Last Best News (https://montana-mint.com/lastbestnews/tag/billings-gazette/page/7/)
Longtime readers of the digital edition of the Billings Gazette will probably remember a particularly critical and crotchety commenter who, in any given week, used to leave dozens of screeds under various stories. (more…) Continue Reading →
At the beginning of a panel discussion on the future of the printed word Tuesday night, magazine editor Seabring Davis told the audience, “When you figure out what the current state of publishing is, please let me know.” (more…) Continue Reading →
This is too good to pass up: Jim Romonesko, the media blogger who rightly gave the Billings Gazette grief for getting all squeamish about posting the affidvait in the Jason Priest assault case, is now relaying more news about Lee Enterprises bonuses. It seems that the head carpenter at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, like the Gazette a Lee-owned newspaper, recently quit in disgust because of the $700,000 bonus award to CEO Mary Junck. First of all, what? A head carpenter? Continue Reading →
When I launched Last Best News on Feb. 1, one of my publicly stated goals was to get out and about in Eastern Montana as much as possible. Little did I know that winter, which had been bad enough even until then, would last so long and bring so much snow and cold. (more…) Continue Reading →
When I saw the news yesterday that Mary Junck, CEO of the newspaper chain that owns the Billings Gazette, had received another substantial bonus, I didn’t think I’d write anything. I mean, this is the news business, right? Mary Junck getting a substantial bonus for questionable work stopped being news a couple of years ago. I was also hesitant to say anything because I don’t want the scent of sour grapes hanging over Last Best News. As I have said before, I have few regrets about my nearly 25 years with the Gazette. Continue Reading →
Just when I thought the endless winter of 2013-14 was going to do me in at last, I was saved by a ray of sunshine from Butte, America. The sunshine was a story from the Montana Standard, published in the Billings Gazette, that was headlined: “Man accused of breaking into home, ordering porn — again.” (more…) Continue Reading →
Earlier this afternoon, I wrote about Billings Gazette editor Darrell Ehrlick’s decision not to print the charging documents in the assault case involving state Sen. Jason Priest, R-Red Lodge. (more…) Continue Reading →
The Billings Gazette is in the news, sort of, for Editor Darrell Ehrlick’s decision not to post court documents in the case of state Sen. Jason Priest, R-Red Lodge, who was charged with felony assault involving his child, his estranged wife and his wife’s boyfriend. (more…) Continue Reading →
Another Gazette colleague has joined the exodus. Jan Falstad’s last day was Friday and her final Have You Heard column — the last of some 840 columns — ran this morning on the Business page. Jan was a hell of a business reporter. She understood the nuts and bolts of finance and the stock market, but she was alive to the human aspect of every story, too. She made her column, which could have been a dry, narrow-interest feature, into a must-read piece that was one of the more popular parts of the Gazette week after week, year after year. Continue Reading →
I had to go to Harlowton to work on a story Thursday morning, on what turned out to be a glorious day for a drive. As everyone in this part of the world knows, it has been a very long winter, so long that I probably shouldn’t refer to it as if it were over. So to finally get a chance to drive on dry roads under blue skies and on one of my favorite Montana roads was an opportunity I was inclined to savor. (more…) Continue Reading →
