This 'Qualmbud' Has Mitch Albom Quota

By: Dave Astor Dear Qualmbudsman:
Your thoughts about Mitch Albom's past-tense column "at" a basketball game that hadn't happened yet?
-- Hoop Nightmares

In the piece that got him in trouble, Albom recalled the pleasures of college but forgot the lessons of "Journalism 101."

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Dear Qualmbudsman:
But he apologized! Isn't everyone entitled to one mistake?
-- Don't Ditch Mitch for Glitch

The Detroit Free Press is investigating Albom's erroneous April 3 piece as well as previous work. The multitasking writer should keep his job if he didn't multitask on mistakes.

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Dear Qualmbudsman:
So you're saying "one strike and Albom's not out"?
-- Roger Clemency

Sort of like a decade ago, when it was "one Detroit newspaper strike and Albom's not out (on the picket line)."

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Dear Qualmbudsman:
Moving to another topic, did newspapers over-cover the pope's illness, death, and funeral?
-- A Woman Who Can't Be a Priest

Yes. People who read newspapers religiously had to read them agnostically to try to find important stories not about John Paul II.

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Dear Qualmbudsman:
Why didn't newspapers focus more strongly on the inconsistency of Tom DeLay trying to keep Terri Schiavo alive after pulling the plug on his own father?
-- Unethical Culture Wars

It seems many papers don't mind that "Dr." DeLay took the "Hypocritic oath."

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Dear Qualmbudsman:
What happens now that GM has pulled its ads from the Los Angeles Times?
-- Dan Didn't Kneel

The automaker's sales continue sinking "Like a Rock."

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Dear Qualmbudsman:
Despite a couple of recent hirings, there's a trend toward fewer staff editorial cartoonists. What happens if, someday, just two creators remain?
-- Art Carnage

One wins the Pulitzer Prize during odd-numbered years, the other during even-numbered years.

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Dear Qualmbudsman:
Women comprise only 3.9% of all syndicated editorial cartoonists. How can that stat be raised?
-- Hisbloc

If the number of cartoonists keeps dwindling, and if one of the two remaining cartoonists is female, 3.9% zooms to 50%.

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Dear Qualmbudsman:
I'm glad to hear minority hiring is up at least a little. But why is overall staffing down 4% in America's newsrooms?
-- A.S. Ennui

Reasons include layoffs, buyouts, and the occasional retribution for asking obvious questions like yours.