Hoke agreeing to receive said millions to come to Ann Arbor a front-page story compared to anything else going on in the Detroit area? Even if the competitive advantage of the Freep and News is in local news [[which I believe is true), isn't there anything going on with the new governor or new legislature or somewhere in Detroit that would outweigh a coach who hasn't coached a game for the Wolverines yet? Save the front-page coverage of sports news for an actual championship, please.

..like I was sayin'...amen brother

**Carey** · January-14-11, 02:01 PM

The NYT is a fantastic paper, though kind of conservative. The two Detroit papers still have the biggest staffs of any news organization in Michigan. No one has been more critical of the local papers than the Metro Times' Jack Lessenberry, but even he has acknowledged in print that you can't be really well informed about metro Detroit unless you read one, or both, on a regular basis.

**daddeeo** · January-14-11, 02:29 PM

I have thrown in the towel on the local papers. If you want to be informed, you have to get the Times.
They often have stories about Detroit before they get explored in the local papers. That's pretty bad.
I'm a newspaper guy and it hurts to see how low the Freep has sunk.