The Boston Globe, which has been taking a beating by readers for failing to deliver papers this week in the wake of changing its distribution system, has sent reporters and editors into the wilds of Wellesley and Newton to toss the Sunday Globe onto subscribers’ doorsteps.
Media watcher Dan Kennedy shared a union letter to staffers seeking their help to deliver papers during this “crisis mode” period. According to a Globe piece on Wednesday, the publication was delivering on time to 95% of home subscribers, though clearly way less than that in Wellesley, where complaints surfaced online (including from Wellesley Public Schools Superintendent David Lussier) and in conversations with us.
8th straight day of no morning paper. My morning mojo is definitely thrown off!
— David Lussier (@WellesleySupt) January 4, 2016
As we’ve learned from a self-congratulatory series of Tweets, among the Globies venturing into Wellesley on a new paper route: Sacha Pfeiffer, one of the award-winning reporters featured in the recent Spotlight movie about the Catholic priest sex abuse coverup.
Stunning sunrise in Wellesley as @SachaPfeiffer & I were finishing up our route #globedelivery #TheGlobeDelivers pic.twitter.com/5LMeFxLwYn
— Marcela E. Garcia (@marcela_elisa) January 3, 2016
While we appreciate the extra effort by reporters and editors like these two, I guess we weren’t on their route, since our paper hasn’t arrived despite us leaving the light on and posting a special note. Then again, it took us years to train UPS, USPS, Fedex etc. to locate our house. Maybe the Globe played it safe and kept its staff to the less dangerous parts of our town.
We weren’t on this reporter’s route either, but at least the Globe is generating some decent social media content for their troubles.
Sunrise over Wellesley Hills at the end of the delivery route. Much better than looking for houses in pitch dark. pic.twitter.com/nPrtwt1YC0
— Priyanka D.McCluskey (@Priyanka_Dayal) January 3, 2016
Maybe we’ll have better luck with Kevin Paul Dupont, a Globe hockey writer. Let’s hope this ends better than the recent Winter Classic game did for the Bruins.
200 Sunday Globes. Stuffed, locked and loaded. Wellesley, here we come. pic.twitter.com/Tc9xCXX4gd
— Kevin Paul Dupont (@GlobeKPD) January 3, 2016
@GlobeKPD Wellesley, of course. Dover next?
— Red Brener (@red_brener) January 3, 2016
Naturally, the whole situation is bringing out the snarky online.
John Henry and Linda Pizutti working the Wellesley paper route early tomorrow morning. Let's hope the Rolls holds up https://t.co/XCrw1SV65I
— Boston Radio Watch® (@bostonradio) January 2, 2016
The Wellesley haters are also piping up:
#nobostonglobe #bostonglobe good thing those Wellesley folks are getting their papers this morning. They are important people.
— Merna Sue (@goldiebanta) January 3, 2016
Oh, and right on cue as I was writing this post, I fished this email out of my spam filter:
Dear Subscriber,
Due to some continued issues with our new delivery provider, your Sunday Globe may be delivered late today. We apologize for the inconvenience and are working hard to improve this service as quickly as we can.
To get your news right now, you can click here to access the Globe via the ePaper, an exact digital replica of the printed paper. Or download the ePaper app for your tablet or phone. For breaking news, go to BostonGlobe.com.
I do feel like something of a throwback still subscribing to a physical newspaper, but we do actually sit around at breakfast often and read the paper. Not into the whole iPad-or-cellphone-at-the-table routine.
We’ve had excellent delivery people over the years from the Globe. Wish we could get them back…
i have not received the globe since last Sunday ! My address is 1 madison road,easy to find.!!
We’re Times, not Globe subscribers, but the Times and Globe were using the same distribution company. We’ve had just one missed paper (and one unfortunate delivery of the Wall Street Journal) and now have been receiving TWO copies of The New York Times every day at our hard-to-find home. ???
Thanks for the update, Bob. We finally received our Globe this afternoon. We like to read an actual newspaper too!