AJC bans the word "SPRAWL" (Atlanta, Buckhead: appointed, apartments)

[Newsboy]

Another disturbing expose on the shockingly swift demise of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, this time via Creative Loafing, which also reports that recently, reporters and editors were directed NOT to use the word “sprawl” in any more news stories, to avoid offending suburban readers that the paper is so desperately trying to court:

And, by an internal decree that smacks of editorial sycophancy, reporters are now forbidden from using the word "sprawl" and other terms that seem to cast judgment on the suburban way of life. The paper has even appointed a "bias editor" to ferret out even the unwitting inclusion of a turn of phrase that might cause offense to Northside readers.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE:

'Burbs or bust: The AJC has left Atlanta | Cover Story | Creative Loafing Atlanta

[johnatl]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

Another disturbing expose on the shockingly swift demise of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, this time via Creative Loafing, which also reports that recently, reporters and editors were directed NOT to use the word “sprawl” in any more news stories, to avoid offending suburban readers that the paper is so desperately trying to court:

And, by an internal decree that smacks of editorial sycophancy, reporters are now forbidden from using the word "sprawl" and other terms that seem to cast judgment on the suburban way of life. The paper has even appointed a "bias editor" to ferret out even the unwitting inclusion of a turn of phrase that might cause offense to Northside readers.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE:

'Burbs or bust: The AJC has left Atlanta | Cover Story | Creative Loafing Atlanta

WOW! This is absolutely insane. I thought that koko339 just added that bit in for comic emphasis when he posted the new cover story from CL.

They have gone beyond clueless at this point.....

[AcidSnake]

I can't really blame the AJC for trying to appeal to the older & more established suburban/conservative crowd. This segment obviously has the most money, and this segment will not be as wired-up as the younger generation, so they will still be buying some newspapers.

The real question is whether or not it is still possible to agitate for progressive politics & forward-thinking while being able to make a profit at the same time. For the moment, all signs point to no.

[johnatl]

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

I can't really blame the AJC for trying to appeal to the older & more established suburban/conservative crowd. This segment obviously has the most money, and this segment will not be as wired-up as the younger generation, so they will still be buying some newspapers.

The real question is whether or not it is still possible to agitate for progressive politics & forward-thinking while being able to make a profit at the same time. For the moment, all signs point to no.

Not sure if you checked out the full article in CL, but you should. What a HUGE eye-opener about their new approach.

[DTL3000]

That kind of sucks. The AJC used to be a decent paper, one of the tops in the country. Now it's practically unreadable.

I have found it strange how CL has always been attacking the AJC the past few years though. Ever since the AJC put out the free Access Atlanta weekly a good while back CL has been relentless. I don't know why they ride them so hard because their readership barely overlaps. I don't consider CL a source for local news. Sure they do occasionally cover local politics and print eye-opening investigative articles(at least they used to) but they've always been more about the local entertainment scene to me. They've been on the decline for a while too. It's kind of sad to see it happen. I've been reading CL since I was in middle school.

I think the Sunday Paper has them worried as well.

[SacalaitWhisperer]

Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn't mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar.

Good night, and good luck.
E Murrow


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To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; credible we must be truthful.

[koko339]

Lol I wish I had been kidding.
How is the AJC supposed to have a meaningful dialogue about the Atlanta metro without mentioning sprawl? And the liberals are the ones accused of being too sensitive...
I love the CL but it too has declined in recent times. Not that the quality of reporting has gone down, there's just not as much to it as there used to be. I still have a few issues saved from a few years ago and it's amazing how thick it once was. The Sunday Paper is OK, but I prefer CL. If anything Sunday Paper seems a little more attuned to OTP'ers, but maybe it's just me.

[DTL3000]

Originally Posted by koko339

Lol I wish I had been kidding.
How is the AJC supposed to have a meaningful dialogue about the Atlanta metro without mentioning sprawl? And the liberals are the ones accused of being too sensitive...
I love the CL but it too has declined in recent times. Not that the quality of reporting has gone down, there's just not as much to it as there used to be. I still have a few issues saved from a few years ago and it's amazing how thick it once was. The Sunday Paper is OK, but I prefer CL. If anything Sunday Paper seems a little more attuned to OTP'ers, but maybe it's just me.

In my opinion CL has drifted more and more to the left. It has always been liberal of course but it's starting to acquire a hipster smugness that's beginning to turn me off. It seems like it has taken the simplistic stance that anything OTP is backwards or not as "cool" as anything downtown. It also seems like the writing and the topics they write on have degraded a bit too in my opinion. It's like they are trying to appeal to a younger, less sophisticated demographic. Maybe I'm just getting old...

I've always thought the Sunday Paper was geared more towards the Buckhead crowd. It has gotten much better than it was.

[koko339]

Originally Posted by DTL3000

In my opinion CL has drifted more and more to the left. It has always been liberal of course but it's starting to acquire a hipster smugness that's beginning to turn me off. It seems like it has taken the simplistic stance that anything OTP is backwards or not as "cool" as anything downtown. It also seems like the writing and the topics they write on have degraded a bit too in my opinion. It's like they are trying to appeal to a younger, less sophisticated demographic. Maybe I'm just getting old...

I've always thought the Sunday Paper was geared more towards the Buckhead crowd. It has gotten much better than it was.

Ok yeah I'll give you that. Sunday Paper reminds me of the late 20s/early 30s UGA/Tech grad Buckhead crowd and CL is more alternative teenager to aging hippy eastern intown neighborhood scene. Sure CL veers to the left most of the time, but some of us in this state would like that option lol - at least we don't have to feel completely alone. I'll admit I haven't picked up a SP in a while, but I'll be more willing to give it a try now that AJC is officially swirling around the drain. Gotta have my periodicals

[BringBackCobain]

I read CL mostly to get development news that you could never hear from the AJC. They also have good articles about ITP-related issues like crime and gentrification - a good example being the story they did on the Boulevard Apartments.

However, they are so far left, almost to the point of absurdity. Its not really the communist political views they push that annoy me as much as the radical social agenda. It would be nice if I didn't have to see a picture of some drag queen playing softball or an article complaining about the lack of transgender bathrooms every time I went to their website.

As for sprawl, I don't see why using that term would bother someone living in the suburbs. If it wasn't for sprawl they wouldn't be enjoying their suburban lifestyle. Seems pretty ridiculous to ban its use altogether.