Author Archives: Hearne Christopher Jr.
Hearne: Meet the Busy Bodies
We’ve all been here before… Stuck next to some annoying know-it-all or coworker. Maybe a stranger sitting next to you at a bar or whatever. And no matter what the topic, they blather on about the way things should be, … Continue reading
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Hearne: Through the Looking Glass @ The American Royal
This isn’t exactly super secret but… The reporting standards are far laxer these days at the Kansas City Star. That in the wake of going from more than 2,000 employees to 300 or fewer the past 10 or 12 years. … Continue reading
Posted in Hearne_Christopher, Uncategorized
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Hearne: The KC Star’s Recasting of Neal Patterson
Small town media types like few things more than rewriting history… Like bringing down legendary local icons such as Plaza developer J.C. Nichols. Or recasting a business bully like Sporting KC owner Neal Patterson as a jolly good fellow. Why confine yourself … Continue reading
Hearne: Political Correctness Meets the Silly Season @ 18th & Grand
Anybody wanna join me in calling for the closing of Thomas Jefferson’s Library and tearing down of Monticello? No? Well then, how about we start by following Kansas City Star freelance columnist Steve Kraske’s suggestion to rip the name of “visionary” Country … Continue reading
Hearne: American Royal Rubber Rib Rack Poor Sub for Substance
Talk about fiddling while Rome burns… I uttered a few words recently over the not yet cold, dead body of the American Royal and its arguably only remaining prized possession, the World Series of Barbecue. The latest: In lieu of … Continue reading
Hearne: End of an Era @ Metcalf South
We live in lightning fast times… That goes without saying. Yet sometimes Cowtowners have to shake their heads about things that – amazingly – have nothing whatsoever to do with Donald Trump. Go figure. For example the mighty Sears department … Continue reading
Hearne: Star Goes Tabloid in Attempt to Label KC ‘Murder Capital’
Yellow Journalism, anybody? The age-old practice of cherry picking statistics to try and make an exaggerated point is alive and well at 18th and Grand in the newsroom of the Kansas City Star. Or as the Urban Dictionary puts it, … Continue reading
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(Re) Born on the 4th of July
A funny thing happened on the way to the end of June… Not so funny, actually. An accidental misstep caused the KC Confidential publishing device of choice – my MacBook Pro – to take a dirt nap. One that ensued … Continue reading
Hearne: American Royal & BBQ Continue Downward Slide
Another year, another snoozer American Royal… When it comes to over-the-hill events and washed up personalities, the old ways die hard here in the Cowtown. Case in point, Kansas City’s once vaunted, annual livestock, rodeo, horse show, society ball and … Continue reading
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Hearne: Dollar Store Dominance Decimates Dignity
Don’t let your lying eyes fool ya… Seems like everywhere you turn in Johnson County and other snooty, upscale urban enclaves, that strip malls and trendy retailers are sprouting up willy nilly. They can’t build ’em fast enough. The flip … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
17 Comments
Hearne: Time to Pull the Plug on Bad Baseball, Bad Investments in KCK
Time to call a spade a spade… Not only is the Kansas City T-Bones baseball team a really lame joke, it’s a failed business operation that’s been bleeding Wyandotte County taxpayers the get go. First a correction for a common mistake … Continue reading
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Hearne: New Star Editorial Writer Works K.C. Schmooze After D.C. Axe
Talk about controversial couples… Seems the newest Kansas City Star addition comes with a bit of journalistic baggage. Editorial columnist Melinda Henneberger’s been all over the map since splashing down at 18th and Grand recently. She’s weighed in on everything from … Continue reading
Hearne: Long, Slow Death Throes Continue @ 18th and Grand
Don’t look now but the inevitable is upon us… The question being, when and where will it all end where the Kansas City Star is concerned? When the Star dropped its most recent bombshell – on Monday April 17, 2017 in a front page … Continue reading
Hearne: Feeling Bored, Like Butter on a Pancake? Visit Kansas
Don’t look now but the Great State of Kansas is on a trajectory to nail the distinction of being most boring state in the nation… While that may not exactly be a shocker to people from places like New York, … Continue reading
Hearne: Fun & Games @ 18th and Grand Aboard Sinking Ship
Priorities, priorities… In a testament to how out of it daily newspapers like the Kansas City Star have become, after making huge cuts recently – Thursday’s venerable Preview section and almost all of FYI – the one thing still standing: A full page and a … Continue reading
Hearne: Bleacher Report Gives Chiefs QB Draft Pick Low Marks
We interrupt this local media hoopla day to bring a dose of stark skepticism… While the Chiefs startling, aggressive move to spend a 1st round draft pick on Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes was certainly – let’s call it – … Continue reading
Hearne: The Spin Stops Here, Baby
How many times does the exact same story about fallen Fox News host Bill O’Reilly need to be written? I’ve lost count. The usual suspects have been busy reporting basically the same stuff – CNN, MSNBC, Vanity Fair, New York Times, Fox news – … Continue reading
Hearne: What Goes Around Comes Around for St. L. Rams Fans
Does anyone not living in the 314 area code feel sorry for St. Louis Rams fans? Seriously. That after St. Louis filed a lawsuit yesterday against the National Football League over its Rams relocating to Los Angeles. Uh, relocating back to LA. Something about … Continue reading
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Hearne: The Beat Goes on @ INK
In the wake of Pitch Weekly going for a dirt nap, all eyes are on the future… First on how long will a monthly Pitch be able to keep the wolf away from the door And second, how long will the … Continue reading
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Hearne: The Rise & Fall of INK Magazine
Last one out, turn off the lights… Forget about the Kansas City Star rescuing what’s left of The Pitch. The beleaguered, former alt weekly threw in the towel last month, but instead of merely curling up and dying, embarked on a path of … Continue reading
