Tom Meade - Projo column to end

[JohnR]

Many of you already know this but I wanted to pass along that the column Tom Meade has written for the Providence Journals ahas come to an end, along with other cuts at the paper.

Jim White forwarded this to me late last week and I wanted to get this up over the weekend but missed my window so here goes... Much of this has been discussed in other venues.

DECADES OF FISHING AND HUNTING REPORTS TO END.

I am so furious that I am beside myself and haven't been this mad or upset in quite some time.

I have just learned that Tom Meade's "OUTDOOR COLUMN" will cease to exist after this coming Sunday's last column. He has been assigned other duties and covering fishing as well as hunting will no longer be permitted within the pages of the Providence Journal.
This decision to cancel that column or the editor who decided to take this action, had the unmitigated gall to bring decades of outdoor reporting to an end, to the second largest circulated paper in New England.

Our children and our grandchildren will never know what it is like to read about the outdoors in their local paper, or ever have or get the opportunity to be recognized by their peers or for any accomplishments that they may earn or enjoy ever again and never get to see their name in print.

Maybe the Journal would rather see our sons and daughter's photos in weekly Police Rap sheets, or report on their gang involvement or drug activities and how we've failed our youth, so everyone better go and slit your writs for being such bad and uncaring parents.

After all why would you want to read about your son, daughter, or grandchild catching his/her first big fish or shooting his/her first big buck? It must seem more logical to those at the Journal to see them instead being lead away in handcuffs, or placed in Police cruisers, what better light to show our kids in than that??

Or maybe we should have all our children just sit in a corner and hum Zen tunes, while drinking the Kool-Aid thats been prepared for them to keep them in line with the political correctness of our new, super, caring society.

I know what that has meant for my son when he was growing up, as well as my grandson, who's only seven, and for many friends who's son's and daughters were written about and now will no longer see or have that opportunity for recognition by those who love and enjoy the same outdoor activities as they do.

At this time it is not known if the weekly fishing reports will be continued come spring time, but I'd have to say that the chances of it happening are likely slim to none.

In my opinion this smacks of left-wing- anti hunting and fishing agenda's, seeing that Tom Meade has been forbidden to write anything anymore about hunting, and in the eyes of those who worship that warped ideology, fishing is considered a blood sport as well. So the likely hood that hunting related features are no longer permitted, so will go the fishing features as well.

This brings to an end the decades of outdoor coverage from Staff Carrol, Lester Boyd, and now Tom Meade. It is a sad state of affairs indeed that one or two people can make this kind of decision with little or no concern for those who follow that column religiously.

This in not a matter of whether you like or dislike what Tom Meade writes about. Its more a matter of free speech, and freedom of speech as well as an out-right attack on the outdoor fishing and hunting community by those who are in power within the Journal.

The very first thing that I personally will do tomorrow morning is to call the Journal and cancel my weekly as well as my Sunday paper. I absolutely refuse to support a newspaper that has little or no regard for what I do, what I have done all my life, what my family has done, and what my friends with me have enjoyed since the day I was born.

How dare they take away our only public voice, like we were some sort of lower or second class citizen. How dare they totally disregard, mine as well as our right to have a voice from a fair and un-biased journalist. After all, criminals are still getting plenty of press, as well as child molesters, bank robbers, murderers, and the rest of our sick,wonderful society. While we get pushed or shoved off the pier on a high outgoing tide.

One thing they won't get from me any longer is my money. Stick that in your wallet and see how it feels. Maybe if everyone canceled their Journal subscriptions, the warped, demented minds there just might loose a few bucks from those they chose to toss under the bus during rush hour traffic. Besides, about the only thing that was left worth reading in the Journal was the Sunday Outdoor Column and the weekly fishing reports. Pretty much everything else after that stunk.

Capt Jim White

[jkswimmer]

Changing times we live in. It is all driven by profits and a small % of readers were most likely interested in the column so to save a buck some bean counter thought it was a good idea.

[ThomCat]

Tom is a personal friend but more than that an honest reporter who always delivered the story as he got it without any personal agenda. This letter went off to the editor on Tuesday and I'll bet it wasn't alone.

