Indiana Company Ignores Ongoing Crisis And Pays

There may not be too many outside of southern Indiana/Louisville (and OSHA) who have heard of Jeffboat. "We are an industry leader in marine design and construction for both inland and ocean service vessels, offering custom barge design and manufacturing. (http://www2.aclines.com/site/division-manufacturing/)
Cool! A good company that hires lots of people. So then why is it so often in a crisis mode?

"The death of a Jeffboat employee in August has led to nine federal safety violations that could cost the Jeffersonville, Ind., ship-building company $119,00 in fines. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it issued the citations Wednesday. They bring the total violations for the company to 46 since May 2010, when two other employees were killed about a week apart. OSHA said it has conducted five inspections at the company since May 2010." (http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012302160050)
 
OSHA said some citations were listed as “willful,” meaning the company disregarded laws and regulations with indifference to worker safety. "Those included failing to properly assemble and install equipment used to operate transfer cars, possibly allowing moisture to corrode equipment and cause it to malfunction, and allowing employees to continue to use electrical parts that may have been corroded."

"Kim Durbin, a spokeswoman for American Commercial Lines Inc., Jeffboat’s parent company, said Thursday that the company is reviewing the citations. 'Jeffboat is fully committed to protecting the health and safety of our employees,' Durbin said, adding that American Commercial Lines would 'look forward' to working with OSHA in addressing any safety concerns.

"Look forward" to working with OSHA? My 80-year-old mother doesn't believe that.
 
"Jeffboat had also been cited by OSHA after two deaths in May 2010 and fined about $53,000. Kent David Martin, 44, of Corydon, died after he fell about 25 feet from a ladder into a cargo tank on a barge. About a week earlier, Robert Harrison Jr., 50, of Louisville, fell about 20 feet from a deck of a barge as he was trying to step around a 24-inch fan placed on a narrow walkway."

Here's a company with problems. Those problems may be operational or perceptual. It doesn't matter to the community or investors. The crisis needs a fix. Nothing on Jeffboat's website suggests it has seen the light. (http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=192936&p=irol-irhome) A crisis plan, complete with legally blessed statements to the media, would have been a big help.

Jimmy John's At Least Should Be Telling Us It Is Doing The Right Thing About Contaminated Sprouts

Feel free to read the comments to my February 16 blog post about E. coli being traced back to Jimmy John's sprouts.

The first said, in part, "I think its his lack of response to the owners of his franchizes. They knew about this for days, and did not tell an owner to feb 16th. I received a call at 8am from my business coach and was told to say that we just ran out of sprouts. That's not right."

Another comment read (sorry for the spelling), "Jimmy john business coach called where calling stores telling managers to say they ran out of sprouts instead of telling the consumers the truth. When I wrote this on his facebook page because the company always stresses integredy, my post was deleted. He has a history of bad public relations when something like this happens."

My post was critical of Jimmy John's for having no comment to reporters or on its website. I also received a comment that said, "My business coach told me to remove all sprouts from my stores yesterday morning (2/16/12). At 5:20pm EST yesterday, I received an email from Jimmy saying that he was done with sprouts and that they would be permanently removed from the menu.

"So, Dan Hicks - Ralph Nader wannabe, JJ's unwillingness to comment yesterday morning kinda set you off, didn't it? So now you're going to change the world by bringing down Jimmy Johns, is that it? Do you realize how difficult it is for a chain of over 1000 stores to get on the same message at the exact same time?...

"You wrote, 'Sprouts are causing a crisis for Jimmy John's, and the company and its most loyal customers are ignoring it.' Funny, JJs didn't ignore it if they pulled sprouts from all their stores yesterday before announcing a permanent removal from the menu. JJs just ignored you."

Please tell me: If Jimmy John's Sprouts were responsible for three food poisoning outbreaks in recent years, why would Jimmy John's not tell consumers that it was permanently pulling sprouts from its sandwiches? Don't you think consumers would be interested in that news? That should be a good-news story: Sandwich company eliminates sprouts because it cares about the safety of its customers. Instead, it apparently lies to its franchises and pretends there's nothing wrong in sandwichland.

