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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, August 22, 2008 Tough times remind of value of newspaper By Julie Muhlstein, Herald Columnist At an extraordinary gathering for a remarkable man, one of my co-workers got up and said he didn't feel sad when he first heard the news. That colleague, veteran Herald reporter Scott North, was among mourners who came to the microphone Tuesday at the Everett Civic Auditorium. The occasion, a sad one for each of us gathered there, was the funeral of Jim Leo. Leo, who retired from The Herald in 1997 and died last week at age 73, spent 38 of his 47 years here as an intrepid news photographer. It didn't matter the hour, Leo chased news around the clock. Decade after decade, he snapped images of fires, floods, newsworthy faces, accidents, anything and everything that happened around here. "Jim was a master of spot news," North told Tuesday's crowd. To scan that crowd, which included a who's who of Everett leaders, police and fire officials, was also to take a trip back in Herald time. Those of us who've worked here many years saw old friends, retired editors, former and current bosses, all connected by time spent at this newspaper. When North began his comments by saying he hadn't felt sad, we understood what he meant. As sad as we all are for Leo's family and for the loss of an incomparable life, we can only smile at the memory of that life -- so happily, professionally and purposefully lived. This August has been a sad month at The Herald, and not only because of Leo's death or the huge hole left in the heart of our newsroom by the recent retirement of longtime reporter Jim Haley. As summer's most laid-back month was about to begin, we suffered a shock in the form of "An apology to readers." The front-page article, published July 31 and signed by Herald Executive Editor Neal Pattison, was an awful but absolutely necessary announcement. A June piece by Herald sports columnist John Sleeper included passages taken from a column by Sports Illustrated writer Rick Reilly. In an apology that spoke powerfully of The Herald's commitment to earning and maintaining community trust, Pattison wrote: "It is never acceptable to take credit for work that is not our own." And never had I imagined I'd be reading in my newspaper -- your newspaper -- an apology for plagiarism. On Aug. 7, Sleeper announced his resignation. On the following Sunday, Aug. 10, Sleeper's final column conveyed deep regret, and more. He wrote of job pressures, difficulty writing, fitful sleep and discomfort in a high-profile role. All of that rang a too-familiar bell with me. What was utterly foreign, and I'm certain I speak for every writer here, was Sleeper's "mistake," plagiarism. A sad, sad episode in one talented man's career brought dark days to all of Sleeper's colleagues. For a long, long time, we'll be sad for him, for our readers and for the damage he did to The Herald's reputation. Wednesday, the day after Leo's funeral, brought more sobering news. Here, we knew it the day before Herald readers read it in their Business section: "Herald restructures, cuts 10 jobs." Compared to massive layoffs at General Motors or in any number of troubled industries, 10 people losing their jobs doesn't sound like all that many. Those 10 people are your neighbors and mine. Add those 10 to the thousands of people who have lost jobs recently at newspapers all across this country. The sum? It's a big worry for all of us closely watching how changed reading habits, the economic downturn and declining revenue are affecting our livelihood. With so much sadness at work, I had the pleasure Thursday of speaking at a lunchtime meeting of the Arlington Rotary. There, I shook hands with lots of people who read and rely on The Herald every day. It was good, so good, to hear it. And since Jim Leo died, I have read and reread an e-mail message from reader Connie Hajek, who wrote in thanks for the Leo photographs published in The Herald Aug. 14. "My favorite is the Lincoln's homecoming," Hajek wrote. "This was a great day as my son was coming home from his first deployment aboard the carrier. A day I'll not forget." Thanks for the reminder, Ms. Hajek. Even in a sad month at The Herald, it's not about us. Columnist Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460 or muhlstein@heraldnet.com.

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