Chronicle Refuses to use Digital Communication, Prefers Phone
Seeing as how the entire American Apparel-on-Valencia brouhaha was traffic gold -- and the Gate/Chron is on no financial position to turn down traffic -- it seemed like writing about the AA store meeting at City Hall was a given for most local pubs. Today, after reading a Tweet asking if the Chronicle planned on covering yesterday's American Apparel planning commission meeting, we asked political scribe Carla Marinucci and editor Audrey Cooper the following.
"[Will you] be covering yesterday's American Apparel meeting? Just curious since it seems to be everywhere save the Chron."
Cooper responds, "Are you asking for a quote, Brock? If that's what you want, give me a call."
Brrr.
Not about to waste one minute of our mobile communication device's plan on Chronicle editorial staff, we replied "No. not a direct quote. Just wondering if you guys plan on publishing it or not."
The Coop shoots back:
"I know you have a post up about this, but generally I don't share our story budgets or coverage plans with competitors, sorry.
In other news, while we're chatting, can I just say for the record that I love all the alt. publications that make fun of the Chronicle. Heck, sometimes I even participate. But your item ["Siebel Almost Bares All Via New On Demand/Pay-Per-View Movie"] about my reporter [John Cote] wanting to bang the mayor's wife was really vulgar and (even worse) misleading.
I'm sure that sounds uptight, but I just had to share.
Well, NOW we're taking a direct quote.
First, we're thrilled (and somewhat surprised) to know that SFist is considered a serious competitor at the Chronicle. We're flattered.
Second, we are, if anything, sex positive here at SFist. And regarding Cote's article, how were we vulgar about it? Clinical, maybe; not crude. Cote, on the other hand, seemed very happy that Siebel was in underwear in the movie, which could, arguably, be considered gross and inappropriate by readers. All we wrote was that "Chronicle writer John Cote, who clearly wants to put his penis inside of Siebel's vagina." It's not like we called Siebel's flower a "gash" or "snatch" or "wound."
But in her defense, it's always nice to see editors stand up for their writers.
Cooper, if you recall, had a bit of a strange email snafu with John Avalos last August over the terms "ultra left" and "far left."
Anyway, you'll have to find out for yourself if, in fact, yesterday's planning commission meeting gets a nod in the esteemed Hearst publication.