Jay Honeck wrote:

I've never pretended to
be anything,

Perhaps I misinterpreted these claims, then:
I've
worked for and with the New York Times, the Racine Journal Times, the
Chicago Tribune, and the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

I told the newsroom people what to do in order to maximize
sales.

You have commented on reporting in this newsgroup and said it was
because of your previous career as "a newsman." That's what I object to.

your astoundingly self-righteous belief that the only valid employees
of a newspaper are "reporters"

Never said it. Never implied it. Never believed it. I said you
pretended to be a "newsman," which does not mean "newspaper delivery
professional" to people who read that term.

participated in the budget planning
of several newspapers:

I did acknowledge that your work in the delivery end of the business was
demanding and you were obviously successful at it.

Your vaunted "journalists" are actually called
"reporters" at every newspaper I've worked at and with, and they are at
the very bottom of the food chain. If you ever reach the management
level, you'll know that they are regarded as cannon fodder, cheaper than
screw-top wine and as interchangeable as athletic socks. Worse, most of
them suck.

Or did you think they got paid less per hour than our bundle haulers
because they were held in such high professional regard?

Amazing rant, and it explains a lot about your disdain for reporting. I
didn't think you were the type to make such an attack, or that you hated
journalists so intensely.

No one here has seen any evidence that
*you* have ever been a serious journalist -- unless you count being a
2-bit disk jockey

You have. In the past you and I have discussed my work, at the state
radio network where I spent six years reporting and anchoring news. I'm
a little surprised that you want to deny it now, but anyone who knows my
real last name (yes, I started in this business as a DJ, and wouldn't
deny it -- those years were lots of fun) can easily google thousands of
stories I reported.

Jay, I'm disappointed in you. While people enjoy your descriptive
writing about flying ventures, you seem to put more energy into silly
arguments and a great deal of vitriol into defending some wild-ass
opinions. If you stick with your strong points, you could regain some
of that respect.