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Paula Whetsel-Ribeau, wife of BGSU president Sidney Ribeau, was as the interim assistant to the vice-president of Student Affairs. No job search, but she appears to be qualified.

Let's compare leads from two different stories. First, from the Toledo Blade:

"In the midst of a hiring freeze, the wife of Bowling Green State University President Sidney Ribeau has been selected for a $66,000-a-year job whose duties include accompanying her husband at university events."

Now from the BG News:

"In an e-mail directed to faculty and staff, Sidney Ribeau, University president, decided to let others know why he thinks spousal hires are acceptable and why his wife, Paula Whetsel-Ribeau was hired this year."

When you compare the two approaches, you can see that the Blade clearly isn't in approval of the hire. Given the piddly facts they received? I don't blame them. But it was shoddy journalism to say there was a hiring freeze when the BG News reported the "selective" freeze was lifted a month before she was hired.

The byline of the Blade article said "Her duties include going to functions." This depicts a very poor judgment. The story lists many duties, including "developing and implementing BGSU staff diversity training, as well as so-called 'first lady' responsibilities." Diversity training sounds important. Why wasn't that listed in the byline? Maybe it doesn't sell as well.

Blade staff writer Kim Bates did a substandard job on her article, as did Roberta de Boer in her P.O.S. column.

BG News editor-in-chief Carrie Whitaker did a remarkable job on her article. Then again it's easy to say that because I have two classes with her.

I could say more, but meh.

- posted by Suss @ 1:02 AM | Permanent Link To This Post