What a week

Yesterday’s meeting, admittedly, is a tough act to follow.

Steve Smith opened this morning’s meeting by alerting editors to the threads on News is a Conversation and here on the Daily Briefing related to yesterday’s story on Jack Lynch .

At the risk of appearing self-congratulatory, Smith noted “I don’t know of another paper in the country that would open up a conversation on a controversial story in that way.” The online threads, he said, revealed not only readers’ opinions but also internal discussion and even internal dissent. “That’s what the transparent newsroom is all about.”

The Crosby Show

Assistant features editor Rick Bonino lamented that just as we’re getting used to calling the Opera House the “INB Performing Arts Center,” we now have to start referring to the Met as the Bing Crosby Theater . Since “the Met” fits so nicely into a headline, we brainstormed alternatives for the downtown venue’s new moniker. “The Crosby” was ruled too likely to be confused with the student union at GU, so we decided that the new venue will be henceforth referred to as “The Bing.”

Or, maybe not.

On a related note, a reader emailed us pointing out that Bing Crosby made his professional debut at the theater in the 1920s when it was known as the Clemmer. That information was originally in the story, but it was unfortunately trimmed for space. I’ve added the omitted text to the online version.