Worst Week in Montgomery: Through The Eyes of the Journalists Who Lived It

“Best and Worst Week in Montgomery” is a weekly feature on Yellowhammer Politics in which we recognize the people or organizations who had the BEST week or WORST week in town.

This was a fairly slow week in Montgomery. The atmosphere in the usual lunch hotspots was decidedly more casual and the pace slowed to a crawl compared to the sprint of the legislative session. But while the lawmakers, lobbyists, and activists were enjoying some down-time, those who cover their every move were in the middle of one of their most hectic weeks in memory.

Late last week, print media in Alabama was dealt a tough blow:

Mobile, Huntsville and Birmingham papers going to 3 days a week (Wed, Fri and Sun).

— George Talbot (@georgetalbot) May 24, 2012

Today’s front page twitter.com/georgetalbot/s…

— George Talbot (@georgetalbot) May 25, 2012

In a matter of seconds, print media in Alabama locked-up the worst week in Montgomery.

And the first domino fell…

RT @BhamNewsBiz: Birmingham News Editor Tom Scarritt stepping down this fall bit.ly/LOk9oo

— Robin DeMonia (@rdemonia) May 25, 2012

Birmingham News Editor Tom Scarritt will step down this fall. The best journalist I ever worked for and a man of the highest integrity.

— Barnett Wright (@BarnettWright) May 26, 2012

Tom Scarritt, a great newspaper man, colleague & friend is calling it a career. #alpolitics twitter.com/rdemonia/statu…

— Chuck Dean (@BhamnewsDean) May 26, 2012

Props to retiring editor Tom Scarritt. When he made me columnist he said my job was to make him “uncomfortable.” I did. He didn’t complain.

— John Archibald (@JohnArchibald) May 26, 2012

A fine journalist, mentor and, above all, friend. Birmingham News Editor Tom Scarritt stepping down this fall bit.ly/KA6NJi

— Marie Leech (@MarieLeech_news) May 26, 2012

And as the week went on, some of the state’s most influential voices tried to make sense of it all…

I am awake at 3 a.m., worrying about the future of the newspaper and checking Twitter for latest updates. #irony

— Robin DeMonia (@rdemonia) May 25, 2012

Deeply saddened for my friends at the Press-Register.Great reporters facing an uncertain future.

— Brian Lyman (@lyman_brian) May 24, 2012

I’m excited about the future. Andscared to death. #change. #lovejournalism

— Joey Kennedy (@joeykennedy) May 25, 2012

For all the great friends and journalists not specifically named here, I mean you too. bit.ly/Kvj01o

— John Archibald (@JohnArchibald) May 27, 2012

With all that’s going on at the newspaper, I’m going to Afghanistan for some stability!

— Michael Tomberlin (@MAJ_Chicken) May 26, 2012

My column on the Alabama newspaper shakeup: No News is bad news. weldbham.com/secondfront/20… Everything you didn’t want to know about CPMs!

— The Second Front (@SecondFront) May 29, 2012

Dear Warren Buffett. @W_Buffett You are my new hero. If you get a chance, take a look at Alabama and New Orleans. dataomaha.com/documents/warr…

— Tommy Hicks (@TommyHicksPR) May 25, 2012

I’m not personal friends with many of the folks at the state’s big newspapers — and a handfull of them aren’t big fans of Yellowhammer because I give them a hard time when their left-leaning political ideology gets in the way of the facts.

The Montgomery Advertiser (D – Montgomery) #alpolitics

— Cliff Sims (@Cliff_Sims) May 29, 2012

But I do believe journalists hold a special place in the American political system. Now maybe more than ever, we need their watchful eyes holding our elected officials accountable.

The only winners today in Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile and New Orleans are people who are scared of local watchdog journalism.

— Alan Blinder (@alanblinder) May 24, 2012

Have I ever tried to take a vacation at the right time? No. Heads up guys. We do what we do because it matters. No matter what or how.

— John Archibald (@JohnArchibald) May 24, 2012

No one knows for sure how things will shake out. Staff reductions are inevitable — and old media companies will have to figure out how to survive in the new media world. But in the mean time, the news won’t stop…and I don’t expect those who report it will either.