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There's more story between lines
(by Barbara Christian - September 03, 2009)
WINDOW ON MAIN STREET, BY BARBARA CHRISTIAN
There's more story between lines
If you enjoy reading between the lines, then good old-fashioned, hand-held newspapers are your answer.
Deciphering the story behind the story is often necessary, because newspaper publishers are ever aware of our litigious society, the family-newspaper thing and just plain good sense.
Some prime between-the-lines reading is found regularly in the police news you all love. We know you want names and addresses, but we have to be careful about identifying people who have not been charged with a crime.
For instance, there was the recent police entry about fraud reported by a woman who said she suspected her former husband had used her credit card without permission. How could she know this, police dutifully asked. Because, she said, she had a copy of the charge slip. Not only was the signature not hers, but her name was spelled wrong. He hasn't been charged, at least not yet. Reading between the lines, you now know why he is her former husband.
Here's another example. Recently, our big-city daily proudly announced that every Cleveland Browns story every published since the very first down in 1946 is now available on the paper's Web site. The notice, complete with photos from the past, kept a straight face while reporting the news of the super new Browns link.
But reading between the lines, you might imagine hearing the following during the editorial meeting in which the idea was formulated:
"C'mon, you're not serious. Do we really have to do this?" said one sportswriter.
"I am afraid so," replied his editor.
"Well," said the reporter. "If we are going to set out on this folly, may I suggest we spare our readers some pain by excluding certain games?"
"Like which ones?" the editor asked, knowing what the answer would be.
"The ones with 'right red 37,' 'the Drive,' 'the Fumble' and every other one in which the names John Elway and Bill Belichick appears," the reporter answered.
"I'm afraid not," said the editor. "That would not be full coverage of the history of the Brows."
"Just thought I'd try," said the reporter.
In Chagrin Falls recently, the councilman who chaired the long-mothballed parking commission announced that the citizens group would be reconstituted. The reason, he said, is to help solve the parking crunch in which the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre has found itself enmeshed. It's important, because the theater is not in the habit of holding the curtain until everyone has found a place to park.
But reading between the lines, the other reason has to do with one private-parking-lot owner who has begun towing cars desperate theatergoers trying to get into their seats before the house lights dim. Of course, the real drama begins when they emerge from CVLT to find their cars gone.
By the way, some of the above situations were changed to protect the innocent. You'll just have read between the lines.
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