Sweets fail to sway editorial integrity

The other day, just before lunch, Springfield Business Journal received a delivery of two boxes of fresh cookies. You know, the kind in the purple boxes from Julie’s Chewies; the ones that are as big as your face and weigh just under a pound each.

When I opened the gift envelope, I saw that it was from a couple of delighted readers, lawyers both. A member of the firm had been chosen one of the 2005 SBJ 40 Under 40. They continue to be delighted – even weeks after the recognition event and special publication on May 19.

Believe me, I am happy that they are happy. We don’t always have such good news to report, and when a story is not so positive, we don’t tend to get cookies.

And I will add that our editorial staff is strong, very strong. They cannot be swayed by cookies, flowers or eatables sent in response to their stories.

But back to the story. Even though I didn’t have anything to do with the selection of the honorees (the 40 are nominated by readers and then screened and selected by a panel of independent judges, usually award recipients from previous years), I accepted the boxes on behalf of the SBJ staff and immediately sent them to a central location in our office so that everyone could enjoy them.

Of course, I happened to pass by the cookies on my way out, just before mid-day, and decided to have just a small piece of one because I had several errands to run and didn’t want to get too hungry before I had a chance to pick up something healthy for lunch.

The errands took longer than I expected, and I rushed back to the office without lunch. I wasn’t hungry at all. Around 2:30 p.m., I started getting a headache behind my eyes. The discomfort continued, and I couldn’t concentrate. While I was pacing around, I passed the cookies again, and after two or three more small pieces, I had consumed at least a full cookie.

I was instantly energized. The headache vanished, and I finally did go on to accomplish a few things in the afternoon. But today, my clothes still don’t feel just right, and there are still some cookies left.

The moral of the story: If you especially like our writing, send carrot sticks, or better yet, just call us. We want to hear from you. We need to hear from you. Even if it’s because you think a story should have been handled differently.

Thank you for your readership, your support and your friendship through all these years.

Truly,

Dianne Elizabeth is publisher and president of Springfield Business Journal.

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