For the Dead Moose Archive THE MOOSEPAPER OF RECORD

[Eric Lilius]

I found this in the most recent issue of Harper's Magazine.

I know it will interest members of this list.

Eric

THE MOOSEPAPER OF RECORD

The following email was sent to employees of the New York Times Company
in April.

From:   "NYTIMES MAIL"
To:     "NY TIMES INTERNET"
Subject:        Moose Caboose

To the Staff,
Now that we've gotten your attention, here's the derivation of The New
York Times Company's Moose.

Guests arrive at an elegant dinner party to which many prominent
socialites have been invited. All is going well until the  guests are
asked to move into the dining room for dinner. As they enter the dining
room, the guests can't help but see  that a moose is already seated at
the table and apparently joining them for dinner. Naturally, the guests
are anxious to  know why the moose is there. However, being a
well-reserved and mannered group they are reluctant to ask for fear of
insulting the party's host by indicating that something at the party is
amiss.

Accordingly, the guests completely ignore the presence of the moose at
the table. Everyone knows that the moose is  there, but no one has the
courage to raise the question of its presence.

We have been using this apocryphal moose anecdote as a way of assuring
ourselves that at The New York Times  Company, we never want to ignore
"the moose at the table. " When significant business issues arise, they
should be  identified and addressed. These issues should not be avoided
because they are "too sensitive" or "too impolitic" to be  raised.
Treating one another with civility and respect should never mean keeping
silent in the face of important business  issues.

One of the reasons that our Company's journalism is so well regarded is
because it is candid, honest and reported  "without fear or favor. " If
we are to do our best work throughout the Company, our business
conversations with each  other should be equally candid, honest and
unafraid. Let's not ignore the moose when he's sitting at our table.

Thanks.

CARRMML Cindy, Arthur, Russ, Robinson (Janet), Michael, Martin and Len


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.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸ <º))))>< .·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·.¸ ><((((º> ¸.·´¯`·..·´¯`·.¸

Eric Lilius
Box 27  Eagle Lake, Ontario, Canada
K0M 1M0
email:elilius at halhinet.on.ca
ph:     705-754-9859
fax:    705-754-9860

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