A few weeks ago word hit that The News, Mexico City’s longstanding English-language daily, had been bought by Grupo Mac, a company that publishes two Mexican newspapers. It was an ugly day: None of the News’ staff knew the sale was coming, and two-thirds of them were laid off in a single day. Fourteen were rehired, but most have since quit. Eight employees resigned this week, according to Mexico Reporter. Only two native English speakers remain.
I wouldn’t usually care so much about this — sadly, I’ve become kind of inured to the newspaper industry’s collapse, thanks to all the job-hemorrhaging going on in the U.S. — but the News has suffered a spectacular decline in quality. I used to enjoy their arts, city and world coverage, and the voices on their editorial page.
This, however, is a Reuters story that appeared in the paper today. A friend actually typed it out and forwarded it me because it’s so rife with translation errors, it’s almost laughable. (If you weren’t also cringing at the same time.) Remember, this used to be a good paper.
Scientists had modified genetically an odd Mexican salamander that the ancient believes of the Aztecs considerate a transformed god, in the hope of that its capacity to regenerate parts of its body someday help to people who have lost limbs by amputation.
This slimy little animal, about 15 centimeters length, crowned with some hairy gill [ed. note: WTF?], and with little eyes, as buttons, had become the best option for a lot of scientists, in spite of its capacity of regenerate its hurt extremities, jaws, skin, and parts of its brain and spine.
The salamanders can make regrow many parts of their bodies several times in his lifetime. -REUTERS
If you squint at the screen grab above, which I took just a few minutes ago, you’ll notice a headline mentioning how ICE agents “will boast arrest power” and the Lakers’ “unbelivable” win. Elsewhere on the site, there’s news of a possible meteor striking Nuevo Leon:
NL readies for hurricane season
The News NUEVO LEON – Authorities in the northern state of Nuevo Leon announced an enhanced contingency plan to fron the upcoming hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico, which has hit the state capital Monterrey very hard before. Governor Jose Natividad González Parás headed the first meeting of the Hydro Meteor Contingency Committee for the 2009 tropical cyclone season.
[snip]
“We are about to finish putting together the most complete High Risk Atlas that any other state in the nation has”, González said.
He added that it is of vital importance to continue working with municipalities and the federal government to take preventive actions before a meteor strikes the area.
I’m not just seeking to make fun here. It’s really, really sad that a formerly solid paper is now like a man who’s had his arms and legs cut off, and is walking around trailing blood everywhere.
It needs to either shape up, or shut down and save itself the misery. At this point I don’t know any English speakers who would read this paper and actually enjoy it.