Dear Sir,
It was with great disappointment that I received word today of the killing of the Outdoor Notes Column from the Providence Sunday Journal. I don't know if you are aware of the vastness of the hunting and fishing community here in Rhode Island and in southern Mass. This region is heavily involved in these outdoor activities and the discontinuance of this mainstay as a link to all things outdoors locally will leave an enormous void and these insights will be sorely missed.
It's hard to believe that the Journal, whose major circulation live, work and play in the Ocean State and southeastern Mass. dismissively turn their back on the region's top participation sports and key tourist attractions. The millions of dollars and thousands of jobs generated for RI's sad economy by these outdoor activities, especially sport fishing, were obviously not considered here. It seems that the largest newspaper in the area apparently believes that this constituency is a non factor, proving that the powers that be are out of touch with their readers. Therein lies the problem with the ramifications thereof shortly to follow. I can't in good conscience continue to subscribe to a paper so oblivious to the mores and values of their readership.
Regards,
Capt. Thom Pelletier
34 Knotty Oak Shores
Coventry, RI 02816

[stcroixman]

Very disapointing. I read his column even before the baseball scores. His friday fishing reports are read by everybody in the fishing community. I wish him luck as it looks like his job is next cut.

[afterhours]

and so the new era begins....i will never give the prov. journal another dime. i've read those columns from staff, boyd , and meade my whole life and now to be told my sports are insignificant in the eyes of that rag..well.... eff them

[Joe]

Good opportunity for somebody who wants to do a website covering RI outdoor sports.

[Crafty Angler]

I can't tell you how disappointed I am to hear that about Tom's column.

Anyone who has ever met him or spent any time with him will tell you first and foremost he's a helluva nice guy and an extremely well-rounded outdoorsman in addition to his skill as a field-and-stream writer.

He's always taken column space to address important conservation issues that affect us all - and as a spokesman for the sport, the loss of his column is going to leave a gaping hole in the community of men, women and their children who still participate in the enjoyment of the natural bounty and beauty of our small state.

This is just an incredibly short-sighted decision on the part of the managing editors. I'd be more than happy to sign a petition in support if one were to be started on his behalf.

Let me tell you of my personal experience with Tom Meade.

In 2005 when I had just started the Angler's Art, Tom heard about what my wife and I were doing and called me and asked for an interview.

We arranged to meet at my mini-gallery here in Newport and Tom, my wife and I sat and talked for the better part of the afternoon, perhaps 3 or 4 hours. I figured I would get a brief mention in the column and when we got our Sunday Journal, I was floored to find that his story on my wife and I and the Angler's Art was on the front page of the sports section and ran the whole column. While it was great exposure for us as a business to the broader community, most of the column dealt with the important conservation issues Tom and I had discussed that afternoon.

Like all his work, it was well-written and insightful and it seemed like everyone I knew cut out the article and sent it along to us. I still have a file folder full of those clippings. Tom also supplied me with a number of contacts and offered further help with a research project I had started back then on the history of Newport County's great striped bass clubs of the late 1800's. I haven't given up the ghost on that project and after the holidays I'm going to resume my work on it - after I began it, the depth and breadth of the subject floored me and I found it spoke to the very same issues we face today. It really is a cautionary tale and I intend to contact Tom again as it moves along over the course of this winter.

As you may or may not know, Tom recently had some serious health concerns and it appears that he's doing well and although I haven't spoken with him in a while, I'm going to email a link to this thread to him to let him know what the members here think of this ill-considered decision on the part of the Journal's managing editors.

First and foremost, Tom is a gentleman and a talented writer who will be sorely missed if this comes to pass.

This decision on the part of the Journal really has to be reconsidered.

Personally, I don't think there has ever been a time when it has been more important to have an outlet like Tom's columns to keep our community abreast of the issues and also encourage young people to discover the great joy of the outdoors and learn those valuable skills and lessons a life in the field will give you.

Although I'm sure Tom has received letters of support, I'm going to email him a link to this thread to let him know about how the members here feel about this.

I can't believe in a time of dwindling subscriptions and a drop in news-stand sales that the Providence Journal would consider alienating a part of their readership.

I think at this point they really do need to reconsider this move given the reaction it has caused.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Don't Tell Us......Tell Them

here's the e-mail of the Sports Editor....give him an earful...seriously, enough people bust his chops and it could change something

Art Martone
amartone@projo.com

[steve]

Tom Meade is a gentleman and his writing will be missed. Jimmy, you should be mad as should all of us that fish and hunt. Also, people in the know tell me that the PJ is in REAL trouble and may not be around much longer.

[NIB]

Is the Journal A Gannet Paper.??
Here in NJ our outdoor sports columnist was also let go this week..John Geiser of the Asbury Park Press.
After 52 years of service..It's amazing They might claim it was because of budget cuts but John's columns where loaded with Valuable add revenue..Thats will disappear..If you have an add, Yank it in support of your friend.Thats really where it hurts.The under coddled,Mommy's boyfriend fondled, peta bitches and the freak loving friends are winning..
The world is a lesser place today.

