From the Inbox: As the Globe Spins
Have you seen the amazing Dan Kennedy piece in this week's Phoenix about the changing of the editorial guard at the Globe? Wow -- very thorough stuff, though it's too bad that new editor Marty Baron didn't give him an interview. -- Scott Kirsner, July 20

You mean Goodbye to All That? I hadn't read it yet, actually. And, man oh man are you right: It is thorough. Dan Kennedy's one of the best writers at the Phoenix, and his work documenting the media and journalism scene in the Boston area is one of the things that makes the Phoenix a true alternative paper, despite its corporate organization (the Phoenix, WFNX-FM, Stuff@night, etc.).

I'm not too surprised that so many Globe-trotters are keeping mum. This is a big deal. And I won't be too surprised if the rounds of layoffs that we've seen recently are followed by an exodus of top-level editorial talent that didn't get the head editor nod. Kennedy's right, Baron needs to build bridges with some of these folks quickly; his arrival is indeed the end of an era at the Globe. It'll also be interesting to see what the outsider's arrival means in terms of the Globe's changing focus. The paper's had a rash of plagiarism charges and bad blood internally. It's dropping sections left and right these days. Will the paper continue to lose credibility and weight? Or will it step up and renew its search for excellence? -- Heath