I'm sticking to my original analysis on Thursday: "The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that 12 cases of E. coli poisoning in five states are linked to raw clover sprouts eaten at Jimmy John's restaurants. The outbreak comes a year after raw alfalfa sprouts from one of the chain's suppliers were linked to 140 salmonella illnesses. Sprouts from the chain's suppliers were also linked to a 2009 salmonella outbreak in several Midwestern states and were suspected in an E. coli outbreak in Boulder, Colo. in 2008.... Illinois-based Jimmy John's declined to comment on the outbreak."  (http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/safety/story/2012-02-16/Tainted-sprouts-again-linked-to-Jimmy-Johns/53114120/1)

Why won't Jimmy John's admit to the problem (caused by suppliers) and boldly announce it is doing away with sprouts on its sandwiches? That's so much better than lying or keeping franchisees in the dark.

Crises Can Keep Many Involved Away From Their Other Work

I was doing a little re-read of Bob Irvine's book, When You Are the Headline (Published 1987 by Dow Jones-Irwin). Bob is the founder of the Institute for Crisis Management, where I serve as a senior consultant.

I want to share with you some real-life, mind-blowing facts to prepare you for the time you will have to invest in a major crisis. We advise clients not to work more than 16 straight hours. That's about the point most people get tired, lose their adrenalin that fueled them to that point, and start making mistakes.

Communications response to the Bhopal chemical leak in India that killed thousands was led by Jackson Browning and Ed Van Den Ameele. According to When You Are the Headline, "First day ran from 2:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Heavy media coverage of daily press briefings began after Anderson returned from India. Worked seven-day weeks through Christmas.Van Den Ameele forced to get unlisted phone number after Fortune article on Bhopal."

When he conducts crisis communications training, ICM's Larry Smith (http://www.crisisexperts.com/) likes to tell the story of the Challenger disaster. Communications had a new crisis plan it hadn't trained on. So when the Challenger exploded, the top communications people who always watch the launch from the control room didn't know security locked down the building in a crisis. It took hours before they could be released to brief reporters. Shirley Green, Hugh Harris, and Chick Young were spokespersons.

"Worked 19 hours after Challenger accident. Seven hours off, then 18-hour day. Briefing center staffed 24 hours a day for two weeks, then 18 hours a day for six weeks. Still handling media calls late at night and on weekends six months after the accident."

One more example from When You Are the Headline should be enough to make the point that crises are time consuming -- and are worse without a crisis plan you've practiced with. Delta flight 191 crashed in Texas, and Bill Berry and Jim Ewing handled the brunt of the communications.

"Initial day went 26 hours, including regular workday before accident occurred. Berry worked several 16-hour shifts from midafternoon through the next morning before media pressure let up enough to switch to daytime hours. Press relations staffed 24 hours a day at Atlanta headquarters and Dallas crash site in accordance with Standard Practices."

You can see that a crisis will cost you, the CEO, and many employees a great deal of time. If you're having trouble convincing the top dogs that a well-thought-out crisis plan is a sound investment, figure out how much in employee hours a crisis -- even one that's gone in a day -- will cost in terms of dollars. The same money approach also works if you can't stir up attention to handle a smoldering crisis before it hits the fan.

Keep in mind that the best crisis plans are really three plans: operations, communications, and recovery.

E. Coli Sprouts at Jimmy John's, But No Comment

I love my sprouts, whether in a salad or on a sandwich. Few salad bars that I frequent have sprouts any more, and now I know why. Sprouts are causing a crisis for Jimmy John's, and the company and its most loyal customers are ignoring it.

"The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that 12 cases of E. coli poisoning in five states are linked to raw clover sprouts eaten at Jimmy John's restaurants. The outbreak comes a year after raw alfalfa sprouts from one of the chain's suppliers were linked to 140 salmonella illnesses. Sprouts from the chain's suppliers were also linked to a 2009 salmonella outbreak in several Midwestern states and were suspected in an E. coli outbreak in Boulder, Colo. in 2008."  (http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/safety/story/2012-02-16/Tainted-sprouts-again-linked-to-Jimmy-Johns/53114120/1)

Unfortunate. What's even more unfortunate is, after the same crisis struck in the past, Jimmy John's has no response.

"Illinois-based Jimmy John's declined to comment on the outbreak. After the salmonella outbreak a year ago, the company said it would switch from using alfalfa sprouts to using clover sprouts because they are easier to clean. But federal regulators warn against eating all raw sprouts, which are one of the most frequent perpetrators of foodborne illness."

That's probably why I can't get sprouts at the salad bar these days. It turns out that the warm, humid conditions needed to grow sprouts are the same conditions in which bacteria thrive. According to the CDC, there have been 30-plus outbreaks associated with raw sprouts in the United States in the last 15 years. An outbreak in Japan in 1986 sickened thousands of people with E. coli. Fenugreek sprout seeds from Egypt killed more than 50 people who contracted of E. coli poisoning in Europe last year.

