Crush Liberalism

Ambulance chaser sues newspaper for budget and staff cutbacks

From Raleigh, NC:

A News & Observer subscriber is suing the newspaper for cutting staff and the size of the paper.

Keith Hempstead, a Durham lawyer, filed the suit last month in Wake Superior Court. He says he renewed his subscription in May just before the paper announced on June 16 the layoffs of 70 staff members and cuts in news pages.
…
“I hate to see what companies that run newspapers are doing to the product,” Hempstead said. “The idea that taking the most important product and reducing the amount of news and getting rid of staff to me seems pointless to how you should run a newspaper business.”

And what, pray tell, does this moron know about running a business?  Little did I know that it was a violation of one’s civil rights for a business to trim its expenses in order to stay afloat.  I learn something new every day.

The editor of the paper has a funny retort:

John Drescher, executive editor of The News & Observer, said he’s glad that Hempstead is a loyal reader and that the N&O has meant so much to him.

“We’ve had some really good papers recently, and they’re worth more than the 36 cents a day that Mr. Hempstead is paying us,” Drescher said.

“In fact, he owes me money,” Drescher continued. “So when he gets a lawyer, he can work with my lawyer and figure out how much he’s going to pay me for the excellent coverage he’s been getting recently.“ 

Heh.

July 11, 2008 - Posted by crushliberalism | ambulance chasers, bizarre