Insulting and belittling subscribers seems like a bad business strategy, but McClatchy can't help themselves. In the latest example, Armando Acuna, the Bee's Public Editor, reached out to unhappy subscribers by slamming one of them in print, and printing personal attacks against him..
When the Bee ran a series of articles claiming US troops at Guantanamo tortured detainees, then a series of articles on gay marriage, upset readers contacted Acuna to complain. Which is the place to start, since he is the go-to guy when readers have a complaint. (From the Bee's website: " The Public Editor deals with complaints and concerns about The Sacramento Bee's content.")
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Today Acuna unloads on one of the upset readers, 78 year old George Dimick, a resident of Del Webb Lincoln Hills retirement community. According to Acuna, here is Dimick's complaint:
"Why are you running our country down?" said Dimick, 78. "The paper was full of Guantánamo and now gay marriage. … I live in Del Webb and we all hate The Sacramento Bee."
Yet despite his anger, Dimick said he renewed his subscription ("I hated to do it") so he can read the Sports section.
In a follow-up column today, Acuna devoted most of his column to belittling subscriber Dimick and his complaint. He quoted several anti-Dimick readers. This example includes a personal attack:
"Please be aware that George Dimick does not speak for all Lincoln Hills residents," e-mailed Marion Randall. "Unlike George and his narrow-minded friends, there are many others in this community who do enjoy reading the Sac Bee.
"George and his narrow-minded friends." (?!) How nice of Acuna to print a personal attack against a Bee subscriber.
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You can read the rest of Acuna's defensive column here.
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