"In most sprout outbreaks the restaurant is not to blame for the contamination itself. Contamination usually happens when the seeds are grown or harvested and is often impossible to wash off. Food safety lawyer Bill Marler has represented victims in the three previous sprout outbreaks potentially linked to Jimmy John's. He has pushed the FDA to require warning labels on sprouts and praises restaurants that have taken them off the menu.

"\You have to wonder what this company is thinking,' he said."

Yeah, I do wonder what this company is thinking. No comment and no news on your website since January 3? (http://www.jimmyjohns.com/company/news.aspx) Come on, Jimmy John's. You've been through this before. It's not your fault, even though you'll take the publicity and legal hits unless you can make menu changes and sue the guilty supplier.

I also wonder what customers are thinking. Jimmy John's Facebook page has virtually no comments about the contamination. ( http://www.facebook.com/jimmyjohns?sk=wall) Maybe they've been removed. Instead, people are asking that sprouts be returned for their sandwiches and ask why there aren't any sprouts any more. All but one six minutes ago: "FINALLY you get rid of the sprouts! I really cant believe how long it took! I personally love them but they are SO not worth the risks that they carry and the potential harm they can cause, especially to your children and elderly customers. Thanks for finally stepping up and taking your consumers health and safety seriously. I hope this is a permanent decision."

Jimmy John's needs to reassure customers and potential customers, and I consider myself among the latter. One Facebook writer said she asked the owner at a Jimmy John's store why there weren't any sprouts, and he said he didn't know. The owner didn't know!

That's unacceptable. I think I'll just keep going to Subway for my sandwiches.

Penn State's New Website: A Door Half Open or Half Closed?

Penn State this week launched a new website it calls Openness. It may be too little too late. Some are praising this new commitment to transparency, but others find reasons to be critical.

"The site is designed to be a resource for the Penn State community and other stakeholders to find answers to their questions regarding ongoing investigations and related matters.

"'This new website represents reform and change and our commitment to improve the University's openness with the public,' said Karen Peetz, chairwoman of the Board.

"The website has information under various categories: Frequently Asked Questions, Documents, Updates, and messages from the President of the University and Board of Trustees. The site also includes links to the University Budget Office, Right-to-Know information, hotlines and several other sources." (http://live.psu.edu/story/57742)

The new site is at http://openness.psu.edu/.

I was surprised to learn that Penn State and at least some other tax-supported schools don't have to comply with open records laws. There's a move on to change that. I wonder if the openness site is a way to throw the dogs a bone without giving away the whole steak.

"It fell far short, say observers, of what the school would have to release were it subject to the state's Right-to-Know Law, providing fresh ammunition for those who say taxpayers are not well served when a university receiving nearly $228 million in general state aid gets to decide what is and is not the public's business.

"For instance, the consultant total (related to the child sex scandal)  released reflects what Penn State paid but not what it actually received in return, since vouchers and other spending documents that would detail services -- documents available under Right-to-Know -- were not attached to the totals.

"Campus officials say confidentiality language is why a settlement agreement with former Penn State president Graham Spanier, who resigned, will remain a secret. They say such language ultimately may keep secret a settlement agreement with late football coach Joe Paterno, who was fired, once that document is complete." (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210279-143-0.stm)

PSU also refuses to reveal Spanier's current pay as a tenured professor.

"Under Right-to-Know, such agreements generally 'would be available to citizens despite any confidentiality language, even if both parties agree,' said Terry Mutchler, executive director of the state Office of Open Records."

Mutchler acknowledged that the website provides "a sliver of what would be available" through Right-to-Know. But she praised Penn State for releasing information it currently isn't required to share. She said the website probably won't slow momentum for placing Penn State and three other state-related schools under Right-to-Know.

"State Rep. Eugene DePasquale, D-York County, lead sponsor of one bill to do that, agreed. 'I don't think it changes the momentum. Even the governor said a couple weeks ago if those schools want their (state aid) they have to change their thinking on Right-to-Know,' Mr. DePasquale said."

Penn State is giving its critics plenty of ammunition. For example, "With potential for lawsuits (for sex allegations against Jerry Sandusky) that could drag on for years, public interest may grow in the size of several pools of revenue that Penn State says it has on hand for costs not covered by insurance. The school did not respond Tuesday to inquiries about those funds, which are rooted in interest income from loans made by Penn State to unidentified parties, from monies the athletic department paid the university related to the Beaver Stadium expansion and other unspecified sources."
DePasquale thinks Penn State ought to detail those accounts and their origins.

