Reporter apologizes for timing of story

I don't know if I've ever seen anything like this before: a reporter taking to the comment section of the online newspaper to apologize for her editor's decision to sit on a story.

The Telegram and Gazette published a story this morning on the state of negotiations between the town of Sterling and Comcast. The selectmen's meeting which triggered the story was held last Wednesday, July 23.

Readers getting the story in their morning paper would probably think nothing of it, but readers of the online T&G have the opportunity to share comments; the first comment posted to this story is this:

Sorry for the delay, Sterling residents. This story was submitted last Thursday.
-pat

Pat is apparently Patricia Clark, the correspondent who filed the story.

As a reader and a Sterling resident, I guess I appreciate the apology. It would be nice if the T&G covered our selectmen's meetings as they happen and not treat our news as though it were something to get to whenever the T&G gets to it. But I can't imagine the section editor is too pleased that his reporter is throwing him under the bus.

Update: In the 90 minutes since I first posted this item, the comment has been removed.

Tags: Sterling Massachusetts Telegram and Gazette