Cub Reporter

Rev. David P. Mumm [pictured at the lower left], formerly of Des Moines, sent this e-mail:

Hi Ron,

I thought you might enjoy this:

Cub Reporter

The newspaper editor was instructing the cub reporter in important details of his calling.

"Never state as a fact anything you are not absolutely sure about," said the editor. "To avoid putting the paper in the position of stating something which it may not be able to prove, you should always use the words 'alleged,' 'claimed,' 'reputed,' 'rumored,' and so on, unless you know positively that everything is true as stated.

The cub was sent out to get society items, and soon thereafter the following paragraph appeared in the society column:

"It is rumored that a bridge party was given yesterday by a number of reputed ladies. Mrs. Smith, it is said, was hostess. The guests, it is alleged, with the exception of Mrs. Brown, who says that she comes from Illinois, were all local people. Mrs. Smith claims to be the wife of Alexander Smith, who is rumored to be doing a thriving business in town."

David P. Mumm, M.Div.
Senior Pastor
Concordia Lutheran Church
Machesney Park, IL 61115
Office Phone: 815-633-4983


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Someone who isn't a cub reporter is the talented John Carlson, the veteran Des Moines Register columnist.

I heard from another guy in the newspaper business who relayed a rumor that Carlson was considering taking a buyout like Ken Fuson and Jerry Perkins did at the Register.

The paper has been ordered by the parent Gannett Co. to whittle its staff by 12 or 13 people. Fuson, an outstanding feature writer, and farm editor Perkins made it easier for management by offering to take buyouts.

The rumor I heard is that Carlson considered doing it, too, but later changed his mind.

I'll check with John the next time I see him.

I'm glad he decided to stay, and I hope he is, too.

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Still no mention in Biz Buzz about the departures of Fuson, Perkins, Jane Norman and the rest of the Register newsroom people.

The departures made the online national journalism news, but evidently mum's the word in the Register on who's leaving, and why.

Shame on the paper.

Terrible reporting and terrible customer relations.

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Speaking of terrible, how ridiculous is it that the so-called restaurant reviews in the Register's Datebook supplement don't include some sort of rating?

To simply say that it was the reviewer's preliminary visit, so that's why there's no rating, doesn't cut it with me.

It's a no-guts way to review something.

Then again, what should we expect in this era when most newspaper people are running scared?

One day a reporter can be rewriting press releases, the next day she's out on the street.

Ask Jane Norman about that.

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More blockbuster stuff on today's sports pages.

Postcards from Beijing by Bryce Miller continues to be riveting reading.

I figure those people spending 75 cents a day for the paper can't wait to pick up their papers and see that sort of clever writing every morning.

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I mentioned Dr. Paul Meier [pictured at the right] in one of my columns recently. He's the 78-year-old marvel of a guy who spoke all of last week at the Lutheran family camp at Okoboji.

Meier is the professor of ancient history at Western Michigan University, and is a second vice-president of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod.

He's also a prolific author.

He has written historical fiction and non-fiction booka, and he also writes children's books. Indeed, he was working on a book during the week he was at Okoboji.

His historical fiction include the No. 1 national best-seller in religious fiction, "A Skeleton in God’s Closet."

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My friend George Wine of Coralville has more on his mind than Iowa's football team these days.

He sent along a bunch of great squirrel-and-dog photos -- one of which is printed at the top of this column. Someone probably sent them to him.

I like squirrels and I like little dogs, so I really like the pictures George sent.

For a while, it got my mind off the crap going on at the paper these days.