"A group of Penn State alumni and others who fault school trustees for their handling of the crisis had a more critical assessment of the data release. Penn Staters for Responsible Stewardship, also known as PS4RS, said in a statement that the data and new website are 'a disappointing and superficial attempt at transparency' and suggest things have not changed.

"'If the university learned anything over the last four months, it should have been that transparency should not -- and cannot -- exist only when it's convenient,' the statement read. 'There is no open dialogue present on this new website; no real-time engagement. Only a sterile, one-way email address, which smacks of backroom secrecy, review and control.'"

I'm no longer an  admirer of Penn State in general and the football program specifically (I was accepted there, but chose to take a full scholarship at another school) because of the way the trustees started firing first and looking for facts later. But this website is a good start toward transparency. Baby steps first, I say. But Penn State still has a long way to go before it can run.

Bed Bugs Found in Newborn's Indianapolis Hospital Bed

When I was little, my mom used to tuck me in with the warning, "Don't let the bed bugs bite." I thought bed bugs were make believe until infestations of the bloodsuckers started making news not long ago.

One of the latest bed bug problems occurred at Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis last weekend. I heard about it on the news, but no one will learn about the problem from the hospital's website. There's not a word about it. At least a spokesperson was available to reporters, albeit only via email.

"'Bed bugs continue to be an issue nationwide,' said IU Health spokeswoman Abby Gras in an email. 'To ensure the safety of our patients and families, we work closely with our infection control and environmental services departments to ensure the incident is isolated and dealt with in a timely manner.'"  (http://www.indystar.com/article/20120213/LIVING01/202130344/Bed-bugs-found-Riley-Hospital-Children-Indianapolis?odyssey=tabtopnewstextIndyStar.comChildren-Indianapolis?odyssey=tabtopnewstextIndyStar.com)

That doesn't say much. Nothing in that quote is reassuring to parents of patients and prospective patients, who have a choice of hospitals for their children.

"A family staying at the hospital with a newborn daughter shared photos of the bedbugs and an email with WXIN (Channel 59).... Although their bites cause redness and itching, the insects do not transmit diseases, according to the medical information website."

According to Riley's home page, "We encourage you to be a part of your child’s treatment, ask questions and talk to us about any concerns you may have." (http://iuhealth.org/riley/)

Maybe. But Riley should be more forthcoming with information about how the bedbug problem is being dealt with.

Indiana State Drug Lab Draws Suspicion With Its Secrecy

"State toxicology officials know. Prosecutors know. But, apparently, the public may never be told the depths of drug testing problems at the troubled State Department of Toxicology."  (http://www.indystar.com/article/20120204/LOCAL/202040326/State-won-t-release-toxicology-lab-results

The Indiana University School of Medicine used to run drug tests for the state. But it was hit with three separate reports from an independent lab that suggested sloppy work and unacceptable levels of testing for drugs, which police and prosecutors use to evaluate evidence for criminal cases. That's why the state took over the lab from IU last summer. But the state is creating its own crisis when it  informed The Indianapolis Star Friday that it is refusing to disclose the results of a most recent retesting of positive blood samples. Those samples -- about 500 -- were taken for marijuana and cocaine cases from 2007 to 2009.

Why would a government agency create a crisis for itself by refusing to release what should be public information? That's a rhetorical question. I don't know.

"These specific results -- because they were retests of actual samples -- are viewed by forensic scientists and legal experts as particularly important. The results would be the most conclusive indicator yet of not only how bad the problems at the lab might be, but also whether people have been convicted of crimes based on evidence that is flawed.

"Teri Kendrick, an attorney for the Toxicology Department, did not give a specific reason for denying The Star's public-records request for the results. The state has had the results since at least mid-December and shared them with prosecutors."

Fran Watson, a professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis, is quoted as summing up the mantra of crisis communicators everywhere. "'The more open they can be at this point, the more they are open about how this happened, who it happened to and why it will never happen again,' she said, 'the more faith people will have in the system.'"

"The more faith people will have in the system." Isn't that why crisis communications is so critical to every organization? Again, rhetorical.

"Indianapolis defense attorney John Tompkins said he has a pretty good idea what the secrecy means -- in lay language. 'If the results were good,' he said, 'they would be telling us.' Tompkins said that after the much-publicized troubles with the lab -- which led to the state taking it over -- he can't imagine the state wouldn't immediately tout anything positive. 'This looks to me like a delay tactic to buy time,' Tompkins said, 'in the hope that people will just forget about it.'"