[JoeP]

It is a shame but it is simple economics. The PROJO is dying as are many other Print newspapers who haven't found a way to evolve into this internet news world yet. Many "youngsters" in their 20's and below don't even know what a "newspaper" is any longer.

[JoeP]

Here's another example of the out-of-touch management decisions at the PROJO:

http://thephoenix.com/BLOGS/notforno...he-herald.aspx


Losing Sean McAdam - one of the best baseball insider writers/media personalities nationally - was idiotic...

[fishtoday]

Is Mr. Meade on facebook or anywhere else that we can follow him ????? Please reply to bluefish53@comcast.net How about if he goes to another paper. That would be awesome !!!!! Thanks a bass fisherman's wife. My husband loved that column. No more PJ for this house !!!!!!!!

[tysdad115]

Thread is 4 years old..
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[piemma]

Originally Posted by tysdad115

Thread is 4 years old..
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Indeed. I sometimes I think that some of the guys on this site do drugs. Tom Meade's column has been in the ProJo every Friday forever. He stops at the middle of Nov so he can go kill little birds and give his dogs some exercise.
His column is irrelevant at best. His report are all from bait store owners. If you want to know what happened the past week read The Fisherman. Toby, Dave and Zack have their finger on the pulse of the sport fishing community.

[Clammer]

Toby wants free [WHITE} knee boots ><><><><<

[chefchris401]

Originally Posted by Clammer

Toby wants free [WHITE} knee boots ><><><><<

Another one lost to the boat community.

Just kidding man, I like the fisherman mag a lot.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[piemma]

Originally Posted by Clammer

Toby wants free [WHITE} knee boots ><><><><<

He's not getting mine

[Clammer]

Toby . the next yard sale you have LMK // cuz you,ll be selling the perks & promo,s ><><>

[tlapinski]

You guys are too funny.

[Canalman]

It's a shame. Print media is slowly burning out

[ThomCat]

Originally Posted by piemma

Indeed. I sometimes I think that some of the guys on this site do drugs. Tom Meade's column has been in the ProJo every Friday forever. He stops at the middle of Nov so he can go kill little birds and give his dogs some exercise.
His column is irrelevant at best. His report are all from bait store owners. If you want to know what happened the past week read The Fisherman. Toby, Dave and Zack have their finger on the pulse of the sport fishing community.

I have to respectfully disagree, Paul. First of all, where do you think the other reporters get a large portion of their info. Secondly, Tom Meade reports on a number of outdoor activities. The joys of watching a bird dog work and "killing little birds" is part of an outdoor scene that is enjoyed by many including guys within the fishing community.
He's not dedicated to bouncing from gunwale to gunwale on the boat or getting slapped around by a 4 footer in the midnight surf like those of us with a total fishing focus. He doesn't claim to be. He's a reporter who shares info with us in an effort to keep outdoor types informed.
Lastly, he is a gentleman with no particular agenda but a vast knowledge of most things outdoors and to mention his column as "irrelevant at best" is "at best", rather short sighted .
Catch'em up,
Capt. Thom Pelletier

[piemma]

Originally Posted by ThomCat

I have to respectfully disagree, Paul. First of all, where do you think the other reporters get a large portion of their info. Secondly, Tom Meade reports on a number of outdoor activities. The joys of watching a bird dog work and "killing little birds" is part of an outdoor scene that is enjoyed by many including guys within the fishing community.


He's not dedicated to bouncing from gunwale to gunwale on the boat or getting slapped around by a 4 footer in the midnight surf like those of us with a total fishing

focus. He doesn't claim to be. He's a reporter who shares info with us in an effort to keep outdoor types informed.
Lastly, he is a gentleman with no particular agenda but a vast

knowledge of most things outdoors and to mention his column as "irrelevant at best" is "at best", rather short sighted .
Catch'em up,
Capt. Thom Pelletier

Point is well taken, Thom. Happy Thanksgiving
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[ThomCat]

To you as well, Paul and Catch'em up

[Ray Stachelek]

Sure miss the old days (before e-mails) when news reporters had a direct pulse on fishing conditions. Many would go out each week, tag along on a charter and get first hand information. That goes along with visiting bait shops, marina, dock, boat ramps, etc. in person and getting first hand reports and actually seeing the catch.

Now it's cut and paste information from someone elses sources you don't know how accurate or truthful the statements are.