When the review of lab results was initiated under the watch of the medical school, IU brought in former Marion County Prosecutor Scott Newman to oversee the process.

"Newman, who could not be reached for comment Friday, was very open about the problems and findings, (Larry) Landis, (executive director of the Indiana Public Defenders Council) said. But Newman was not retained at the lab after the new panel and governor's office assumed oversight.

"'Since then, we have heard virtually nothing,' said Landis. 'I know nothing more than I knew in July. They need to be more transparent and accountable on the deficiencies that were obvious' from the initial review of test results.'"

An independent team of scientists found 10 percent of the marijuana tests and one third of the cocaine tests reported by the department as positive were not conducted using basic scientific standards.
The crisis here comes from a government organization that is withholding information from the taxpayers who foot the bill. That secrecy will never hold up in court. When you are sitting on information, stop and think. Will you be cooperative, or will you be dragged kicking and screaming into the public spotlight?

Dickinson State Chastised in Audit As a 'Diploma Mill'

If a university student is caught cheating, he probably will be expelled. So what happens when a university cheats?

Dickinson State University in North Dakota is about to find out. An audit made public Friday revealed, "students not meeting minimum admission requirements; absence of official documents, including transcripts; lack of English proficiency; non-verification of student completion of general education courses; and degrees awarded without sufficient credits."  (http://www.dickinsonstate.edu/news/feb10120121.aspx)


Dickinson is refreshingly candid in the news releases posted on its web site. For example, "Six State Board of Higher Education and North Dakota University System policy and procedure violations were cited in the audit. The report stated: 'Several process level controls have been waived or controls that were once in place have been intentionally overridden or ignored, threatening the overall compliance of the program....'

"The audit shows that a total of 816 files of students in the special international programs were examined. The review found 743 of these in question as follows: 120 students currently enrolled, 39 have finished coursework and are currently awaiting certificates or degrees, and 584 who have already received a certificate or degree."

University President Dr. D. C. Coston and North Dakota University System chancellor William Goetz held a press conference Friday morning to release results of the audit. However, a meeting with students was interrupted by another crisis. A timeline of Friday's activities released by Dickinson reported, "Student meetings that were scheduled with the president at 1 p.m. MST were interrupted when the emergency management plan was implemented. The president notified the students in person that the campus emergency management plan had been activated and asked them to return to their residences immediately.

"Messages were sent to the entire campus community via the Notifind system shortly thereafter. Approximately 1:45 p.m., Dickinson Police Chief Dustin Dassinger arrived on campus and met with DSU officials to inform them that the missing individual had been located and the threat to DSU was resolved. DSU officials then notified the campus and the media that the threat had been resolved, that the campus would remain closed for the day and that classes would resume on Monday, February 13, 2012. The meeting with the students of Dickinson State will be reconvened early next week to allow them the opportunity to meet with the president."  (http://www.dickinsonstate.edu/news/feb1020123.aspx)

The day couldn't get any worse. Or could it? "This afternoon, we also learned of the untimely death of Dr. Doug LaPlante, dean of the College of Education, Business and Applied Sciences."

The Associated Press spelled out the sins of Dickinson State. "The report depicts Dickinson State as a diploma mill for foreign students, most of whom were Chinese. Of 410 foreign students who have received four-year degrees since 2003 — most of them in the past four years — 400 did not fulfill all the graduation requirements, it said....

"Dickinson State could face penalties from the U.S. State Department for violations of the federal student visa program, as well as sanctions from the Department of Education, the Department of Homeland Security and the Higher Learning Commission in Chicago, an accreditation agency, the report said." (http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/02/11/audit-north-dakota-university-awarded-unearned-degrees/)

The AP story suggests audits of other state schools across the country may find similar misdeeds. "Facing pressure to bring in more students as North Dakota's booming oil industry made it tougher to coax new high school graduates into college, Dickinson State University began looking overseas to boost its enrollment. China, which sends more students to U.S. universities than any other nation, became one of the school's more reliable suppliers of young people....

"The report raises questions about whether public universities, strapped for cash at a time of sharply declining state support for higher education, are cutting corners to attract foreign students who typically pay full out-of-state tuition. It also comes amid an unprecedented boom in the number of Chinese students studying at U.S. universities."

If you deal with  crises at a college or university, it's time to urge an internal audit to ensure no corners are being cut to make money off foreign students while cheating them of their educations. Doing so now might keep your name off the naughty list and avoid possible racism and discrimination on campus.

“'In the next few weeks there will be rumors, fabrications and fairy tales being spread around,' said Scott Poswilko, DSU student senator and ambassador. 'It would be best if students did not fuel this fire or make hasty generalizations about all international students. It is a time when standing united as Blue Hawks is what we need to do rather than divide our campus any more than it needs to be.'"  (http://www.dickinsonstate.edu/news/feb1020123.aspx)

Such discrimination by students against students would be just one more crisis to add to Dickinson's -- or anyone's -- sack full of smoldering crises.

The only negative I take away from Dickinson's problems: "William Goetz, chancellor of the North Dakota university system, and Dickinson State's new president, D.C. Coston, did not respond to emails and phone calls from The Associated Press." (http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/02/11/audit-north-dakota-university-awarded-unearned-degrees/)

I know, they held a press conference in the morning. But they should have responded with at least, "We said all there is to say in our release and at the news conference this morning." Don't ignore reporters under any circumstances.

Are Newspaper Reporters a Dying Breed?

I have a niece who graduated from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh a couple years ago with a degree in journalism. She's good, and I don't dish out praise for young writers freely. She was fortunate to land a job with the Beaver County Times, the same paper where I began my career in 19 -- uh, never mind what year. For example, read Jenny's story about a crisis on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in November at http://www.timesonline.com/news/local_news/tar-spill-snarls-traffic-on-turnpike/article_a045a45b-eb4b-52d1-a1ba-c3637556a4cb.html.

But I'm sorry to see the newspaper world in disarray. Gannett continues to lay off reporters and watch profits drop. The 2010 annual report shows a decrease in operating revenue from $6.6 million in 2008 to $5.4 million in 2010. "Daily circulation declined in nearly all of the company’s newspaper markets, a trend generally consistent with the domestic newspaper industry."  (http://www.gannett.com/assets/pdf/5Z172149324.PDF)

The Washington Post has reduced its newsroom by more than 200 during the past three years, and now looks to cut deeper. "Those cuts were not enough to turn a profit. The paper reported an operating loss of $9.9M during the quarter ended Oct. 2. That was up from a $1.7M 2010 period deficit. Revenues slid nine percent to $150M." (http://www.odwyerpr.com/blog/index.php?/archives/3988-Washington-Post-Makes-Cuts.html)

Employees have been offered a separation incentive program at the Post that they need to act on within 45 days. The paper retains the right to decline separation for irreplaceable employees. "Though the Post is in a cost-cutting mode, it will continue to make 'tactical hires so that even as we get smaller, we get stronger.'"  (http://www.odwyerpr.com/blog/index.php?/archives/3988-Washington-Post-Makes-Cuts.html)

In other words, we want to rid ourselves of higher-paid senior reporters and replace them with runny-nosed kids. We see that in TV. How many on-air reporters look like they're over 30?

I loved my life as a reporter, but I'm certainly glad to have left that life behind. I'm proud of my niece, the newspaper reporter. I just hope her job continues into her old age, if that's what she chooses. The life of a reporter is so different than it was when I was part of the profession. The news media are in a crisis and must reinvent themselves in order to survive.

Controversial Anti-Planned Parenthood Leader Leaves Komen

Here's a postscript to the Susan G. Komen vs. Planned Parenthood crisis. I wrote on February 2 below, "The Komen Foundation denies that the decision had anything to do with Karen Handel, Komen’s new senior vice president for public policy. The Republican ran for governor of Georgia in 2010 and wrote during her campaign, 'Since I am pro-life, I do not support the mission of Planned Parenthood.'"

Handel resigned from Komen last week, but unwisely continued to keep the drama alive.

"Karen Handel, who was perceived to be at the center of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure/Planned Parenthood Federation of America funding flap, has resigned the post that she held since last April. In her resignation letter, the former Republican candidate for Georgia governor expressed support for Komen's recent move to cut off nearly $700K in funding for Planned Parenthood, a move she said was in the works before she took the post and approved by the board of directors.

"Handel is 'deeply disappointed by the gross mischaracterizations of the strategy, its rationale, and my involvement in it.'" (http://www.odwyerpr.com/blog/index.php?/archives/3980-Handel-Quits-Komen.html)

Komen is better off with the controversial Handel gone. It needs to rebuild bridges destroyed when it balked at giving to Planned Parenthood, a decision that blew up and left Komen leadership with red -- no pink -- faces.